Sophia Loren considers creativity the fountain of youth. She’s quoted, saying, “There is a fountain of youth; it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source you will have truly defeated age.” It is undeniable — infusing any aspect of life or business with creativity does bring new life. This week we dipped into creativity a little bit, exploring the value of competition, a bold creative San Franciscan who declared himself emperor, great customer service as marketing, and what we’d say if James Lipton interviewed us.
How does friendly competition drive you?
Everyone has their own version of the Manning Bowl, but pitting person against person isn’t truly the most positive form of competition. Instead, encouraging people to compete as a team or against their own past achievements is said to be more powerful in encouraging growth.
When has boldness served you in creativity or business?
Have you ever heard of the bold San Franciscan known as Emperor Norton? His story is hard to forget — his real name was Joshua Norton and after losing his fortune in the 1850s, his life took a bold turn. In 1859, he declared himself Norton I, Emperor of the United States. His bold declaration paid off and seemed to work — he issued currency and proclamations, and enjoyed free transit rides and theater tickets. We’ve just made a bold move and painted one of our building’s most-used doors red. Red doors are known as powerful symbols of welcome — we know that it will be an easy way to welcome clients to the building. Beyond that, it echoes the powerful red of the Professional Litho brand.
What great customer service experiences do you remember?
Not only do we have an entire department devoted to managing customer experiences at Professional Litho, but there is a commitment to customer satisfaction that influences every step of our processes. We love seeing how other businesses are living their commitment to service — like how United Airlines is planning to honor free tickets issued by mistake. This will cost the company a bit of money. But, those customers will remember that United treated them well and they will share that with others. Powerful service like this is in itself good advertising. And Forbes says customers are often happier when companies admit mistakes.
How would you answer James Lipton’s 10 Questions if you were on Inside the Actor’s Studio?
Inspiration sparks and ripples. Did you know that James Lipton’s ten questions originated from the Proust Questionnaire? In the 1890s, French writer Marcel Proust answered this questionnaire for a friend. Later, his answers and the questions were auctioned off. French television host Bernard Pivot thought they could be used reveal personality and work in interviews. Lipton saw Bernard Pivot asked them on a French program. Inspired by this chance viewing, Lipton created Inside the Actors Studio. And, they aren’t the only ones. Vanity Fair featurescelebs answering the Proust Questionnaire.
An invitation: You can let us know your viewpoint — here, on Facebook, or on Twitter — Monday through Thursday, we pose questions ranging from lighter fare to industry-focused topics. Every Friday we look back at the week. If you are on Twitter, we are @ProLitho — please follow us, and join the discussion about this week’s #4Qs. We’d also love to have you check us out at Facebook and LinkedIn.