“Stay in your seat come times of trouble. It’s only people who jump off the roller coaster who get hurt.”

• Paul Harvey (1918 – 2009), legendary radio broadcaster and wisdom provider, Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient, and multiple Hall of Fame inductee.

“And now you know,” he would say, before a long-but-not-too-long pause, “the…rest of the story.” At public speeches, without a timer, after precisely 45-minutes, he would pause, look out at his loving audience and close with, “Goooood DAY!”

Harvey’s take on roller coaster strategy is more applicable than people who say, “Life is a roller coaster ride.”

Roller coasters are crappy metaphors for life. The fun part of a roller coaster is when you clear the peak and are catapulted, screaming to the depths of the ride, usually followed immediately by a sharp turn. In life, that downward catapult isn’t the fun part of the ride. In fact, the metaphor falls apart because the most fun of the roller coaster ride is the crappiest part of life. Catapulting down the life version of the roller coaster, it’s easy to think, “Can I handle this? Should I jump out?”

Paul Harvey’s take is the right one. Remain seated. Ride it out.

In a downturn in life or business, we’re called not to jump out nor to raise our hands and scream. We’re called to catch our breath. Think things through. And focus on what we do next.

Next.

More on that in the next Daily Diff.

“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.“

• Niels Bohr (1885 – 1962), Danish physicist and pioneer in atomic research, winner of 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics

Before you get too deep in today’s post, don’t knock yourselves out with the quote. Bohr was a physicist, fer cryin’ out loud – we’re not supposed to understand him. Heck, I captured that quote seven years ago, not knowing if I’d ever choose to use it…

So, why choose it now?

Subscribers will be reading this post on Election Day, 2024. This brings me to the most often repeated quote in The Diff’s 22-year history:  “Most things in life are neither good nor bad, right nor wrong. Most things just are.”^*

We don’t know.

Until we do. And even then, it’s subject to change, because of whatever comes next.

In the meantime, Difference Makers focus on what comes next. Whatever got us here likely won’t get us there if there means somewhere better, different. Some dude named Jeremiah quoted some deity named God once: “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Yeah, it’s a business blog, but it’s my business blog, and by now, seeing a Faith-based angle hopefully isn’t a surprise for anyone.

A huge deal blew up even though you’d already figured out how to spend the commission? Hmmmm… “Good news, bad news? Who knows?” as Dr. Graf used to say.

Someone might have had a flat tire on the day in 2007 when the Mississippi River bridge collapsed in the Twin Cities, and that might have kept them from being on the bridge. The flat tire may have kept the lives lost count at 13. Richie Valens and The Big Bopper might have been really upset that they had the flu, and were facing a long, cold bus ride until….

Waylon Jennings and Tommy Alsup might have been upset that they gave their seats on Buddy Holly’s plane to Richie Valens and The Big Bopper.

Are those examples too graphic? Sometimes, we have to paint a graphic picture to make a point. Just like the cast of A Christmas Story kept doing to poor Ralphie. (…I typed, lightening the mood quite a bit…)

Making a point. Or at least trying to make a point. Profound or otherwise.

Here’s hoping that’s what both sides of dang-near every election being decided on November 5, 2024 are trying to do: make a point – no matter how flawed their messaging might be. Maybe the things they’re putting out as truths are profoundly offset by an opposite truth.

All I know for sure is the one actual, real, guaranteed truth — that one promised to us via ol’ Jeremiah — will, eventually, rule the day, and until then, let’s make whatever difference we can, one thought, action, word and deed at a time.

A good way to start is to vote, by the way. Now, or earlier than now, but don’t miss the obligation.

*^{Kudos to Dr. Tom Graf, who is still a Difference Maker 37 years later!}

“Today, especially in an election year but pretty much always, we live inside the equivalent of a political snow globe that is being relentlessly shaken by a deranged child.”

• Shane Ryan, in Golf Digest’s online edition from Friday, November 1, 2024

Ryan is laugh-out-loud funny 90% of the time and never more amusing than on this fairly weighty topic. On Tuesday, hopefully, every registered voter will either head to the polls or have their early ballot counted, and then, sometime in the next who-knows-how-long, we’ll have a result and move on. This post ain’t about the election, though.

It’s about when, where, and how we engage in dialogue. And the golf course, Ryan hilariously points out, ain’t the place for political dialogue.

Speaking of dialogue, too little in our life involves dialogue anymore. Dictionary.com defines dialogue (partly) as a “conversation between two or more people…” We’ve come to live in monologue times. We’ve come to live in the-fastest-thumb or nastiest-quote-Tweet gets the most attention times. As Shane so hilariously implies, “Who gave the deranged child our snow globe and why won’t this kid quit shaking it?”

Last week, we touched on ideas as the currency of Difference-Makers. How can we return ideas to the head of the line and engage in productive dialogue? How can we listen seeking to understand versus listen to retort? How can we come into contact with, enjoy, and get to know people who aren’t just like us? Urban, suburban, rural — they’re out there, and how much will it improve our worldview if we get to know them, how they feel, and what they think instead of just supposing they’re idiots?

