One of the advantages children have over adults is that they are not yet bogged down and limited by “common knowledge.” For children, everything is on the table. They see life in a colorful kaleidoscope of possibility. As they get older, the world is all too eager to impart its “common knowledge,” informing them of what’s really possible, and what’s really not.

Talking heads — folks with fancy degrees, oodles of experience, and impressive titles — squawk their opinions on our TV sets and “Internets” and we are expected to accept their guesses as factual truth. If only their track record would make it feasible. Just a year ago, “common knowledge” told us that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani would be squaring off in this summer’s general election. Money and time was spent conducting national polls to determine who was more likely to be elected President.

Resources wasted on a prediction that fell flat.

Here are some more bold predictions made over the past 150 years by people with fancy degrees, oodles of experience, and impressive titles:

I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” –Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” –Ken Olson, president and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” –H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” –Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.” –Gary Cooper turning down “Gone With the Wind.”

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. –Western Union internal memo, 1876.

“The concept is interesting… but to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” –Yale professor on conceptual paper that became FedEx.

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” –Bill Gates, 1981.

“What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” –Michael Dell on Apple, 1997.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” –Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

Whether it’s politics, the economy, global warming, business, or even the decisions you make in your day-to-day life, you will run across people more than willing to give you a little helpful, well-intentioned “advice.” They’ll sound quite convincing. And their fancy degrees, oodles of experience, and impressive titles may make you feel inclined to listen to them.

But guess what?

They’re not always right. It’s your choice whether or not to believe them.

Beware common knowledge. It’s rarely a blueprint for making history.

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Ever notice how whenever you hear a story of someone who is presented with life-threatening news, you never hear the person say, “Well that’s it. I obviously haven’t spent nearly enough time working. I’m heading to the office –- I don’t have a minute to spare!”

Pretty ridiculous, huh?

Then why is it, when we’re NOT faced with life-threatening news, our actions suggest that work IS the most important thing in our lives? Notice I said actions. You can talk a big game about quality time and keeping first things first, but the proof of your real priorities is in your actions. Always.

Bob Kames died last month. You’ve probably never heard of him. But if you’ve been to a wedding in the past decade or two, I bet you’ve heard one of his biggest hits, the modern day version of “Dance Little Bird.”

More commonly known as “The Chicken Dance.”

Kames was successful in the music business and in show business, but a big life moment came in the mid 1960s. According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, he became gravely ill with stomach ulcers, and doctors told him that he was bleeding to death. His stomach was entirely removed. “As I lay there thinking about my life, it occurred to me that I hadn’t spent much time with my kids,” he said in 1968. “I decided to change things, if I lived, and among other things, take them to Disneyland.”

Adultitis is the disease that tricks us into thinking that unimportant stuff is actually important. That playfulness is a sign of weakness and seriousness is a sign of success.

Don’t be fooled. Make sure your actions match your priorities. And don’t wait for some bad news before you give yourself permission to spend more time with your kids (or go to Disneyland.)

Life is a grand production. You only get one shot. Be neither too foolish as to consider the playful moments mere distraction nor too afraid to be more than a wallflower.

Dance little bird, dance.

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How’s your job? A thrilling and exhilarating adventure, or little more than an increasingly boring way to bring home the bacon?

Passion Catalyst Curt Rosengren is an awesome chap and a generous contributor to our latest issue of Kim & Jason magazine (on its way to Club K&J members as we speak…or as I write?) I have been reading his book, 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work, in small bites on airplanes as Kim and I have criss-crossed the country flying to speaking engagements. There are so many self-help books out there that it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between them, but Curt’s really stands out.

One of the great things about children is that they see things with new eyes. Little things delight and astound them, sometimes only because they’ve never seen them before. As grown-ups we become jaded by the “same old, same old” and miss out on wonderful treasures that are right under our noses. If you are a veteran of motivational and self-help books, you’ll definitely want to check this book out. Curt did a great job of putting a fresh twist on age-old advice that made it new again, which invites the reader to see things with new eyes.

