There is a misconception that in business you must conduct yourself as others before you have conducted themselves. But that wouuldn’t be very progressive now would it? In stumbling through some videos to stir up inspiration I found this nugget of gold. Now, everyone will take from this whatever message they choose to hear, but the message I heard was quite clear and quite profound. In business as well as life, one must make their decisions based on who they ARE and not who others say they should be. One must use their own creativity, thier own brand of decision making, to determine TRUE success or failures. And finally, when one allows connection, a goal is much more attainable. In todays business world, it is more important than ever to stand out. But TRYING to stand out doesn’t really mean you are being creative. Doing what you THINK others will approve of is no way to take a leap towards success. When running a business, it may be the craziest ideas, that nobody else would ever use, that will lead you to your goal. This may seem slightly obvious by now, but that is what a BRAND is. Distinguishing yourself from others by portraying your own style, philosophy, and identity. Allow your brand to be an extension of yourself, and by the end of your journey, the success or failure of that brand will be honest, it will be accurate, and it will be helpful in embarking on your next venture. If there were a strict blueprint to success, then everyone would achieve it.