How? We can decide to. Once we decide, we can act on it. Once we act on it, we can consider what we heard. We can ask questions to understand better. We can (shocker alert) alter our position based on our learning. Or not. Either way, we walk away smarter, with a broader network and a more complete picture of the world in which we live, which is made up of many people not just like us.

“…we all need a gallery of raving fans to encourage us, especially when the going has gotten really rough.”

“…I’ve come to accept that the worst moments of my life are only part of my story, even as I understand that it’s the only part of the story some people choose to remember. I’m excited to see how it all plays out.”

“I hope you’ll be willing to take a caddie. On the golf course. In life. Let their Caddie Tales about you be stories about…the occasional lost ball — a ball that is, eventually, found.”

• Mark Milatz, (b. after me, it’s a low bar), author of Caddie Tales, the book and the frequent and compelling Twitter Tweets or X whatever. Mark is also a caddie at a world-class golf resort upon which I’ve notched 28 rounds

STOP!

Before you read this post, go to Twitter or X or whatever the hell Elon calls it these days and follow @caddietales. DM him and buy an autographed copy of this book. Unless your life has been perfect, this is difference-making stuff here. This book didn’t save my life; it just restored hope based on two things I’ve mastered. Failing, and failing at golf.

Even if you’ve never picked up a club, you’ll be better for reading the book. Mark’s not Hemingway or Doris Kearns-Goodwin. He’s real, though, and on every page and in every word on every page, you see his heart.

Mark’s story is one of redemption. His caddie tales are stories that illustrate why we all need redemption. A former pastor, he doesn’t hammer you over the head with sweet, little 8-pound, 6-ounce baby Jesus in a tuxedo T-Shirt. He uses a gift the Lord placed in him to make a difference.

Mark Milatz made a difference for me in the darkest season I’ve experienced. He reminded me that on the next hole, we’ll tee it up and start over – literally and metaphorically. When the books arrive, one inscripted to The Tallest of The Three and one to me –they will be cornerstones upon which I intend to be better man, a better father and well, just…..better!

Seriously, buy the book directly from Mark. Bezos won’t miss the $35 bucks, and a caddie’s family will be warm, dry and together through a Wisconsin winter between now and his first loop.

Mark: 2025 – you on the bag, me recovered from maladies, Wyatt in tow. That’s worth looking forward to.

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”

• Lee Iacocca (1924 – 2019), CEO, author and leadership scion

Ideas, as you all know, are the currency of Difference-Makers. And, if they’re not used, they won’t move the needle. It’s like my buddy’s first nickel, which he keeps next to his gun in the bedside table, because ideas don’t do a nickel’s worth of good if they’re not conveyed. (He’s still got his most-recent nickel, too, so don’t worry ’bout him!)

Grammarly tells me I’m not a “great” writer — and I wouldn’t claim to be, anyway. Getting ideas across, though, is a good mental picture for us to have. After a stunning verbal presentation, a written proposal is almost always expected. Sometimes, and we should aim to limit them, the decision-maker isn’t in the room, and we have to help the gatekeeper convey the idea.

Let’s use one last illustration, the hand-written thank you note. Imagine you and your significant-other went to a great party Saturday night and you’re sending the HWN (Pat Heston would expect you to, by the way) to the hosts.

Option #1: “I had such a great time Saturday night! Thank you, for inviting me. I especially liked the food and the signature drink you prepared.”

Option #2: “You’re an exceptional host. Your party, right down to the last details, was the hit of the season. Even your signature cocktail made all of your guests feel special. Thank you for a wonderful time!”

When we write, let’s keep our “you-to-I-ratio” in mind. Let’s make it about the recipient, and then the idea, and not much about us. It should help get the point across, and, it should help make a difference.

“The people that really lean into themselves, like really don’t try to put other things on a pedestal, other people, other opinions and just get really comfortable with the purest form of them? Yeah. Those are the people that have impact, because that’s where the uniqueness—the way you say things, the analogies, the stories, the interpretations, the subtle observations that are unique to you—come out.” No one has ever been like you before. No one will ever be like you again. So why would you copy other people? Why would you try to be like someone else? That’s where the fun is (you don’t have to fake anything). That’s where the value is (when we are like everyone else, we are replaceable—by definition). You should be you. That’s your monopoly. That’s your edge.”

• Gary Vaynerchuk (aka “Gary Vee”b. 1975), American businessman, author and influencer, as quoted by Ryan Holiday in his “29 Lessons From 150 Million Podcasts Downloads”

Gary Vee and Ryan Holiday make a difference for me, even though I’ve never met either of them. Holiday writes about The Stoics (and tons of other topics), and Gary Vee is as good of a digital media and modern business guy as you’ll find anywhere. The links above will take you to sites from which you can subscribe or follow them, which I recommend.

In a week dedicated to belief and writing, these two gents are a great place to set an anchor.

When Belief Wavers

What about when our belief gets wobbly? Those times, seasons, events or circumstances that shake us or knock us off our stride?

