The Possibility of Imagination

My partner John’s phone buzzes all day with incoming emails. The volume amazes me, as does the way he shrugs it off. Most people I know curse all the unwanted email. Not John. They’re not unwanted, and he actually prefers it.

One day, I queried him further about it…how could this be?  For him, all the emails is marketing inspiration. As he thinks about ways to market his real estate firm, he draws ideas from what others around the web are doing.  When he wants to rethink a service offering, he immediately knows what else is going on.

The other day, I talked with a client about slumping sales.  For sure, the local-food marketplace is changing with the flood of farmers’ markets, farms selling CSA subscriptions, and farm-to-table restaurants (it sounds so cliché now, I can barely use it without grimacing). My client continued with her same marketing efforts despite their diminishing returns. It was what she always did.

It got me thinking about John’s emails… when he needed inspiration, he had a folder filled with possibility.  My client didn’t have that source (or perhaps bandwidth) to brainstorm new ideas.

So often, we’re limited by what we can imagine. And we can only imagine what we’ve read about, seen or experienced.  Getting out of our day-to-day routine can help spark creativity and imagination to think about new, and sometimes better, ways of doing things. I call it the “possibility of imagination.” And it can help you get out of your business ruts.

Certainly, there are processes around creativity and innovation, but if you don’t have the time or just need a quick hit of inspiration… here are 6 easy ways to expand your experiences to give you that “possibility of imagination”:

1. Visit a local business in a different state or neighborhood

Last summer, I spoke at a conference in Asheville, NC. On the morning of my talk, I went to the local farmers’ market to get a feel of the local food scene.  In so many ways it was different than the Cambridge markets I’m used to. For starters, they call it a tailgate market because all the farm-vendors back their pickup trucks into a communal lot, open up the tailgate and sell from the back of their truck.

As I meandered down the aisles of the market, I also saw vendors selling products similar to clients back in Massachusetts. I could ask them how they addressed various business challenges (like affordably priced packaging) without being a threat to their business. I got a lot of insights that I could then share with my clients.

2. Subscribe to email lists in related industries

Like John, though not to the same degree, I subscribed to many listservs and mailing lists.  Mostly I skim them (I have them sent to a different email address, so they don’t clutter my work inbox and feel burdensome). But when I have some extra time, like riding the T, I have a fountain of ideas.  If I’m struggling with an article title or a lead, I go to that email account, and read what others have done.

3. Empty your brain

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a hard time quieting my brain. It’s always buzzing with things going on – whether it’s with clients, family, or politics.  Not until I’m out for a walk, run or bike ride, without my phone (!!) that I can tune out the day-to-day thinking that allows all the ideas brewing in the background percolate to the top.  I regularly return to the office with new inspiration.

4. Create a mastermind group

Many of my neighbors work from home. Despite our similar work environment, we have very different jobs. I focus on financial management and business planning for farmers and food entrepreneurs, and John’s in real estate; we also have a marketing expert, ad executive, day-trader and social-impact strategist.  We started meeting once a month to tap into some of the benefits that come from working in an office environment. We can bounce ideas off each other, figure out business systems and help each other problem solve. Because our backgrounds and expertise are so different, we often have unexpected, and promising, ideas to share.

5. Travel

I’m sure you’ve seen food trends cross the country and wind around the globe. It’s because someone traveled to a new place and found something interesting; something worth bringing home. People visited elBulliin Spain, were inspired by the molecular gastronomy and brought it to the US. Now you see foams and spheres everywhere.  Avocado toast started in L.A., and now you see it on brunch menus all over the US.

In the AirB&B I rented in Spain last May, I marveled at the dish drain above the sink: a “drying closet”. I had never seen anything like this in the US; only in travels abroad. I would have never imagined such a brilliant space saver for small kitchens had I not seen it before. And when I update my kitchen someday, you better believe I’ll have a drying closet.

You never know what you’ll find, but when you travel someplace new and keep your eyes open, you’ll find inspiration everywhere.

6. Go down a rabbit hole on the internet

The internet gets a bad rep these days. With social media, email, etc., business coaches caution that it can be a productivity drain.  But sometimes that “drain” can be good.  Similar to emptying your brain, allowing yourself the time to go down rabbit holes, can lead to new inspiration.

My new website runs on a WordPress template with many plugins (little programs that add functionality, like the learning management system or the membership portal). I’ve been thinking about different ways to package offerings and I started perusing the plugin websites, and reading the list of options, I saw solutions to problems I couldn’t even articulate. Things that I had thought about (like affiliate programs) but couldn’t wrap my head around how to get it down. Seeing all the options available to me through plugins helped me figure out new marketing strategies and partnership opportunities.

You don’t need to be a creative genius to think of new strategies or solutions for your business. But getting out of your head and workspace can help you develop the possibility of imagination.

Need more help? We’re happy to work with you to find solutions to those vexing challenges, even the ones you can’t quite articulate.  Drop us a line, or give us a call.