Refreshing Honesty

After Michael Phelps came in fourth in his first race the first Saturday of the Olympics, I was all set to write an Insight about it.  However, I deliberately delayed to see what happened as he swam more events.  I’m glad that I did.  From today’s perspective, I see his Olympics differently.

In an interview, Michael said that he had tightened up during that first race.  When asked about the silver that he received in the second race, he said that he had gotten sloppy recently about finishing his practice swims, and it showed up there. 

He gave a realistic assessment with no excuses.  He said that he had set goals for this Olympics and that he had achieved them.  One of his goals was to have fun.  After his intense Olympics in Bejing where he won eight gold medals, that was understandable.  He came out of Bejing on such a high that he fell into a deep depression.  He wanted his London experience to be balanced. 

He also wanted to go out on top.  For that reason, he was unswerving in his statement that this was his last Olympics.  “Your mother says she wants to go to Rio,” mentioned an interviewer.

“I told her that we can go to Rio in four years,” Phelps replied, “but I’ll be in the stands, not in the pool.”

He also wanted to set an example for younger swimmers.  After watching Michael and Alison win their races, fifteen-year-old Olympian Katie Ledecky won the 1500 meter race, one that no one thought she would win.  “You emulate and follow the best,” she commented.

Winning and success are a result of preparing and going out and doing a good job every time.  You don’t prepare to win.  You prepare to do well every time.  Of his first swim, Michael noted, “I did the preparation that I did, and I got the results that I deserved for that preparation.”

I loved Michael’s refreshing honesty.  We can all learn from his example of setting goals, preparing to do well, having fun, and setting an example.  Most importantly, we can learn to maintain our focus.  It will help us reach our goals.  Once we have reached our goals, set new ones.  Be ready to move from the pool to the stands and keep our energies flowing.

A Man with a Mission

I watched a report a couple of days ago which struck me so profoundly that I wanted to share it with you. The story was about Dan Phillips from Huntsville, Texas. Dan is a man with a mission. He is determined to provide home ownership to anyone who has a job and either good credit or no credit. “In most cities,” Dan explains, “affordable houses cost $140,000. That’s not affordable. Between fifty and twenty thousand dollars is affordable.”

That is precisely the price range of the homes that Dan builds and sells at a profit. How does he do it? Dan uses 85% or more recycled materials in the homes. These aren’t just typical recycled materials. These materials include wine corks for flooring, picture frame samples for ceilings, and glass serving plates for windows.

The entire community helps Dan collect these materials. Everyday he receives calls from Huntsville residents who are about to discard anything from bottle caps to bathroom fixtures. Dan thankfully accepts it all. “In a community this size, enough material to build a small home is thrown away every week. By using this material to construct homes, we are saving a great deal from the landfill.”

Dan believes that we can solve one social problem by fixing another. That’s why he keeps materials out of landfills and builds affordable homes for people who otherwise might not have their own home. As you might imagine, each home is unique. One reporter called the homes “weird.” I find them intriguing. I am still attempting to figure out what material is on the roof of one home.

By building homes for people who would like to own a home but cannot afford a $140,000 one, Dan has filled a want. He discovered a market not being served and found a way to serve it. Dan said that he was on a mission. His goal was to create homes for all and positively impact the planet while doing so.

Beyond his contributions to society, Dan offers a marketing lesson for us all. Marketing begins with your goals. Your goals prompt you to find a want that is not being served or not being served in the way that you would serve it. That want helps you to craft your offer. A well-thought out goal, a well-researched want, and a well-crafted offer lay the basis for successful marketing.

Marketing is not a sleight-of-hand to magically make a product, service, or information sell. Marketing begins when the idea for the business is formulated. Marketing communicates how your product, service, or information fills a customer’s want.

Is your marketing doing that?

Watch the story on Dan that I saw here.