I found myself sitting at my desk one morning; online reading the blogs I am currently following. I came across something new. If I know you, I’ve probably talked your ear off for at least a half hour about how inspired Seth Godin gets me.
The book in question, SURVIVAL IS NOT ENOUGH: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry And Embrace Change by Godin has grabbed my attention in a positive way.
Godin is a marketing whiz kid; he’s conducted presentations for everyone from Google to The National Balloon Animal Association. Godin somehow makes clear ideas that we [the marketing community] seem to overlook. Godin is a bestselling author with such works as The Purple Cow, Permission Marketing and Meatball Sundae to name a few.
I recently finished his book Survival Is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change. Godin has a writing style similar to the way he looks at advertising; people have short attention spans [if any]. He uses short choppy stories to convey big scary ideas. In the book he explains how companies need to change their entire way of thinking and product promotions at the drop of a hat to stay appealing to consumers. These companies are called “Zoomers”, according to Godin’s quirky nomenclature.
One of the hardest hitting statements made in the book is a comparison that Godin makes. “It doesn’t matter what business you are in, whatever it is, you’re in the fashion business.” Basically what he’s touching on is; the fashion world changes from week to week. If companies aren’t able to change at that kind of pace they will be cooked.
The book gives real world events that happen in our lives and ties them back into a simple nugget of knowledge that connects to a very real idea. Though the book is mainly geared toward the business person, it has a lot of situational outcomes that the average person can use. Making decisions, seizing opportunities and making your own opportunities are a keystone in this amazing work. I highly recommend it to anyone with a little bit of ambition or anyone looking to be inspired. It’s a fun read that keeps you entertained and thinking the whole way through.
