The Fame Game
“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.”
First, an invitation…
This summer, I’m running a group program for coaches, consultants, healers, and other professional service providers who want to create authentic, aligned success in their business.
Embodied Service kicks off July 17th and half of the spots are already taken by a wonderfully creative and supportive group of humans.
Learn more here
I hope to see you there.
Now, back to the regularly scheduled programming…
My neighborhood coffeeshop is a viral coffeeshop.
Every day, thousands of people - many of whom have driven or flown hundreds of miles for this experience - flock to the store and order the drinks that fill their social media feed.
While they wait for upwards of 30 minutes in line, they snap pictures and videos to share with their own friends and followers, shooting looks of envy and excitement at the people finally retrieving their colorful drinks from the bar.
And so, you’re probably wondering the same thing that everyone wonders.
”Is the coffee really that good?”
A flash in the pan is worth none in the hand
Going viral is largely a game of chance. But sustained growth is a game of consistent quality.
And I wonder if in our modern moment of heightened image curation and instant gratification, many of us have lost our understanding of just how powerful consistency and quality are.
I get it. The allure of external recognition can be quite intoxicating. And it can be fun to dream about becoming an overnight success - whatever that might mean for you.
But if you were in the process of buying a house and you learned that the house was built in one day, how would you respond? I imagine that no matter how beautiful the house appeared, you might have some valid questions about its sturdiness.
The road less traveled
In my work with entrepreneurs I’ve found that there is a general theme that unites those who are still successfully in business after 5, 10, or 15 years.
And that is a steadfast commitment to quality.
It may seem straightforward, but choosing quality over [insert shiny object here] in real time can feel like a radical choice.
Quality is built in small steps over time. It’s a largely mundane endeavor. And oftentimes can be humbling as well.
So it is unfortunately common for otherwise intelligent and talented people to cast aside the sometimes tedious work of quality improvement in exchange for the hit of dopamine that comes from chasing the quick wins.
Besides, if you add up enough moments of fleeting approval, doesn’t that equal long term success?
Or does it simply equal a large, exhausting distraction?
Are we there yet?
My neighborhood coffeeshop is a successful coffeeshop.
Every morning, the same handful of loyal customers walk by on their way to work, placing their usual morning orders. While their drink gets made, they chat with the barista - often a continuation of what was discussed the day before.
Seasonal drinks and menu specials come and go with the passing months, while nearly everything stays the same.
Consistently great coffee. Consistently great service. A level of steadiness and sturdiness cultivated over the company’s nearly 10 years in business.
Building true and lasting quality in any area of life or work takes time and it takes effort. Oftentimes unseen. Oftentimes unacknowledged. Oftentimes unrewarded.
Long before social media fame descended upon their brand, my neighborhood coffeeshop spent years focused on building quality. And they continue to reap the rewards today.
As it so often goes, what now appears to be an overnight success was in fact forged in the mundane details of the day to day.
Brick by brick.
Coffee bean by coffee bean.