Vanilla Doesn’t Belong in Business

I love ice cream! My hips really like ice cream. I’m pretty sure any time I eat some; they beacon for it to come directly to them. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Straight to the hips!

Wait! Let me back up just a minute. Last week I was a little nervous about sending out my article on breaking glass ceilings. Note: my article went out prior to the election results. I had a fear I may offend some people. I nearly didn’t push send because of that fear.

FEAR. False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear is real. But, that’s a topic for another day because I quickly pushed the fears aside, pressed send, and got my monkey high-five! Gosh, I love MailChimp.

Okay, back to ice cream. While I was pushing my fear aside, I began to think about ice cream, specifically vanilla ice cream and how I never proactively choose vanilla ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat it if it’s being served alongside a chocolate lava cake or warm apple pie. However, if I’m choosing I’m going to go for a scoop or two of a peanut butter or cake batter ice cream loaded with cookie dough, Reese’s, and any other deliciousness. Don’t judge me!

By analyzing my ice cream desires, I realized a few other things about why most people don’t buy vanilla. 

Why being vanilla doesn’t belong in your business: 

1. Status Quo. Vanilla is the baseline for all other flavors. While they may begin with the foundation of vanilla, they grow from there. It’s the same in business. I’m a firm believer in fundamentals and a strong foundation. At the core, we all begin as vanilla. Yet, if you remain vanilla, then you remain stagnant, boring, and status quo. Being vanilla is going with the flow and being along for the ride. That has no place in your business. If you want to win, vanilla is out, and any other amazing flavor is in. When you challenge the status quo, you stand out in a crowd. When you stand out in a crowd, people take notice. When people take notice of your business, you’re able to transfer them to customers.

2. Forgettable. Vanilla is also very forgettable. Who wants their business to be forgettable? Not me! I have yet to ever hear someone rave to me about the most amazing vanilla ice cream they’ve ever tasted. It’s the same in business. No one is going to rave about you, your products, your service, and your business if you’re vanilla, because vanilla is forgettable. It’s okay. It gets the job done, but it isn’t memorable. Rocky Road is memorable. OK, maybe not the best ice cream name to choose because no one wants to experience a rocky road in business, but you get what I’m scooping. Your business has to strive to be unique and different. When you’re anything but vanilla, you’ll be memorable. Memorable businesses get talked about. When people talk about your business, they indirectly sell for you. When people talk about your business, they refer people to you. When people talk about your business, you’re able to gain new customers.

3. Identity. When you’re vanilla in business, you lose your identity. I don’t believe any business, nor person, is plain vanilla. When you are your most authentic self, you have a very unique identity. That identity is what people identify with and remember. It creates an understanding of who you are, what you do, and what value your business is built upon. Having a clear identity in business is a must. When people know who you are, they will connect with you. When people know what you do, they will consider working with you. When people know the value you are built upon, they will buy from you.

I uncovered in my ice cream conundrum realization that I am not a vanilla person. Okay, I didn’t uncover this. I already knew it, but I definitely reaffirmed it. I know I would be doing a disservice to you, my incredibly smart readers, and, more importantly, myself if I chose to write vanilla. Last week, I stayed true to my multi-flavor, dual-scooped, loaded-with-toppings self and pressed send on my not-vanilla article.

Unsubscribes increased by 400%.

My fear came true. I clearly offended some people.

I can make excuses. I can search to understand why. I can let it take up precious real estate in my mind. But, I won’t. I’ll let it go. I know I’m not vanilla. I know I have no desire to be vanilla. If you want vanilla, you’re going to want to subscribe elsewhere. I only serve up flavorful deliciousness around here.

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