Have you ever heard me say “Super Fantastic!” when I answer the question, “How are you doing?” A long time ago, my husband Dave Caro and I attended an “Attitude is Everything” session when Jeff Keller declared, “No one wants to know how you are really feeling; they just want to be around people with a positive attitude.” Not exactly woke in 2023 as we try to bring mental health issues to the surface and address them.
Brand and Behavior
Why am I bringing this up now? Well, as I work on Liminist’s Vision Statement with Jeff Hilimire, I went hunting for a simple, yet impactful word/phrase to describe someone looking to overcome a challenge (individually or for their company) and come out the other side with a transformative viewpoint and plan. Because I am a brand consistency nerd (all your fault Tom Lynch), I wanted this word or phrase to align with how a business (or a person) navigates a Liminal State (being on a threshold). Thanks again Chad Maxwell for introducing me to this word.
As I embark on my journey to find just the right approach, I realize creating a positive attitude is critically important to the success of what I am looking to achieve with Liminist.
Right, But Still Wrong
Why should you keep reading? This is where the picture above comes in and the reason why I decided to write this post: for you to get to know me better. If you don’t know why I named my company Liminist, I suggest you start here first before you go on this journey with me.
- Altered State of Consciousness. My first stop was to read what people explain as liminality and what happens when one crosses the threshold and returns to everyday life. After people work with Liminist, I want to ensure they have a different view of the world and, scientifically, Altered State of Consciousness (ASC) is what happens in the third stage of Liminality. Yet, how people have historically achieved ASC may not be what I want to convey in Liminist’s vision statement. 😉
- Cognitive Restructuring. What’s another way to say achieving ASC? Let’s look at Cognitive Restructuring (or Reframing): the concept of challenging people’s thoughts, especially if they engage in negative self-talk and patterns of thinking. The objective is to help people address the negativity and focus on the positive. Okay, we are getting close as I don’t want Liminist to dwell on past negativity (sticky floors, glass ceilings, gas lighting, etc.) and instead I want my company to help our clients look to the future and achieve their goal and objectives. Yet, this may lead people to believe that Liminist provides therapy instead of Leadership or Executive Coaching.
- Perspective Transformation. Bingo (maybe)! Have you ever heard of “Transformative Learning Theory?” Mezirow (1997a) argues that each of us have a frame of reference or world view to which we orient our understanding of the world. Transformative learning is the process of effecting change in this frame of reference. In 1978, Mezirow first coined the term “perspective transformation,” describes it as the process in which meaning structures are changed, and proposes a 10-step plan to get there. Although, the 10-step plan might be a bit much, this is close to where I feel Liminist needs to be.
Transformative Techniques
As marketers, we want to find a magical word or phrase that conveys so much without the eliciting the response of, “ugh, that word again?” On the other hand, my super-smart friend Jennifer Davis once said to me that if you have to explain it then you have lost your audience. My objective is to transform Liminist’s vision statement into something truly unique. To create a “Perspective Transformation” or ah-ha moment when someone researches who I am and what I hope to accomplish through Liminist and realizes this is exactly what she needs. And, do all this without having to be there to explain it.
For now, I leave you with this: attitude IS everything. We cannot ignore the negativity. We need to address it, understand what triggers it, and create behaviors that enable you (and your organization) to move into a more positive (and profitable) direction.