Innovation is the Key to Unlocking the Chains of Frustration

My niece, Emily, was just five years old when I introduced her to the grandeur of the Mall of America. The sheer scale of the place had an electrifying effect on her. A plethora of retail stores, multiple levels, a sparkling food court, and of course, the iconic Nickelodeon Universe Indoor Amusement Park were all there for her to behold. Yet, Emily's eyes gleamed with a single objective - the roller coaster.

Emily was petite for her age, barely reaching the height restrictions for the roller coaster, but she remained undeterred. I could see the determination in her eyes, a spark indicating that she was ready to take on the world, starting with this ride.

As we approached the entrance, the height chart loomed ahead. I knelt to her level, looked into her sparkling eyes, and said, "Emily, in life, you'll encounter many roller coasters. Some you will be tall enough to ride, others not. But remember, your physical height is not the measure of your capacity to achieve. It's the size of your thoughts that matter. Think big thoughts, and the world is yours."

Her brows furrowed in thought, and then slowly, she straightened up, her petite frame seeming to grow inches in confidence. "Think big," she muttered, repeating my words as a mantra. Her face broke into a radiant smile as she stood taller, thinking those big thoughts, her spirit stretching toward the skies.

Emily stood as tall as she could, the top of her head brushing against the measuring stick. The attendant smiled, nodding his approval, and Emily, her face lit with joy and triumph, passed through.

I watched as she held onto the roller coaster's handle with one hand, the other pointed towards the sky reminiscent of the bigger kids in other cars. Her knuckles white but her face resolute and bright with anticipation. I saw not a petite five-year-old, but a young girl full of life and spirit, ready to conquer her world, starting with a ride on this roller coaster.

After the exhilarating ride, I expected Emily would be ready for some leisurely window shopping or a quick bite at the food court. However, her unwavering determination shone through once again when she asked, "Can we go again?" We did. Not just once, but several times.

Emily's experience illuminates an important aspect of business and innovation. How many potential customers, just like Emily, are merely a fraction of an inch away from exclusion? How many people want to participate in your market but find themselves prevented by physical, emotional, or economic barriers?

Opportunities for innovation begin with serving those who are excluded. How do you bring the excluded into the fold? How can you render the inaccessible accessible, the unusable usable, and the unimaginable a reality? How can you use new ideas to transform these frustrations and challenges into stepping stones?

At its finest, innovation serves as a tool for inclusivity. It compels us to attend to the unheard, to shift those marginalized to the center. In the heart of innovation, there is always room for empathy and compassion. They are the first steps toward identifying the barriers people face — the hurdles they want to overcome, followed by the creativity needed to design effective solutions and then the courage to implement these new ideas.

Innovation is a continuous journey. It's about finding new ways to empower people to fulfill their desires and alleviating the frustrations standing in their way. It's about reimagining the world from users' perspectives, focusing not just on the 'now' but also on the 'next'. With the right innovative mindset, barriers become not dead ends, but detours guiding us toward better paths.

Innovation is the key to unlocking a world free from the chains of frustration and barriers.

#innovation #thinkbig #inclusivity