Bland Positioning Shouldn’t Be Served

"Number 18. Vibrant Collaboration”

Scrawls Carmy feverishly on his list of non-neogtiables the night before the newly-renovated, super-shmancy version of The Bear opens its doors in Season 3. He’s been up all night changing the whole menu, gnawing through his stash of nicotene gum and generally acting like a madman. When Natalie arrives to open up in the morning, he thrusts his non-negotiables at her, the list of magic words that he’s sure contain the code to success. But when she diligently hands them out to the team, they fall flat A.F. - particularly with Ritchie, his front of house - and like all good episodes of The Bear, yelling ensues, Chef.

I’ve seen some brilliant studios paralyzed by the quest for “magic words”; contemporary hype telling them that the perfect positioning statement is what stands between them and untold opportunity. But, like Carmy venting on his spotless stainless steel benchtop, his magic words weren’t connected to operations or reality. The words alone aren’t going to get you there.

A five star chef isn’t there because they just whipped up something tasty. They’re there because they worked out every single detail in the kitchen from soup to nuts, literally. Their vision is woven all the way through the pipeline; understanding what perfection looks like for their restaurant and then knowing how to achieve it.

And in your studio, that's what's going to make you stand out above everyone else. The right vision of perfection that derives from who you really are and not who you think you need to be. Your marketing is the beginning of a pipeline that's making a promise to your future self. It’s the bridge between today and tomorrow, connecting the work you make now to the work you want to make.?

I tested out ReKindle, my new course, at Camp Mograph in June, helping some talented creatives discover their secret sauces. By the shore of a tranquil lake there was that beautiful popping noise as epiphanies burst and everyone opened up about the work they loved, the work that had made them and what their perfect opportunity looked like. Lining these up together got everyone beyond word-smithing, instead finding tangible and authentic points of personal creative difference. In the words of one attendee,? “each of our answers were the clearest I've ever heard. I felt such a spark again.”?

They each found their secret sauce - the one that you don't just put on your eggs every morning but the one you use to spice up your work so that you stand for something and stand out. And then they each took it home in a bottle, literally, to keep their fire burning.

Back in Chicago though, Carmy wrote a list of non-negotiables that came off as partly a list of bullshit buzzwords and partly his insecurities screaming back at him. He was striving for a vision of perfection he had seen in someone else. The right words matter but they need to connect to the rest of your operations and your work or they’ll fall flat. You need to get comfortable saying them and teach your team how to say them too so you can all start opening up the conversations that will lead to better opportunities. Then your studio can tackle the market together and thrive like a good kitchen in a great restaurant in the perfect neighborhood.

The ReKindle Accelerator launches on October 30th. There’s seating for 15 so you can find your secret sauce and get things cooking.

https://www.revthink.com/rekindle-accelerator

About RevThink

RevThink is a consultancy dedicated to empowering creative entrepreneurs to run their businesses with confidence and foresight. Founded by Tim Thompson, RevThink has been guiding studios and agencies for nearly two decades. Through personalized consulting, community building, and accelerators like ReKindle, RevThink helps creative professionals navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve sustainable growth.

www.revthink.com