In matters of Faith, the simple answer is if we’re wavering in our Belief, we can / should / must dive into The Word.

In business and personal application Vaynerchuk gives us some words to focus on. Value. Fun. Edge. Even “monopoly.” There’s where each of our unique differentiation is rooted.

I’m not suggesting we should be inconsiderate. That said, if we are altering the way we say things, the way we engage or the stories we tell to please someone else the odds seem pretty good that we’re not honoring either them or ourselves. Maybe we need a different prospect, Client, audience or person.

When we lean into and believe in who we are, who He made us to be, we’re at our best. We’ll have the most fun, add the most value, and create an edge over our competition. Well channeled belief, it seems, is kinda like bringing a gun to a sword fight.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

• Benjamin Franklin, memorialized on a paper weight on my desk, a gift from my sister

“It doesn’t matter what I believe, it only matters what I can prove…”

• Lt. Danny Kafee (Tom Cruise), in the movie, “A Few Good Men”

Spoiler alert, as Jo Galloway (Demi Moore) knew, it mattered a lot what Kaffee believed, just as it does with anyone who is tasked with selling a good or service for a living. Strong belief, and the ability to convey it, reduces the burden of proof, particularly if we’re advocating for a cause that isn’t just a Widget A versus Widget B consideration.

There are two trends worth considering for difference makers; facts and the ability to write convincingly.

In the first, we are in a time that seems dominated by the predominance of “facts” and “fact checkers.” However, in a time where anyone can be a publisher or producer, and when editorial creeps into the news pages or the TV news stories, the “facts” ain’t always facts and the people checking them rarely are motivated to simply validate what is, in fact, factual.

In the second, we have to consider the severe illness and impending death of the well-written business communication. Mark Twain famously said, “If I’d had more time, I’d have written a shorter letter.” I’m still called upon to advise Clients on hires and development of talent, and I still require anyone they’re considering to write me either a business letter or a hand-written note with two purposes. First, they have to tell me why they’re the right person to hire, and second, they have to tell me what we’d lose out on by hiring someone else.

PS – E-mail is the opposite of well-written business communication in 87.6% of cases. (And, as Larry the Cable Guy reminds us, 42.7% of statistics are made up on the spot – back to “facts” in point number one…)

When we believe, and when we can get down on paper (ok, ok or a screen – ugh!) why what we believe matters, we are that much closer to making a difference.

“The act of writing is the act of discovering what you believe.”

• David Hare (b. 1947 ), in the Monday Morning Memo, September 5, 2022

The Eldest of The Three is a journalist. A very good writer, as she enters year three of her professional writing career, a reader can sense renewed passion when her assignment allows her beliefs to enter in, versus a “straight news” story, for which she is called to report facts, and nothing but the facts.

Belief and writing – key elements of a difference-maker’s tool kit. And this week, we’ll dig into those two key parts of Difference Maker’s bag o’ tools.

“I don’t even remember what I said. I hope whatever I said was cute and clever, and maybe even a tiny bit humorous. I hope it wasn’t mindless babble, and if it was, hopefully everyone will forget about it pretty quick.”

• Mike Leach (1961 – 2022), football coach, philosopher, comedian, historian, influencer in the old-school way

It’s not a sports metaphor. As Daron K. Roberts says at the top of each of his posts, “This is not about sports.“

It is, however, “silly season” in several sports. Hall of Fame Induction candidates, trophy finalists, the “College Football Money Grab Committee” (or is it the “playoff” committee?). Golf matches that are, well, money grabs. And all around this season, in sports, and as we approach the end of the year in business cycles, there can be lots of talk about who gets inducted, nominated, or memorialized. Whatever.

Mike Leach, was a college football coach. Mike Leach is not eligible for the College Football Coaches Hall of Fame because he didn’t win 60% of the games he coached. He won 59.6% of the games he coached. And then he suffered a fatal heart attack that left a football-field-wide gap in the lives of hundreds of young men. But he’s not eligible for the Hall of Fame. (Look for the post titled “Stupid By Any Measure” to come at some point). So, whether a Hall-of-Famer or not (by any measure), Mike Leach was a Difference-Maker, by any measure.

If you’re looking for a bit of levity, or a good dose of perspective, here’s one of dozens of links on Leach that will provide both.

For more than two decades, this blog, in its various forms, has been about making a difference and about the difference-makers themselves.

Mike Leach made a difference. Make it a great weekend.

“Our work begins by finding a strategy and creating a different future.”

• Seth Godin, in chapter 5 of his newest book This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans

Creating a different future is also a definition for difference-making. We know how it’s been. We know how it might be. We have an idea of how we want it to be, next. And strategy is how we set the compass and check out progress.

Note that Seth says “a” strategy. Too often, we get hung up on the idea that there has to be only one way forward. It’s rarely the case. Find a strategy, and set about creating a different future, one we aspire to, one we seek — and the strategy or strategies can, will and maybe should shift as we go, led by the market, what we learn, what successes and failures we meet along the way.