I had the pleasure last week of speaking at the Brand Innovator conference in Detroit; honoring some breakout brands and meeting some amazing brand marketers, True Hunters. This got me to thinking about brand building and hunting, because it all comes back to The Hunt for me.

Brand identity starts with authenticity, one of the pillars of The Hunt. Without knowing and acknowledging who you were, who you are and who you want to be, branding is be a difficult chore. Consumers embrace trust and comfort as much as they like excitement and trends. When you build a brand on authenticity, you build a relationship that starts with trust. When a consumer/customer knows who you are and what you stand for, they will be willing to take the leap into the unknown with you.

At Brand Innovators, Ted Rubin introduced me (one of my favorite intros yet). Ted says in his book, Return on Relationships: “ROR is the value (both perceived and real) that will accrue over time through loyalty, recommendations and sharing.” Ted and I are aligned on this. You need to be skilled in the care and feeding of authentic relationships and alliances to succeed on your hunt.

Relationships defined by authenticity demand actions as well as words, and a willingness to stand by your commitments. Relationships built on authenticity give you much more freedom than you could ever have while trapped in the frustrating game of trying to be someone you are not.

We all have our own way of establishing our brand of authenticity. Your style doesn’t shape your authenticity; it just delivers it. However, your willingness to let others see you as you are drives your arrows toward their mark. Live your principles, walk your talk, refuse to compromise your values and ask for a hand when you need it.

A quick shout-out to Brand Innovators 2014 Made in America Top 10 New Brands to Watch:
American Mountain Company
Alex + Ani
Bark & Co
BucketFeet
Buck Mason
Chalkfly
DRIFT Eyewear
Farmigo
Founders Brewing Co
Sonoma Cider

These companies are True Hunters, creating brands based on authenticity, constantly surveying their territory, and watching tirelessly for the next pivot that will take them to the next level. Their Hunt is on and I can’t wait to see where it takes them!

I love America. I love baseball and Budweiser and apple pie. I love American cars and warm summer nights and kids running with sparklers and fireworks: big loud, bursts of light in the sky that celebrate the freedom we all enjoy every day. In simple terms, I love the Fourth of July and everything it represents. This might be a bit of a history lesson, but humor me. Part of my journey as a hunter, as a businessman, and as an American is to remember to express my gratitude for our great country: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave.

From those first pilgrims who escaped England and the tyranny of a government trying to control their beliefs to our forefathers who were able to get above and clear and see a future where all men could be equal, we are the progeny of over two hundred years of hunters, men and women who set their focus on a target and pursued it with an inspirational intensity.

George Washington, our first president, was a True Hunter and king of what I call Predatory Consciousness. He was, by all accounts, a remarkably “present” man, aware of his surroundings, in the moment, alive and aware. As a member of the Continental Congress, he helped create the precedents and foundations for the freedoms we enjoy daily.

In drafting the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson created a document that could stand the test of time. His Authenticity was front and center; he was absolutely clear on not only his Desired Outcome, but also one that would serve generations of Americans.

I bring up our fourth president, James Madison, because he was an incredible writer and a master of flow. Flow is the moment when you are naturally aligned with the people and ideas that bring success to you. Madison crafted words that captured the spirit of our great country and wrote the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing that our citizens would have the tools to be great hunters and go out to hit the targets that mean the most to them, as individuals, as Americans and as members of a global community.

As we celebrate this day of Independence, I also want to thank the men and women who serve our country every day, as soldiers, as civil servants, as teachers; the people who hunt down targets that in the end, serve us all, and continue the evolution of what it means to be a citizen of the greatest country in the world. God bless America.

I am often approached by recent college graduates for advice on getting a job, deciding on a career, or starting a business. Recently, I met with a young woman with a degree in marketing and advertising having trouble connecting in her first post-college interviews.

She was nervous as she explained how she was able to get the interview, but once she was in it, she found herself unfocused and unsure when answering the questions. I asked her if she knew what her dream job looked like. She gave a generic answer like “I want to be in a cool culture where I fit in.” I “Can you be more specific? Is the industry important? Does the job need to be around marketing?” The more questions I asked, the more apparent it became that she was not above and clear on the situation.

