Highly unusual for me to quote a Dirty Harry movie but stick with me for a minute.

I’ve got twenty something boys who are poised and ready to set the world on fire. We have been talking a lot lately about next steps and where life might take them and it’s pretty invigorating to see their thought processes and like many in their generation their intense desire to make a difference.

Then serendipitously,  I came across the Alexandra Franzen’s blog that talked about the “be a day maker movement” and I fell in love with the concept that no matter what we do, or where we do it, we can make a difference. You don’t have to donate a million dollars (but very cool if you can) or stand on the other side of the world supporting a cause, you can make a difference with a kind word, smile or just being the genius you are at your workplace.

Good brands want to make a difference everyday too. Sure, we hear and share the bad brand stories. When the talk isn’t walked, and actions don’t align with purpose we can usually see it a mile away. And a bad service story – well that can irrevocably damage a brand in this “kiss and tell” era of social media. But there are so many good brand stories. I think of how thankful I am for the many people, business and brands who make my day. So here is a shout out to the “day makers” who have recently crossed my path:

• the stellar staff at Essential packaging who made ordering a delight. Personal touch. Check. Gained a loyal customer. Check.
• Coutts courier. For the last 25 years whenever I need a courier I only call one company. Coutts courier. They don’t have a FB page or an app, nor do they insta everyday. They have been doing what they do, the same way for a long time. And they do it perfectly. I have even had one of their drivers call to give me an update on all the deliveries he had done for me. Living their brand….yup. Trust earned. Check.
• Connecting good people with good people – love to do that. Good luck at Synergy, Laurel!
• A favourite client making it in the “bigs” selling her children’s book at the NHL all star event. Witnessing success, that makes my day – check it out here: www.afanforlife.com
• A favourite shop – Crocus and Ivy. Arriving at their store to pick up a gift I had ordered by phone that was already beautifully wrapped! Saving me time for the win!
• Annual planning with a client – TCM Financial Studio. They are truly value based. They just “get” how to care for people and each other and have a blast doing just that. Living their brand so authentically everyday. No wonder such blazing success is finding them.

What would happen if not only did we want to find and tell the good stories, what if we also wanted our businesses and our work to be someone’s “day maker” ?

Goodness. Unleashed.

Thanks for the inspiration to all of the above and a special nod to Clint Eastwood “Go ahead, make my day”  turns out to be a wonderful way to live and to do business.

Sometimes getting it right is the most natural thing to do.

When I owned Starstruck a company that manufactured a line of women’s clothing (check out the story here) we were shipping orders to 320 stores in the US and 120 in Canada. Once the order had been received we would call the store to make sure it had arrived ok, to see how it was performing and to thank them for believing in us. (I admit, it was a bit like sending our babies across the street – we had a lot of love put into those clothes and now that they were venturing off, and to check on them seemed like the most natural thing to do.)

Storeowners and department store managers at first didn’t really know what to do. They had never had a manufacturer call them before – which of course shocked us! So there we were on those first calls, me bursting with excitement checking in our babies; and the storeowner a little taken aback. A little awkward? Yup, but as time went on and we earned their trust by consistently calling them with each order. We realized that they loved having a chance to talk to us, and we loved listening to them! Quickly those who sold Starstruck became our friends and loyalties on both sides of the relationship deepened. We shared struggles and triumphs and the more they got to know us the more they enjoyed sharing our story with their customer.

We also gained insight into who their customers were and what they were looking for. From colours, designs, fabrics and price points we had a chance to learn first hand how to make the storeowner successful and their customer happy. Our line became influenced by who was buying it and the storeowners became invested in our brand – becoming the true heroes of our story. Quite honestly, it doesn’t get much better than that!

I could never put a price on the value of those calls and the friendships made. As we got bigger it was more challenging to do, with the stakes higher there was nothing more vital to our success then getting direct feedback on our product and getting advice on how our next line could best meet the needs of their customer. I never got over the thrill of making those calls, and what was so natural for us to do became a key differentiating factor in the highly competitive and fickle fashion marketplace. Our brand began to be set apart. We knew we weren’t just selling clothes – we were selling love on a hanger and success in a box.

When something feels like it is  the right thing to do – even if it’s not the industry norm. (Perhaps, especially if it is not the industry norm) Try it. Trust yourself to do the right thing. You got this.

Doing good, by doing right always wins.