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“Innovation is the responsibility of every entrepreneur. Yes, your bandwidth will be tested. Yes, your comfort zone will be forced to expand. Yes, you might feel short of breath at points. But the needs of people are in a constant state of evolution and if your business, idea, or vision is not outpacing this evolution then your business, idea, or vision will only evolve into irrelevancy.” - Jared Yellin
Innovation is one of those words, phrases, concepts that has a polarizing impact.
Some people HATE IT, RUN FROM IT, and PREVENT IT from happening.
Some people LOVE IT, SPRINT TO IT, and YEARN FOR IT to happen.
Which one are you? Because based on what you say I can almost predict verbatim what your business will evolve into.
Listen, there is no better or worse, you are perfect just the way you are, but here’s what I know…
Innovation = Life
Innovation = Survival
Innovation = Impact
Innovation = Success
The lack of innovation is the opposite.
The number of businesses that simply don’t make it is because they simply don’t innovate.
I love when people spew statistics about how X number of businesses fail in year 1, 5, and 10 but it’s not that they failed…it’s that they DID NOT INNOVATE!
Their failure is not predestined…
Their failure is not just part of the journey…
Their failure is not that they ran out of money…
Their failure is not a bad decision in year 8…
Their failure is that they DID NOT INNOVATE...PERIOD!
To me, innovation is OXYGEN.
If you were to cut off the oxygen to your body...you would DIE!
The same way that if you cut off oxygen to your business...you will DIE!
It should not come as a surprise…
Just look at BIG companies that did not innovate – how are they doing today?!?!
Blockbuster - PEACE OUT!
KODAK - PEACE OUT!
JCPenny - PEACE OUT!
NOKIA - PEACE OUT!
Radio Shack - PEACE OUT!
I am not insensitive to businesses that don’t make it - my heart goes out to each one - but I am a realist and my practical side says…
You killed yourself by preventing the oxygen of your business!
Blockbuster - you could have become NETFLIX!
Kodak - you could have become Apple!
JCPenny - you could have become Amazon!
Nokia - you could have become Verizon!
Xerox - you could have become Dropbox!
Radio Shack - you could have become Overstock!
Every business…
Every idea…
Every vision…
Could have become _______________________ IF they innovate!
Innovation Is Life or Death…
As you can see, innovation is life or death…
For your personal life…
For your idea…
For your vision…
For your mission…
For your health…
For everything!
And the reason why is because of the quote from above…
“Innovation is the responsibility of every entrepreneur. Yes, your bandwidth will be tested. Yes, your comfort zone will be forced to expand. Yes, you might feel short of breath at points. But the needs of people are in a constant state of evolution and if your business, idea, or vision is not outpacing this evolution then your business, idea, or vision will only evolve into irrelevancy.” - Jared Yellin
When you innovate for the first time, it most likely will be very uncomfortable because it feels like starting over, more work, unknown, and any other undesirable feeling.
It’s no different from exercising a new muscle, or starting a new regimen, or anything that is distinct from your norm.
But I can promise you this…
Innovation will not physically hurt you…
Innovation will not bite your finger…
Innovation will not startle you…
Innovation will not kill you…
But the lack of innovation will.
I don’t want you to read this article and feel like I am overly dramatizing the importance of this responsibility as an entrepreneur and human, but I have seen too many times people, businesses, and missions that DID NOT innovate and as a result...do not exist!
I refuse to let that happen to you...
My Formula of Innovation
I could and probably will write a book on innovation because for me...innovation has become FLAMEwork!
I have zero resistance against…
I have zero fear associated with it…
I have zero doubt when an opportunity presents itself to use…
But please realize – I have been in innovation mode my entire life, but specifically for 15+ years as an entrepreneur.
It just takes time, practice, and a TON of intention to LOVE innovation.
So, until then...follow this formula which, like I mentioned, could be a 300 page book that I am overly simplifying for the purpose of this article…
Step 1: Be Freakin Honest with Yourself – What’s not working?!
The goal with innovation is to DO IT (IT = innovation) before you NEED to, but we all have to start somewhere so expose the truth of what’s NOT working in your business (or even in your life).
Marketing
Product fit
Use-cases
Onboarding
Retention
Messaging
Sales process
There are probably 100s of things you could consider so start documenting what is suboptimal about your existing situation. Get it all on paper so that you can SEE it and then PRIORITIZE based on impact.
Most people will move pebbles expecting the pebbles to evolve into mountains, but I say move boulders or even mountains and ignore the pebbles.
Step 2: What has changed in the world, your community, your avatar, etc. since you launched your idea, company, or mission?
Ignorance of what's going on in the world is NOT bliss when it comes to innovation. Personally, I don’t watch the news or read/listen to the media or immerse myself in propaganda, but I do always know what's happening around me by having discussions with trusted people who have no space for drama. Having a pulse of what's happening is critical because it will influence your innovation decisions.
For example, COVID is something that has impacted the entire world and the businesses who have innovated and continue to innovate will experience unparalleled levels of growth and impact. But if you buried your head in the sand you would most likely miss the opportunities that are created during uncertain times.
So, please answer this question…
What has changed since you launched?
And be as specific as possible because when you can begin to see the evolution of the world, your community, or the day-to-day of your avatar, it will create a clearer picture of where your innovation energy should take you.
Step 3: If you were to completely start over, but still know what you now know, what would you do, create, build, etc.?
I love step 3 because this is the reason why many many successful entrepreneurs don’t feel failure. If they were to have whatever they are working on crumble, they still have the wisdom they gained over the years so the next go around will be progressively easier since they won’t need to guess as much or at all.
I also love when I am able to think about what I would have done differently…
For example…
If I could do it all over again, I would NOT have made SYNDUIT a marketing software. Instead, I would have made SYNDUIT a campaign library that integrates into every marketing software in the world. Our secret sauce is content and our untouchable FLAME are campaigns. Just knowing this is power as we continue to innovate and create the future of the company.
What would you create if you had to completely start over?
Step 4: What have you always wanted to try but used every excuse not to?
Everyone has things they have wanted to do but they used the lack of time, money, energy, etc. as the reason they never fulfilled this desire. The perfect example of this is a Functional Medicine practitioner I know who had the burning desire to expand outside the 5 mile radius of their office to serve more people. She knew what she needed to do, but her excuses were more powerful than her drive.
COVID-19 happened and she was forced to innovate and decided it’s time to fulfill her desire by creating an online health university that will educate people from around the world.
To make a long story short – she has 4,000 members and is growing and NONE of this would have happened without her commitment to innovation.
What are your unfulfilled desires?
Step 5: Don’t become romantic.
The death of innovation is complacency and perseveration. If you are THINKING about innovating you are already being too romantic. Answer the four questions from above and then just DO SOMETHING.
Don’t focus on making it perfect…
Don’t wait until the time is right…
Don’t use your desire for perfection as your anti-action plan…
Just DO SOMETHING immediately!
There are dozens of additional concepts, steps, strategies, etc., which I promise to share in the future either in multiple articles, white papers, or even a book on the oxygen of your business, but for now – follow these five steps and I guarantee that you will be uncomfortable comfortable with innovation and see that you CAN do it which makes round II exponentially easier!
Why does all of this matter?
INNOVATION IS OXYGEN
And I challenge you whether you are reading this article in 2024, 2026, or 2090 or any other year…
I challenge you to realize that INNOVATION IS A CHOICE, but if you choose NOT to innovate, you are CHOOSING not to oxygenate which means...
You are choosing to evolve into irrelevancy!
Live with Intention,
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