Each morning when we take Shadow for his two mile walk we pass this massive building, The Long Home. Opened in 1905 as a home for,
“respectable persons, from the City and County of Lancaster and indigent circumstances, above the age of 55 years, being without a spouse.”
the home was shut down back in January and after spending some time on sale for nearly $3-million dollars, the building on 4-acres of land remains vacant. The company that owns it might convert into more affordable apartments for seniors, or perhaps tear it down and build a newer senior living facility on the four acres of land.
But every time I walk by, I look at the building and imagine the possibilities. In addition to imagining it as the world headquarters of Inkling Media complete with hot tubs, an indoor basketball court, and rumpus room, I think about all of the other things that could be done with this beautiful building, from conference centers to luxury apartments, or even a mega-home for local nonprofits. My mind won’t stop.
Being a consultant is somewhat of a curse. By nature, I am an idea person, a strategist, and a problem solver. People pay me to take a look at what they are doing with their online presence and marketing, and help them do a better job. Sometimes this can mean a few tweaks, while other times it can mean a complete tearing down and rebuilding.
This is a curse, because I often look at the online presence of various businesses and nonprofits who are not my clients, and see the potential. It’s frustrating when I look at a friend’s website, blog, and social presence, and see that they offer great products and produce great content, and yet I know that their online presence is holding them back…and there’s nothing I can do about it for one reason or another.
But when it comes to my own business model, website, and online presence, I have ideas, but for some reason can’t get from point A to B, or beyond. I have several individuals I rely on for feedback and help in defining who I am, what I do, and how I communicate that to the world. I don’t think I’m alone in not being able to do this for myself. Sometimes we are too close to our businesses. In fact some of our friends and family might be too close.
It helps to have that outside perspective. I chuckle as I write this knowing that my friend Justin Brackett recently launched a new company called Outspective, a marketing firm that offers its clients an “outside perspective”. And that’s what I do as well. People hire me to bring my expertise, and perspective as an outsider, to their business.
Every business and organization needs to get that outside perspective. We are too close to what we do to be truly objective. We need people who can push us and move us forward. I’m now looking for this in my life and work as I approach 2013, a year that I have dubbed “The Year of the Ken”. I have some changes planned, but need to flesh them out, and…get that outside perspective from some trusted friends. People who can push me and stretch me, and help me get to the core of who I am and what I love to do. And I look forward to it.
What are you doing to get that outside perspective? Who do you trust with your brand, image, and business model? When other people see you, what possibilities and potential do they see?