This is the iconic Flamborough Lighthouse.
I call it the sentinel. It watches over the most dangerous coastline of the east coast. The low tide reveals sections of bulkhead and steel that have washed ashore from the hundreds of wrecks littering the sea bed around Flamborough Head.
Technology and “progress” has meant Flamborough’s iconic swathes of light have been replaced by a blinking LED, depressingly. Ships have GPS, AIS, and autopilot these days so the thinking is that large beams of light aren’t needed.
As a child, I would lay in bed with my curtains opened slightly, I would lay on my back watching, counting, every 13 seconds the light would wash over my bedroom ceiling and I would eventually fall asleep watching it. Now the romance has gone and the white monolith seems robbed of its identity, a lighthouse that no longer shines…
I’m all for progress, I regularly embrace new technology, and techniques. When I work with a new client I immerse myself in their new world, it’s exciting.
However, things are always changing, and it’s easy to get all excited by the newest trend or fad and many do…
I think sometimes we overcomplicate our lives and we start to lose the simplicity in our messages and sometimes the romance in what we are doing.
Life is incredibly short, keep your goals, and your mission at the forefront.
I remind my clients to “go back to basics” this will keep you closer to the core activity and allow you a better platform to build excitement and desire when you are building trust and listening to your customers.
As business owners, you are too close to your business.
You might have the best product.
You have a list as long as your arm of the benefits of your products.
You might be numb to your business and how cool it is.
You might spend hours making sure you are the best in the market.
You probably hire the best team to interact with customers.
You might invest in great systems and training.
All these things are pointless unless you consistently talk about you, your products, and the value you have to offer. Why you?
Life’s too short to work so hard and have no one aware of you and what you can do.
It’s too short to worry about AI, or automation if your core messages aren’t there.
Working on the four p’s of marketing is a good start, spend time on the shop floor, and speaking with customers is another source of inspiration for feedback. The core elements of business never change, like people’s ability to connect with other people and the stories they tell.
Learn, then make a strategy and plan the activity.
If you need fresh eyes or help to create things – get someone in who can help you.
Be the “Lighthouse” for your customers, move with the times, and let people know what you stand for. Be proud and raise yourselves up with your content but don’t lose your brand by getting distracted.
Become a storyteller.
ps (I took this photo using a vintage lens and a 13-year-old camera to experiment with combining tech).
John