And if you’re more of a rookie when it comes to books like these, but you’re feeling stuck in a rut and yearn for a more exciting career and adventurous life, you’ll also want to give it a read. Impressively, Curt has been able to create something that is bite-sized but filling. Each chapter is only two or three pages long, but is packed with practical, real-world advice — and peppered with fun, too.

One of my favorite tips is #21: Jettison “Should” and Do What Feels Right. Here’s an excerpt:

Of the hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, the one that does the most to keep people from their dreams is “should.” In six short letters it convinces them to let their own needs and desires take a backseat to an external picture of what the world is supposed to look like. “I should be ‘successful’ (as defined by the dominant culture).” Or, “I should be responsible, or realistic, or focused on other people’s needs before my own, or…”

Often, those shoulds are so deeply ingrained that we aren’t even aware that we’re seeing the world through a should-created lens. We end up trapped in a false reality without ever realizing that alternative views exist.

The first step to getting beyond the shoulds is noticing that they exist to begin with. Here’s an idea to help you discover yours. Take a piece of paper and at the top of it put, “I should…” Then look at your ideas about your career. What “should” you do? Run a little mind-movie through your head about pursuing your passion. Does that kick up any shoulds? Does it run counter to the way you’re “supposed” to be? How about as it relates to family, or your role in society?

How about life in general? What “should” you do? How “should” you be?

The first step to overcoming shoulds is simply being aware of them. After you make the initial list, keep the piece of paper somewhere handy and keep adding to it as more shoulds occur to you over the coming week.

Once you have your list of shoulds, start exploring them. For each one, ask yourself, “Is this valid? Is this accurate? Where did this come from?” Some of them will be perfectly valid, and many will not. Some of them will be in alignment with what feels good and sustaining for you. Others may be completely out of whack.

In order to make decisions that are based on what is right for you, and not what you “should” do, you have to recognize where what is right for you and what you “should” do are at odds.

How often do you let the “shoulds” dictate how you spend your time?

With the inquisitiveness of a four-year-old, start questioning everything.

Start questioning the shoulds.

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Akemi writes a blog about life purpose, passion, and entrepreneurship. She recently posted an interview she conducted with me and Kim about our journey as entrepreneurs. Here’s a taste:

What were the three biggest challenges when you were starting off as a new entrepreneur?

Kim:
1. Funding. Jason and I were straight out of college with empty pockets and big dreams. There were a lot of upfront expenses, but not a lot of income at the beginning. We grew slow and steady, though, which enabled us to stay afloat.
2. Patience. We had grand visions, but weren’t exactly sure which steps to take to get there. It took a lot of trial an error- about five years worth. During that time there were many soul searching moments that inevitably shaped us into the company we are today.

Jason:
I’d also add self-doubt. Like many young entrepreneurs, we were very excited about what we were doing and had some big dreams to go with it, but when it comes to actually implementing your idea in the world, it’s easy to start second-guessing yourself. “Am I crazy?” seemed to be a recurring question that popped up in my head. I don’t think any of us have a good handle on what we are truly capable of and we typically sell ourselves a bit short.

Read the full interview here.

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Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever have enough money to make a Super Bowl commercial. Maybe one starring a dancing lizard or Justin Timberlake.

And then I wonder that even if we did, would I be crazy enough to spend it in such a gratuitous manner?

We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, I suppose. Until then, we’ll continue to operate with a shoestring marketing budget that is short on cabbage and long on weird ideas. Which is actually a good thing.

And very childlike, indeed.

When I was a kid, afternoons often evaporated in a whirlwind of exciting adventure fueled by little more than a unique garage sale find and oodles of imagination. And that’s how most small businesses start: with some great, crazy ideas and a mishmash of borrowed things, like time, office space, and computers.

In any enterprise, the ideas make the difference. Many wise established companies will tell you that too much money is a bad thing, as it can often serve as a poor substitute for insightful, creative, and weird ideas. Weird ideas seem to be something we at Kim & Jason have in abundance. Such as…

What if you washed your face with a fudgesicle?

