Brewed From Within

Atmospheric

Why do we insist on talking about the weather?

When there’s nothing else, atmospheric conditions offer an early bond between strangers.

It’s a safe way to avoid awkward silence. Weather is always changing and may be one of the easiest forms of small talk, but it’s just so shallow. Remain courteous to cordial strangers, but for anyone we already know, talk of the weather is weak and pointless. Now, there are meaningful topics like climate change, severe weather, and contingencies for planned activity, but sagacious leaders make it rain with thoughtful questions that draw out deeper discussions.

Breeze past the weather talk to respect people’s time, to show an interest in real progress, and to forecast more relevant bonds that last.

Brewed From Within
#43 📖 Leadership

By Ben McDougal, ago

Seasonality

Seasonal changes are revitalizing. The awakening of spring, the relaxation of summer, the release of fall, the refreshment of winter, and endless surprises keep us all bewildered. What if seasons apply to our work as well?

Agility awaits those who think of a job, specific roles, projects, experiments, side hustles, content creation, or entire business ventures more like creative seasons.

Quality takes time and consistency requires sacrifice, but seasons change. This reality makes decisions easier to make and action more accessible. Stress is typical when we care enough to ship something we’re proud of, and yet, every story ends. Embracing the seasonality of impermanence trims the fat of forever.

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Seasons change but never lack significance.

As we dance with new pieces of our own puzzle, milestones track progress and a beginner’s mindset keeps valiant optimism flowing. When a creative season begins to connect with the right audience at the right time, a nourishing sense of success emerges, which can extend that creative season. No matter how long a creative season lasts, prudent awareness along the way helps leaders remain harmonized with how time is invested, while the subtle lightness adds liberating vibes to keep an uncharted future interesting.

In the event energy begins to stall, as it often does, ensure you’ve done what’s needed to push through dips, gather feedback from diverse perspectives, avoid isolation, and be honest with if/how you want to continue navigating this quest. When these inevitable impasses arise, find your own version of unanimity, knowing that even if a creative season is held in abeyance, seasonality makes something you spent time with more natural to return to in the future.

If it’s time to leave one season behind, avoid potential regret by appreciating the progress made. Take time to reflect on learnings, put the old seasonal decorations away, and maintain relationships as you regenerate energy and lean into whatever season is next.

Brewed From Within
#62 📖 Leadership

By Ben McDougal, ago

Uncharted

Building without a map is a bold art form.
It’s challenging, dangerous, and rewarding.

It’s challenging because these expeditions call for initiative to show up but also an unknown amount of resources to stay persistent. All seven capitals (intellectual, human, financial, institutional, physical, network, cultural) can each be hard to find, but celebrating what we have attracts more of what we want. As different types of capital connect, staying balanced with your personal bandwidth requires attention. But when we care and remain realistic, we give ourselves the permission to keep building.

Uncharted crusades can also be dangerous. This quest will not go as anticipated and the opportunity cost is high, with endless ways to spend our time. Even when odds are against us, a healthy obsession paired with a willingness to succeed or learn cultivates a potent mix of curiosity, optimism, and righteous recklessness. Those willing to try have a huge advantage over everyone else willing to wait.

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What might you regret not doing?

When exploring the unknown for the first time, be clever, collaborative, and patient. Also, remember that winners quit all the time. They simply quit the right things at the right time. So, get passionate without falling in love with impossible and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s much to learn from heroes, mentors, and those you seek to serve. Success and failure leave clues, so speed up progress and avoid pitfalls by leaning into tribes you trust.

When you’ve built without a map, the highs and lows strengthen decision-making. Practice also makes the unknown less intimidating. Experienced wayfinders gather feedback faster, measure the right metrics, and appreciate the hardships without allowing pride from the past to mislead them.

We know how rewarding it can be to build an event, business, or relationship you’re proud of.

To dance toward the unknown, be thoughtful with early moves but don’t get paralyzed by perfection. Sustain growth with sequenced storytelling. Be urgent but not frantic by activating trust channels that stimulate accountability. Welcome feedback like a scientist, listen with concentration, and savor metrics beyond the money.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Captive

Air travel is an elevated time to shake and move above the clouds. Elevation makes us all feel successful, so hammering on some work or catching up on a good read/listen/watch feels great, but a nap is just as nice.

Think back to the last time you warped time by catching a mid-flight nap. Suddenly, a flight attendant shatters your peaceful slumber—not to share a friendly update for passengers but to rattle off a forced sales pitch for their branded credit card. Ouch.

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Attention is hard to earn.
If you have it, don’t waste it.

Now, imagine an alternate scenario. Instead of unwanted interruption followed by an impersonal script that makes us feel like prisoners instead of appreciated customers, what if the same offer felt more like a special little gift?

How might it feel to hear that you have been selected to receive a free beverage or tasty snack, paired with that same credit card application as a convenient napkin? This tasty presentation would naturally snag the attention of nearby passengers. As word of mouth amplifies interest, similar offers could be made for those willing to complete the silly credit card application. Engage or don’t, but this quiet surprise feels less forced and can become more of a complimenting gesture to show customer appreciation.

That’s just a thought exercise, but we’ve all sat in situations where we were part of a captive audience. There is a fine line and a big difference between adding or detracting from an experience after interest is sparked or sales are made.

How do we treat our existing customers? Do they get attention only when there are issues or you have more to sell? How might we inspire more lasting joy by slowing down, setting efficiency aside, even letting go in a way? Instead of being careless with earned attention, consider unexpected ways to delight customers, which will remind them why they chose you in the first place. Giveaways, handwritten notes, or any gesture that shows you care will retain better customers.

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“Once you wow an audience, the same trick may not work anymore.” -Seth Godin, Free Prize Inside

How we treat existing customers sets the scene and determines the realities of attention retention. When customers feel thoughtfulness, they will stick around because they care as much as you do. This translates into customer retention because true fans take pride in staying connected. They have more patience when issues arise and get excited to share your charming work with others.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Phygital

Blending a physical reality with digital depth is something humanity has experimented with for decades. Catchy names, memorable phone numbers, short URLs, and QR codes are simple methods that guide a physical interaction to details online.

Augmented Reality (AR), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), biotech, and smart materials all take it up a notch. Each of these technologies provide a path to phygital experiences.

To spin some yarn, let’s stitch this nerdy good term into the world of fashion. Phygital clothing now has passive chips embedded behind a patch or hidden in the garment. When tapped by a phone, the tiny chip is given enough electricity to pass data. This prompts a notification that links to digital destinations. The destination may be a website just for fun, but for larger brands with dollowers, the loyalty contest is given all-new levels. Imagine the status game of a global fan base that unlocks digital assets by working together. An elbow bump from someone wearing your favorite brand can now highlight ownership and unlock gamified layers.

With ownership determined by code and real-time incentives connected to the owner, this nerdy good phygital term quickly becomes apart of the web3 taxonomy. That said, the flex is not about being high-tech. It’s introducing a remarkability factor.

When remarkability matters, as it often does, phygital twists offer an edge. There are endless examples of digital depth revolutionizing every industry. Computers and smartphones link a physical device to digital experiences and the first smart vending machine in 1982 would lead to an entire microcosm we call the Internet of Things (IoT). Today’s chips are cute, but nanotech (think a computer on every cell) and neurotech (think brain-computer interfacing) represent a direct line where input and output will require no physical movement. Edges dull as new becomes commonplace, so the time to get phygital is now.

As the world continues to be phygitized, more physical products will be mirrored by digitized counterparts, ownership will be obvious, and an augmented experience will be increasingly invisible as our perceived reality is reinforced by the phygital world all around us.

By Ben McDougal, ago