Signs
One surefire way to wile away your life is Youtube. But every now and again the suggestions for the next video are like finding a nugget of gold in your pan of pebbles.
For me, that video was of Chris Do. For those of you who don't know, Chris is a phenomenally successful entrepreneur who specialises in the "business of design". Watch any one of his videos and you will come away wiser and more confident. If his videos don't excite you then you're in the wrong profession.
The discovery of Chris Do was reward enough, but in listening to him I have been propelled down the rabbit hole of storytelling.
As fate would have it, I had recently subscribed to a mailing list by designer Jamie Starcevich of Spruce Rd. Around the same time as stumbling across Chris Do, Jamie's newsletter altered me to a book by Donald Miller, enticingly entitled "Building a Storybrand". The book seemed phenomenal, but it's his Podcast that caught me in it's spell.
“I highly recommend [Donald Miller] to any designer wanting to further understand the importance of design-led storytelling. ”
From industry leaders, to social media experts, to fighter pilots, this Podcast is all about the art of storytelling. The design of cutting through the noise. I highly recommend him to any designer wanting to further understand the importance of design-led storytelling.
One the episodes name checks Garry Vanderchuck's book, "Jab, jab, jab, right-hook" – a look at how you need to continuously offer value to your audience before you ask for something in return. When I walked into the office the next morning, there it was. Vanderchuck's book had been casually tossed next to a pile of discarded newspapers, as if it was waiting for me.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”
And then, the final piece of the puzzle. Simon Sinek's talk on "How great leaders inspire action", and it's compelling mantra; "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it". This TED talk from way back in 2009 is as true now as ever, and sparked a feeling I hadn't been able to articulate simply, but that I believe in wholly.
Finally, a few days later at work, what happens? A colleague who is doing Google's Marketing Course mentions that it teaches about the Golden Circle of Why. Wow.
When enough of these things happen you have to think that it's life's way of sending you a message. Right?