That was the premise for our latest commercial. Now, it’s not nearly as pretty as some of those fancy car commercials you see on the Super Bowl. But then again, it didn’t cost all that much, either. (One box of fudgesicles and lunch at Subway for the production crew.) But what it lacks in budget it makes up for in unadulterated fun. And besides, how else are you supposed to advertise soaps that look like popsicles? Go ahead, watch it below. If you think it’s stupid, you’re probably not alone. But if you like it, please send it on to a friend or two. (Just click on the YouTube logo, and then on “Share.”) That’s how we little guys get the word out — via people like you.

At least until we have enough money to do some sort of big budget Super Bowl commercial with Justin Timberlake.

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Jason is drinking JELL-O through a straw. Why?

Why not?!

Last month I wrote about the crazy childlike selections at IHOP, in celebration of the Seuss movie, “Horton Hears a Who!” Well, there’s only 12 days left (until April 20th) to order one of these colorful dishes. Jason and I ended up at an IHOP in Waterloo, IA last week, after a speaking program. Jason decided to order the “Beezlenut Splash.”

IHOP’s description of this silly drink is as follows: Springing up from the jungle of Nool. Lemon-lime soda- refreshing and cool. With Cherry and Berry Blue Jello-O - what fun! Slurping up the colors one by one!

Indeed, Jason did enjoy slurping up the colors… one by one - such fun!

We saw a fifty-year-old guy giggling over his plate of Who-Cakes. Any time you can get your grown-up customers to giggle… you know you’re doing something right. They’ll be back.

I have to admit, I was not that impressed with their version of “green eggs.” Instead of dying the eggs green, like our friends the Greene’s did for April Fool’s day, they took the easy route by adding spinach to the eggs. Maybe they were nervous that no one would order green eggs.

You have to give IHOP credit, though. The idea of adding a medley of Seuss-like selections is a tried and true sign of Adultitis-free leadership.

Speaking of JELL-O, remember the classic JELL-O commercials Bill Cosby did a few decades ago? Check out a few of my favorites… here and here.

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I live in Wisconsin, which means we’re still dealing with the fallout from the retirement of Brett Favre. Most of the Land o’ Cheese is in an official state of mourning, which I doubt will end anytime soon. I said “most” on purpose, because I, my friends, am a Chicago Bears fan. Living as a Bears fan in Green and Gold country is no easy task. But the load got a little lighter when Number 4 announced his retirement last week.

As a Bears fan, I hated Brett Favre.

But as a football fan, I respected him.

And as a human being, I downright admired him.

A perplexing dichotomy, to be sure, but as one who espouses the merits of childlike — not childish — behavior, I’m not sure I will ever see another athlete in my lifetime who played his (or her) game with more childlike enthusiasm than Brett Favre.

At the time of his retirement, he was a very old man by NFL standards. But to see him on the field on Sunday was like watching an 8-year-old kid on the neighborhood sandlot draw up plays in the huddle with sticks and bottle caps. (You go long — run as fast as you can and I’ll chuck it to ya!)

The kid-in-the-candy-store look when a game was about to start. The improbable improvisations that made his coaches batty and fans cheer. The exuberant jubilation that came with every touchdown pass (which he somehow always made seem like his first). His enthusiasm made him look like an overgrown kid playing a man’s game. His dominance made him look like a man playing a boy’s game.

On the field, he was a champion. He was one off the field as well. He overcame addictions and the childish behavior of youth to develop into a solid role model for all ages. Kim and I do a lot of volunteer work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and I can speak to his level of commitment and generosity in that area as well. He went out of his way to help kids in need, freely giving time and money.

Well done, Brett. Thanks for all the highlights. Thanks for showing us that a person can be childlike AND a champion. Thanks for giving us a great example of what it means to take your job seriously without taking yourself too seriously.

Enjoy life. Enjoy your retirement. You, your family, (and Bears fans everywhere) so richly deserve it.

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It’s always sad when someone who impacted your childhood positively passes away. Obviously, parents, grandparents, teachers and coaches top the list. A loss can also be felt when a much-loved television personality (like Fred Rogers) dies. But what about the inventor of your favorite toy?

