"Girlfriend Kidnapped By Ninjas..."

My sister-in-law and I took our niece to Chicago last weekend to see Beauty and the Beast in celebration of her big 5th birthday. As we were walking from the theater to Elephant and Castle for dinner, we saw numerous homeless people with signs out panhandling. One sign really caught my attention - "Girlfriend Kidnapped By Ninjas. Need $ for Kung-fu Lessons!" When the going gets tough, the tough get creative!! I love it!

Make a pact with yourself to take one challenge that comes up next week and look at it through completely new filters. Call a trusted friend and run the scenario by them. Oftentimes we are just to close to the problem to see the creative solution. Gather as much input from as many varied sources as you feel appropriate, and then get creative. There is almost always a different way (and often better way) to do things than the one we're accustomed to. If you get stuck, take a break and join a kung-fu class so at the very least you'll be able to save a loved one from ninjas!

Have a super weekend!

You Haven't 'Tried Everything'

There is a Domino's(R) Pizza about two blocks from my house one site removed from a very busy 4-way stoplight intersection. It is a smaller establishment with a drive-through and a standard light up readerboard out front. I was intrigued all last summer when they had one of their employees (or more likely the son of the owner - we boss's kids are asked to do some goofy things) sitting/standing out front wearing a big, multi-colored, frizzy clown wig offering a $5.99 dinner option. I thought, "Well, huh, that's different." I didn't give it much more thought until I was going to pick my kids up from day care a couple of weeks later and there was the guy in the clown wig again. This time he was running up and down the busy street waving a sign board advertising the value dinner option, still wearing the wig. This time I thought to myself, "You haven't tried everything until you have a kid wearing a clown wig run up and down the street!"

In and out, day after day, we work with people or hear people or ARE people who say, "I've tried EVERYTHING! There's nothing more I can do." When I feel like this, I try to remind myself of the kid in the clown wig. Have I thought as far outside the box as I can? Have I tried that goofy off-the-wall idea that's been hanging out in the back of my mind for a long time? Can you really ever have tried everything? I am vowing here and now to be strong enough to dig deep and challenge myself to try something more - something different, something wild, something old that's revamped, something old I haven't utilized in a while. This will not only make me mentally tougher, but it will help those who look to me for guidance and will help the brand be all it is supposed to be. You never know what's going to catch somebody's attention and get them to stop in and make a purchase.

I would like to give Domino's Pizza additional props for their current marketing campaign. What a knock-out idea to air your less than positive customer comments in order to show how you have bettered your product. I love it! I'll tell you this, the Domino's up the street was packed this past Sunday afternoon and I had not seen that kind of activity there before. I hope this campaign with it's honest approach of trying something new is a true home run for Domino's. My hat's off to them! I've got to run, I gotta a clown wig to go buy! Have a SUPER day!!