Have you ever heard of the soprano, Kirsten Flagstad?
Me neither.
My ignorance aside, she’s regarded as one of the great operatic singers of the 20th century, and she specialized in the operas of German composer, Richard Wagner.
I learned about Kirsten during an interesting and…yes…odd conversation with a friend this week.
Here’s what piqued my interest in her for this week’s marketing and sales outburst:
Kirsten was asked to name the single most important thing she needed in order to perform Wagner’s music with the excellence it demanded (his most important work takes 15 hours to perform).
She answered,
“Comfortable shoes.”
I liked the question. I really liked the answer.
Few of us take a moment to reflect on what makes us really good at what we do. And as we approach our day of Thanksgiving here in the States, it seemed to me to be something we should reflect on, identify and give thanks for.
Get really well-grounded. Identify that “thing,” that most important thing, that enables you to perform with the excellence your business demands.
Your answer may not be “shoes.” But you have the equivalent.
What are your “shoes” for which you give thanks?
Go forth and do great things,
Martha and Chris