The Remarkability Equation
- June 16, 2014
- Posted by: Rochelle
- Category: Big Idea, Client Relationships, Personal Brand
Are you remarkable?
How about your work?
Remember how good it felt the last time someone you respect gave you that compliment?
How amazing would it feel if your day was chock-full of remarkable work with those who need—and appreciate—it?
After working with tons of clients over the years, I’ve come to view remarkability—whether you deliver it 1-to-1 or 1-to-many—as a formula:
Remarkable = Creativity + Discipline + Moxie + Service
Creativity is essential to creating remarkable in any form. The left-brainers often balk at this—“But I’m an accountant/lawyer/IT guy, I just don’t have creative in me”. We all have innate creativity; it’s just a matter of learning to let it loose. Giving it time and space and permission to flow.
When I was looking for a new CPA, I searched high and low for the right fit. I spoke to a few promising candidates, but wasn’t feeling it. Then I found Lia. She was the only one—of dozens of potential candidates whose sites I perused—who actually told her story.
Did I care about her credentials? Hell yes! But that was just the price of admission—what mattered most to me was that she was a real person with whom I could connect and, ultimately, trust with my tax life. She is remarkable. And without that spark of creativity, I might never have seen it.
And then there’s discipline. It’s hard to think of creativity and discipline in the same sentence. Your right brain rebels. But a little discipline makes creativity flourish. You’ve got to make the physical and mental space to nourish your ideas. You’ll need research time—intellect—to keep developing. You have to push yourself to go beyond the first or second or—sometimes—the 49th idea to get to the gold that will be THE breakthrough.
How many bloggers are still at it, year after year, building their audience? Explosive growth can happen with the right idea, right time, right launch. But organic growth—tended regularly—can be every bit as powerful and enduring. It builds social media audiences, email lists, relationships. Discipline enables creativity.
Moxie gives energy to the equation. Because the most brilliant creative idea, attacked with fervent discipline, will come to naught if you don’t have the courage to put it out in the world.
You need moxie to pitch an unconventional solution to a client who isn’t particularly receptive. Or a big giant dose of it to take the podium—virtual or otherwise—and bravely share your big idea with an audience. Ideas that remain unshared have no power.
And finally, being TRULY remarkable requires being of service (which doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t be paid handsomely for your work). It means that your focal point—your raison d’être—is about serving others. In ways that tap into your deepest talents and passions. Big, small, doesn’t matter—it’s about how you make your corner of the planet a better place to live.
The financial wizard whose core motivation is helping clients to realize THEIR dreams. The author who teaches us how to be resilient so we can lead others. The programmer who writes beautiful code so websites work fast and easily. Each has the ability to speak to us and be remarkable in their impact.
We each have the opportunity—every single day—to choose remarkable. Why choose anything else?
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7 Comments
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You have written many blogs. I have read most of your writings and still find the need for more. This is one of your finest. Congratulations on being spectacularly remarkable.
I’m beaming Ed 🙂
Powerful post, Rochelle. As a creative, discipline and consistency are hard for me. I’ve been blogging for over 9 years, but sticking to a consistent schedule has been the most difficult part. Building in a buffer has helped, but having a solid vision and goal usually keeps me engaged. Unfortunately, having to blog on a certain day and time usually moves me from creativity to data review… just the facts. I can become Joe Friday after awhile. Nobody wants to read Joe Friday… unless they have a pocket protector and slide rule.
Thanks John–I think you’ve hit on something really key for creatives. You have to find the “formula” that works for you. I like your building in the buffer–it allows one to be superbly creative in spurts and still meet deadlines/build your audience…
I came to this blog a day or so late and in a way, so glad I did.
It really spoke to the matters I experienced the last few days.
I love the formula. You take the make a difference mantra to the next level!
Ah, but time is of no consequence for this stuff. It’s evergreen 🙂
Rochelle – I love your work. Totally inspiring!!! With gratitude, 🙂