Fitting in is a short-term strategy, standing out pays off in the long run.

It's entirely possible that there won't be a standing ovation at the end of your journey. That's okay. At least you lived.

Will you succeed because you are more well-rounded than others? Because you fit in better than everyone else? Bloody unlikely. We succeed when we are trusted to be the best at what we do.

Here's the fascinating part, call it the golden shoulder: We have no idea in advance who the great contributors are going to be. We know that there's a huge cohort of people struggling outside the boundaries of the curated, selected few, but we don't know who they are.

The rules are now clear: no one is going to inform you, but it's easier than ever to inform yourself.

Any customer that walks away, disrespected and defeated, represents tens of thousands of dollars out the door, in addition to the failure of a promise the brand made in the first place. You can't see it but it's happening, daily.

Anticipated, personal, and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.