Rich Knerr, co-founder of the toy company Wham-O, died last Friday, at the age of 82. His partner, Spud Melin passed away in 2002. Their first big hit was the hula hoop, of which 100 million were sold in just two years. That sounds like the makings of a true one-hit wonder, except for the fact that the duo is also responsible for bringing us the Frisbee. And the Super Ball. And Silly String. And the Slip ‘N Slide. Are there lessons we can take away from someone whom we’ve never met, someone whose name we’ve never heard, someone who spent his life making fun things?

Yep.

The first lesson involves the concept of luck. The Wikipedia entry on Wham-O claims that after the success of the hula hoop, “they got lucky again with the Frisbee.” Luck schmuck.

You don’t create a stable of classics with just a pocketful of luck.

The Roman dramatist, philosopher, and politician Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Starting out in the Mr. Knerr’s parents’ garage, college buddies Rich Knerr and Spud Melin did a lot of research to find ideas, which often included traveling all over the world. And since they targeted their products for children, they regularly went to playgrounds to reach them. The idea for the Frisbee came at the beach when they saw a building inspector named Fred Morrison tossing around a flying disk he’d invented that he called the Pluto Platter. Knerr and Merlin bought the invention from him, made some tweaks, and changed the name to Frisbee.

The Wham-O founders were always in the mindset of looking for the next great idea. They brainstormed, they researched, and they put themselves in places and situations that increased their chances of reaching their goal. When an opportunity presented itself, like a chance seaside encounter with a guy named Fred and his Pluto Platter, they sprung into action.

According to a New York Times obituary, Mr. Knerr attributed Wham-O’s success to an indefinable mix of serendipity (opportunity) and hard work (preparation). “It took us nearly two years to get the kinks out of the SuperBall before we produced it,” he said in an interview with Popular Science in 1966.

The other lesson to be learned is that fun doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to come at the expense of others. The hula hoop originally sold for 98 cents. A far cry from the several hundred dollars needed to own one of today’s hot video game systems. Or animatronic talking stuffed bears. On the subject of what passes for fun these days, bestselling author and newspaper columnist Mitch Albom made this great observation:

Today, kids’ fun has to be at someone’s expense. Blowing up your opponent is fun. Clobbering your friend in Madden football is fun. Insulting people on MySpace or laughing at a geek on YouTube is fun. You don’t see kid “crazes” anymore — the way SuperBalls or yo-yos were crazes. Today, a kid craze is cell phones or PlayStations. Today, the idea of bouncing a ball seems so incredibly lame, you’d wonder if the kid doing it had problems.

But that’s the thing. We didn’t have problems. Not like they have today. We didn’t dream of torching the school, having sex with our teachers or getting back at enemies by destroying their reputation in cyberspace.

I can’t help but wonder what the world would look like if our sense of fun looked more like it did when hula hoops and frisbees were the must-have Christmas gifts. Is it too simplistic to believe that some of today’s problems have been caused by losing our way in how we have fun?

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never even heard of Rich Knerr or Spud Melin before today. I hadn’t. Fortunately for us, we’ve been left the fun stuff they created while they lived. But let us not lose sight of the lessons their lives and work taught us: Success has more to do with a strong curiosity and hard work than it does with “luck,” and fun doesn’t need to be expensive or come at the expense of others.

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Here’s another example of whimsy and mirth being interjected into the design of everyday things. And a sneak peek of what might happen if Dr. Seuss had become an architect.

[Hat tip to Daniel]

Technorati Tags: architecture, Dr. Seuss, mirth, design

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As Jason mentioned the other day, we recently worked with Enterprise to rent a car during our week of road trips while our car was in the shop. I am consistently impressed with this company, and it’s not just the local branch in Madison, it’s everywhere! The employees are friendly and sincere, and they go above and beyond to make you their number one priority. They do the little things like walk you to your car, offer you a bottle of water, turn the car on for you, and ask for feedback on their service. They do business the way it should be done, in service to their clients, with smiles on their faces. As I’ve heard from the employees, it is definitely a top-down philosophy. There must be some amazing vision and leadership for this to trickle down to all of the people on the front lines.

