"Gut Feeling"

At times when trying to reach our goals we may ask for help and advice from people we feel may help us. At times we receive great advice that just seems to just click. However, there are times when the advice we receive just goes against what we feel. The truth is no one can tell you how to run your business, how to run your life or how to think about something. The only person that can tell you how to do things based on previous observations and knowledge is yourself. Take the time and learn and ask questions. Never stop learning yourself, and be open to learn from other people. The ideas and views that other people give you might just click. Here’s the thing. If those ideas don't seem to mesh with your "gut feeling" then simply disregard. Because when it comes down to it, it's better to follow your gut feeling, fail, and learn from it, then follow someone else's advice and fail.................. or succeed. 

-Marco Adrian Ortiz 

"Starbucks doesn't sell coffee"

It's true. Starbucks doesn't sell coffee and Apple Inc. doesn't sell computers. What they sale is far greater than anything that is simply tangible. What these companies sell is an emotion. An emotion that comes with every product they sell. This emotion is linked to the way these organizations feel about the beliefs for doing business. If their beliefs as an organization align with yours as a consumer then you conduct business with them. You are not purchasing a product from Starbucks or Apple because of how you will benefit their company; you are buying their products because of how they will benefit you. It's the feeling of taking a sip of overpriced coffee at Starbucks and the feeling of opening an Apple Laptop in a public place that speaks wonders of who you are. Whether to be considered more creative, intellectual, or smart; whatever your reason is for buying their products, I can assure you it’s based on emotions and not on your ability to rationalize which product is better. One can argue that the same quality of coffee can be purchased somewhere else for cheaper. We can also argue that Dell computers are far better than Apple computers. The thing is that other places simply sell coffee and Dell computers simply sells computers. So, next time you think about selling something make sure there is a clearly defined reason why you're doing it. No one ever buy anything from you if you yourself don't understand why it’s important to sell it. 

-Marco Adrian Ortiz 

"Choose the big cookie"

When we look at work it is inevitable to get away from the physical and emotional aspect of it. On one hand we are doing things because they need to get done, on the other we’re trying to embrace and communicate the ideas of our company to the customer. Many times we feel reluctant to take on a simple task that requires either emotional or physical work. This is a natural feeling and a great designer by the name of John Maeda explained it best. If you offer a child the ability to pick between a big cookie and a small cookie their choice will be obvious. They will pick the big cookie. However, offer them a choice of a big stack of laundry to fold and a small stack of laundry and their choice is obvious once again. They will choose the small stack of laundry because it requires less work. The idea here is that these things are the total opposite for one reason and one reason only. The choices are based exclusively on the amount of joy that each will provide for the person choosing. If we want to get our employees to want to do the work it requires to build a successful company, we need to start by giving them beliefs that will create enjoyment upon execution. If your process is lame and unappealing then your employees will choose not to do it and your company will fail. Offer your employees the big cookie by making your process innovative and fun and your employees will love you for it. 

-Marco Adrian Ortiz

"Complaints everywhere"

I think it's becoming a concern for me when I see someone complain. There's this idea that we have created that suggest complaining is appealing. It's not. People often come into a room and complain about their days being too long, about how customers make their lives a living hell, how they’re tired or how they can't wait for it to be Friday. It's this idea that others should agree with your complaints and be part of your turmoil. Who came up with this? Organizations with higher morale don't have this. It's organizations with clearly established and designed guidelines that deter people who think this way from working within. Granted, we can't avoid a bad day. This doesn't mean that all our days have to be filled with negativity. I suggest you look at your day in a more positive way. Make every day an opportunity to do something great. If you can't find a positive, you should do yourself a favor and quit. It’s not for you. 

-Marco Adrian Ortiz

"Repeats vs. Loyalty"

As business professionals it is imperative that we understand the difference between repeat customers and loyal customers. Repeat customers are those who continue to do business with you time after time. They are people that repeat their shopping habits because the product you offer is constant. Same product, same price. Once price or product change, they are no longer repeat customers. These customers are not loyal. Loyal customers are those who rather continue to do business with you even if your competitor offers a better product at a cheaper price. It's based on the idea of trust, and if our customers can't find trust in our organizations we have lost their loyalty as consumers. We must realize people don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. 

-Marco Adrian Ortiz 

"Two Kinds of People"

There are two types of people; those who see the goal and those who see the things preventing them from reaching their goal. I have realized that in the past I have surrounded myself with too many people who see the things preventing them from reaching their goals and not enough people actually working to reach their goals. It's these negative people who always give criticism but never seem to do any work themselves that would be subject to any criticism. As well all know; if you aren't criticized, then you're not doing anything worth talking about. Without vulnerability, you will never open up yourself to grow. I need people around me who look forward to growing themselves, with a passion for change, but most importantly people who see themselves as leaders, not followers. I'm interested in accomplishing that. 

-Marco Adrian Ortiz

"Where's the leader"?

There's this misunderstanding that leaders are at the top of the latter. It is said that they stand on top and all the communication from the bottom needs to go upward and direction downward. It's what we've been taught in school and it's what we believe to this day. The truth is leadership isn't a position that stands at the top of an organization, leadership stands in the middle of an organization. Leadership holds the same distance between everyone, not only top management. If leaders don't hold the same distance with everyone across an organization, then they're just managers.

It's time we understand that leadership isn't about giving orders and ensuring numbers are met. Leadership is our ability to inspire people to believe what we believe. It is when we find people that have the same beliefs that we have, that we can lead. Not before. Leadership is the ability to understand people and the ability to see the impact our actions will have on their lives. If we can't see that, then we've lost our employees trust in making decisions and there for we've lost the trust our employees have on us to run an organization.

-Marco Adrian Ortiz