Instincts Versus Institution, Which Works Best in Business
December 25, 2024
Lance and Mia agreed to meet at their favorite restaurant for lunch. As Mia entered, she noticed Lance was staring, excitingly reading his phone.
“Mia, you’re not going to believe this post. Remember Justin from our Accounting 305 class back in college?”
“What? Who?” Mia sips her latte.
“Justin, the guy from our accounting class. This says he turned a $30 investment into a $45K payday.”
Knowing how much of a jokester Lance was, Mia smirked.
“Alright Lance, you’ve got my attention. What’s the catch? What kind of miracle investment was this? Crypto? Stocks? Lottery tickets?”
“None of the above. Says it was with a $30 bow tie.” Laughed Lance.
“Wait. What? Bow ties? Like the kind you wear? Okay now you REALLY have my attention. What, was he secretly selling them on the side or something?”
“No, no, it’s more about how he used them to stand out at work. Says he started at this big marketing firm and decided he wasn’t going to just blend in with everyone else. So, he made bow ties his thing—funky patterns, bright colors, totally unique.”
“Interesting. So, he’s basically branded himself at work. Pretty bold move.” Mia, still in disbelief, went on.
“Exactly! But it wasn’t just about the bow ties. The guy backed it up with serious work ethic. He was always helping teammates, going the extra mile, and building trust. The bow ties were just, like, his thing. Like his plume,” continued Lance, gesturing to the top of his head.
“I can see how it could happen. Wearing a bow tie… It’s zany, it’s hip… like one of those rarity things. And I bet it made him approachable too. Like, ‘Hey, where’d you get that crazy polka-dot tie?’ Boom—instant conversation starter.”
“Yup! It worked. Story says his coworkers remembered him, his hard work slowly won their trust, and when the team had this big presentation to land a huge client, he stepped up and crushed it. The execs loved his different pitch, and he had the data to back everything up. His company won the client. His career pretty much skyrocketed after that.”
“Okay. I can see where lady luck was in his corner. And the $45K?” Mia asked.
“I’m sure a big part was his year-end bonus. Probably earned a promotion over time too. Just think… It all started with a $30 investment in those bow ties.”
“I think it’s actually genius. It’s like a masterclass in personal branding. You’re making me rethink my wardrobe game. Maybe I should start rocking some quirky socks or something,” laughed Mia.
“Maybe, as long as you don’t stop there,” Lance added. “Quirky socks are cool, but it’s the hard work and connections that seal the deal. Lance didn’t just wear bow ties—he delivered results.”
“Point taken. So, what’s your version of the bow tie, Lance? You’ve got to have something.”
Lance paused. “Hmm… maybe my zany frames? You know I love showing personality with them,” as he adjusted them on his nose.
“There you go. Your frame, my wacky socks. Let’s see if we can turn this into our own $45K story.”
“Cheers to that!”
Brand building is like growing flowers. The more you take care of it and water it, the stronger the roots and brighter the colors. One of the reasons Justin quickly gained the trust of his colleagues was his incredible work ethic. He was understated, he was subtle, and he never tried to outshine his supervisors. He added value to every project, often putting in extra hours to get the research done. When teammates had questions or needed a little help, Justin was always the first one to say, “I’ve got you!” It didn’t matter if it was a last-minute presentation or crunching numbers for a report—he was there. Then came the trust. His colleagues began to include him on more projects. He made himself indispensable. Justin put in the work and slowly, over time began to reap the benefits.