As you may know from the commercials, “they pick you up.” So, during the ride from our home to the rental office the branch manager, who was my driver, and I started chatting. I complimented her on the notable customer service I am always receiving. Then we got talking about their client base. It turns out that a large majority of their customers are people who have recently got into an accident and need a car, so that their car can get fixed (just like us). So, they are working a lot with insurance companies and grumpy people. (Yuck! Talk about stress.) Let’s be honest, most people who have a banged up car for one reason or another are not in the best mood. She mentioned that they often get the frustration and anger taken out on them. I empathized, but she would not accept. She said, “Hey, we figure if they can get their venting done on us, then they won’t take it out on the next guy and maybe they’ll feel better.” Wow. What an attitude! Now that is true compassion, not a word often affiliated with customer service.

Wouldn’t it be great if we modeled the same compassion in our daily interactions? Too often we practice what I like to call the “stress mess relay race.” You start your day just fine, then you come into contact with a stressed-out mess of a person, who leaves you feeling gunked up. Next, you cross paths with someone else and inadvertently pass it onto them. The baton just keeps moving. It’s like the opposite of those cool Liberty Mutual Insurance commercials. They always give me the chills…

It’s time to chuck that stress baton to the wind. Sure, you will get plenty handed to you throughout the day, but it’s up to you if you pass them on or not.

Technorati Tags: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Liberty Mutual, stress, compassion

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For the past several weeks now, whenever a visitor stops by our new office, they are greeted with this message from our unique doormat: “Wow! Nice Underwear.”

Needless to say, it has garnered quite a few chuckles.

They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. (I wonder if it’s possible to get a second chance to make a second impression?) In many businesses, the doormat is one of the first things a customer sees when they visit for the first time. Of course, it’s usually a boring gray color and naturally goes unnoticed.

What a waste.

Wouldn’t you rather have a customer enter your place of business with a smile on their face? I can already hear the big shot lawyers out there who have a reputation to uphold and could never entertain the idea of classing down the joint with a doormat that says, “Our dog is not a biter. He’s a humper.”

They may have a point.

But I would hasten to bet that more businesses than not could benefit from adding a little humor to their first impressions. Don’t tell me that the local cable company couldn’t benefit from customers having their frowns turned upside down upon reading, “Hi. I’m Mat.” or “Well butter my butt & call me a biscuit - look who’s here!” when they walk in to dispute last month’s bill. Who would you rather deal with: an angry customer or a formerly angry customer whose guard is down because they were caught off guard by a little humor?

Is it a little thing? Sure it is. You still have to back it up with great service. But in this highly competitive marketplace, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

Technorati Tags: customer service, first impressions, humor marketing, doormats

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People who work in the corporate world are often the ones most in need of a little Adultitis treatment. They tend to be the ones who are most hesitant about letting that child inside out for a recess break. I’m a professional; I can’t afford to not be taken seriously.

Hogwash. You don’t have to show up for work in a multi-colored jumpsuit and jester hat to get the benefits that come with being more childlike. Escape Plan challenge #36 is a perfect prescription for office workers dealing with Adultitis. Entitiled “Dress Up Day,” the challenge is to accessorize your wardrobe today with a touch of childhood.

Notice it says “a touch.” You don’t need Bozo the Clown to throw up on your power suit.

This can be done in a variety of ways — hence the challenge. My dad and some of the guys he works with wear colorful ties on Thursday, a.k.a. “Tie Day.” You could go even more subtle with a fun pin or watch.

Or you could have a little fun with your socks. These unique socks come from LittleMissMatched and are sold in sets of 3. (Solving the age-old problem of the disappearing sock!) I first saw these on a woman at a speaking gig who was adamant that we should get some for our store. So we did.

Will people take you less seriously if you wear these socks? They don’t seem to take marketing guru Seth Godin less seriously. I think it’s more likely that people will warm up to you, thrilled to find someone who isn’t so uptight (like all the other corporate stiffs they deal with all day long). And don’t forget the age-old business credo:

People do business with people they like.

Take it to the bank: just a little touch of childhood will make you more likable.

P.S. Check out Jenna’s take on these crazy foot coverings.

Technorati Tags: LittleMissMatched, socks, Adultitis, Escape Plan, Seth Godin

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