Met Polly LaBarre today on the Charlotte leg of the Mavericks book tour. The luncheon/speaking event didn't happen, so along with close friend Drew Henderson, the three of us chatted about the ideas in Mavericks at Work.
Here's a take away from our conversation.
The people and companies that Bill Taylor and Polly feature in their book are people who have taken an idea and have turned it into a business. It really isn't like some high concept abstract idea, but rather some simple, disruptive idea that they see clearly having an impact on a particular market. The idea they see leads to the advocacy stance they describe.
This is a key insight in their book. The insight that you can have an idea that rises out of your experience that makes a difference in the lives of people, and boom, you have a cutting edge, entrepreneurial business on your hands.
Prior to meeting Polly today, I was with a client who started a new business less that a year ago. They are in the heating and air-conditioning business. At least a superficial view would suggest that. What they are in is the "solutions" business. Is this a cliched branding approach for them? No. It is so real to these guys that their customers are asking them to take over more of the mechanical needs of their operations that just HV/AC. Soon they may be on Bill and Polly's Maverick's list.
Simple ideas that make a difference for the customer. That's how a Maverick gets started, then builds on it to create something really unique. As we discussed in Charlotte today, in this perspective, your greatest competitor is yourself. You either follow your insights or follow the crowd.
If Bill and Polly come to your city, make sure you go see them. Check the schedule out at their blog here.
UPDATE: Ellen Weber has started a conversation about what I say here over at her Brain-based Business blog. Check it out and take part in the conversation.
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