day 1304: SRO

"They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus."

This is GRAMMY week.  For me, in my final year as Chairman of The GRAMMY Foundation, I will be at a number of events this week where it will be standing room only, SRO.  I always marvel at the number of people who want to attend The GRAMMYs.  The demand is high.  Behind this interest is a love of music. Wouldn't it be great if we could get our customers and consumers to desire our business at the same level?  It's not impossible.  If we know the loves of our customers/consumers and what they desire and why, then we might be able to have them clamoring for us.  If you think it can't be done, ask Apple what it feels like to launch a new product. It can be done.

Are we willing to do whatever it takes to be in the front-row presence of Jesus.  When it was SRO there were four men who so wanted to have Jesus heal their paralyzed friend, that they climbed onto the roof to cut a hole to lower their friend before Him. The gift that God gave us through Jesus is that we can have full access to Him at any time, all the time.  It is only up to to us.  Are we willing to do what it takes, like the four men were willing? As we work this week, let's be sure that we are staying up close and personal to Jesus.

Reference: Mark 2:4 (New Living Translation) 

day 1194: Availability - Part 1

"Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing." 

I just returned from two days at GRAMMY Camp New York.  As Chairman of the Board of the GRAMMY Foundation, I absolutely love going to GRAMMY Camp and seeing the best of the best high schoolers pursuing their dreams of making it in the music industry.  The New York GRAMMY Camp happens at Converse's Rubber Tracks Studio in Brooklyn.  Converse donates the week of the studio's time and support to the GRAMMY Foundation. Having this availability to be in a state-of-the art studio is just amazing and so appreciated. What's even more amazing is that Converse makes this studio available to any musician and best of all they provide the studio for free, without any strings attached; Rubber Tracks Apply . When I tell people this they are taken back with Converse's generosity and just how cool it is that with this one gift of availability they are building deep loyalty and commitment with their consumers.  One band that forever remembers the one time that they were able to record that one album because of Converse will wear Chuck Taylor's forever. Availability of what we have to offer; be it space, knowledge, people, services, etc. are powerful, powerful consumer brand building tools!

We are God's ambassadors and message carriers.  When we make our talents, time and treasures available to others we have the opportunity to demonstrate the transfer and availability of God's love.  Being available, while not hard, does take work and sacrifice, but with all the sacrifice that was made for us making a little sacrifice to be interested in and available to others seems like not that hard to do.  Can we find one way today to do so?

Reference: Philippians 2:4 (New Living Testament)