Hi Friend
Ahhhhhhh, a very satisfying end of the week. I’m writing a bit early, because tomorrow (Saturday) when I usually write to you my friend, I will be in Tishomingo spending the morning with a department within the Chickasaw Nation. It’s a full week.
This week was the annual HoganTaylor Firm meeting. It’s my 13th year to get to contribute, MC and play a role on the creative team. It’s the nuttiest event I get to do all year. This year we took it up a notch. The theme was I AM ICONIC. Our efforts to create an iconic experiencewere successful! I chose Prince as my iconic avatar.
With around 370 in attendance, we created a rotating room schedule, that enables a lot of movement, fun, interaction and participation. They split into groups and rotate between five rooms. We had a Michael Jackson impersonator open up the show with a fifteen-minute performance that was wildly accurate. Dude.Could.Dance
Many came dressed as iconic characters. We had the foot-piano from the movie Big. We had the Barbie Box photo booth. We had a step-and-repeat of Abby Road. We had banners and logos of iconic people, companies and places. It was all a bit over-the-top. I LOVED IT!
ASPIRE FOR GREATNESS?
I imagine you’d think all this “iconic” emphasis would be geared towards serving clients. Interestingly in our early brainstorming days, Randy, the CEO said “Let’s not make it about the business this year. Let’s create something just for our people.” Of course, a little customer service slipped in.
Mainly though it was about “I Am Iconic” which seems like a ballsy statement to me. Do you know anyone walking around declaring themself an icon? Ever think anyone at your office is iconic? Is it even cool to aspire for that level of greatness? We determined it was… and actually a healthy, appropriate pursuit.
FILTERS, LENSES AND POV’S
Room 5 is always the outlier at the Firm Meeting. Two years ago we did meditation. Last year we did sound bowls. This year was a Drive-In theme with a 30 minute video montage of iconic moments in movies, TV, music and history. It contained 88 clips. There were literally hundreds that didn’t make the final cut. I recognized most, but not all. Some I didn’t even think were iconic.
That’s the fun of it. Everyone comes from a different point of view on what IS iconic. I think the Ramones are iconic, but my daughter thinks Beyonce is. I think the A-Team was an iconic TV show and someone else thinks Schitt’s Creek is.
When it comes to you and me, and the people in our lives – not celebrities, musicians or brands – is there a common lens that determines icon status? What makes YOU iconic? If you attempted to be, what would it require?
Instigating Ideas…
1. Consider pursuing Icon Status.
2. Appreciate someone who creates memorable moments.
3. Create a list of iconic moments and determine why you deem them such.
4. Invest time in creating a special experience for those you love.
When it comes to people, I found what made them iconic was their consistency, unique moments and intentional words. Collectively, we discovered and emphasized these four traits that facilitate a brand or individuals Iconic Status:
INFLUENCE
EXPRESSION
DISTINCTIVE
ENDURANCE
The other rooms focused on those characteristics, though quite uniquely. One was an Olympiad with silly intense competitions. Another was a Sherlock Holmes mystery that participants got to re-enact and solve. Another was Marcus Aurelius/Roman/Greek philosophy with scrolls and gold leaf crowns. Finally, a Mona Lisa room, where self-portraits were hand drawn.
I suspect in a few or maybe many people’s eyes YOU are already iconic! You might not consider yourself an icon, but if you did, how would that alter or impact your own self-perception, decisions and standards of excellence? Be iconic this week!
I hope this week you determine to live in a way that allows for the possibilities of moments and words to be experienced that just might be remembered for a long time because of the impact they make!