She had fallen into a trap that we all face at some point: she was so desperate to find a job fast that she was jumping on any glimmer of hope and going for it. She kept running into walls because she didn’t have the clarity to hunt for a job that was specific to her needs and talents.

We approached it from a different angle and I asked her the question I always ask anyone in her shoes: “What is the one thing you do better than anyone else, the one thing you do world class?” Her response: “I am incredibly persistent once I start on a project.” With that answer, I knew she had not yet realized her hunter’s potential.

There are several keys to being a True Hunter and she needed to focus on two of my favorite tips:

1) Don’t be trigger-happy: True Hunters don’t shoot before they hunt.
2) Get your target in scope: Allow your Desired Outcome to drive everything you do.

By the end of the meeting, we had her locked in on either a career in sales with a long cycle; or project management, both positions requiring persistence and precision. Just yesterday, she called me and said once she focused in, retooled her resume and promoted her strengths, she received three offers in two weeks. She is now preparing for her first day, having negotiated a base salary and incentive program far above her initial expectations.

Once she started hunting with focus and precision, her true potential was released. So sit down, figure out what sets you apart, and what defines makes you the best in the world…and go hunt down the career that will bring you the success and fulfillment you’ve been seeking. Opportunity is everywhere when you embrace your True Hunter!

Recently, I met with one of my team members to discuss some issues he was experiencing when presenting high-level numbers and results. I kept pushing and digging and realized I was becoming edgy and unproductive. Frustration was high, so we decided to cut it short and meet again later that day.

When he left my office, I took a few minutes to get above the situation and think about why I had gotten so upset. This particular employee is an awesome executor and a valuable team member but synthesizing the big points and then presenting them with clarity is an area that needs improvement. Reflecting back, I realized I was challenging him to overcome this difficulty without acknowledging the attributes that make him a vital team member.

Later that day, we sat back down and I opened up with a question about why he feels it is challenging to synthesize his thoughts. He explained that going deep into knocking off tasks with micro capability is his strength. I realized that in our previous discussion, I was not leading with positivity or directing him toward his targets.

I have built my success in business largely by accepting my weaknesses and focusing on my strengths. As soon as I changed my lens on this situation and locked in on his strengths, my attitude was gone and so was his.

We were then able to find a way to leverage his strengths toward achieving both his desired outcomes and the company’s. In addition, he sought help from another team member who has a real gift for taking big ideas and making them accessible to everyone. This not only made him more confident, but also set an example for the entire team to build internal relationships that fortify the company as a whole.

The key to building successful relationships is to focus on the strengths of ourselves and others and lead with the positive, always guiding with questions that move the conversation forward. This paves the way for more productivity, a more positive goal-driven culture and more down targets in life!

Recently, I went to my oldest son’s Kindergarten graduation. As part of the ceremony, the kids were doing a song and dance routine. Suddenly, the music stopped, clearly there was a problem with the audio system. The kids kept on, smiling and going through their routine. A couple of them even started laughing about it and dancing. The teachers looked horrified and frozen, wondering when the sound was coming back or who was going to fix it.

The contrast in their reactions to the same situation was almost comical. (I think I must have laughed out loud; if looks could kill, this would have done it.) But the joy from the children was what struck me and got me thinking about how I react to adversity. Do I laugh and dance or get scared and freeze?

Too often, fear is a huge emotional driver. In this situation, the teachers were afraid of what the audience would think, as most everyone would be. Rather than enjoying the moment like the children, accepting it was a mistake and moving on, the teachers immediately took the audio mishap personally. It was an ego-based reaction and an indicator of how ridiculous it is to take ourselves so seriously.

I took this moment to think about times in my life when I’ve been nervous, walking into a speech or apprehensive about a presentation to my board. What is the simplest reason for those reactions? Ego! I am anticipating a reaction to something that hasn’t even happened yet. And wouldn’t it be better to channel that energy into something positive I can control rather than anticipating the reaction of someone I can’t?

We can all learn something from those kindergarten students: stop taking ourselves so seriously! If we spend more time being in the moment and stop anticipating the reactions of others, we will inevitably perform better, have more fun and hit more targets.