Do the KIND Thing summary

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses with dreams of power and financial gain. But these goals rarely help them when they encounter bumps in the road. Since the journey toward your business goals will always be turbulent, you’ll need a purpose that will fuel you and keep you on track.

Consider the author’s story. With a Jewish background and family members who had suffered in concentration camps during the Second World War, he is passionate about creating peace.

Any business seeking long-term success must be willing to create a brand that people trust – but this is only possible if you stay true to your word. Start by asking yourself what it is about your brand that consumers can rely on.

The author failed to ask himself this question when launching a new sweet-and-spicy Asian Teriyaki pepper spread; the esoteric Asian flavor had nothing to do with the KIND brand, which was based on Mediterranean flavors.

Today’s marketplace is flooded with cheaply manufactured products that respond to fluctuating trends. These trends are short lived, and consumer demand shifts accordingly. But if your products are honest and down to earth, you’ll ensure your business has staying power.

This idea makes up the fifth KIND tenet, and is what led the author’s snack bar to sustainable success. How? Well, if he had created a low-carb version of the snack bar in order to jump on the low-carb bandwagon, he might have experienced some temporary success. But it wouldn’t have lasted, since this trend came and went in the same way all consumer trends do.

Everywhere we look, we’re bombarded with advertising for all manner of consumer products. Though these ads promise happier lives and fulfilled dreams, the products often only disappoint us. Why? Because they can’t live up to their own marketing.

Extravagant promises are just another way of damaging your customers’ trust. If your product is authentic and your campaigns are transparent, you’ll make your brand more trustworthy than others on the market. Use your products’ names, designs and marketing to ensure that what customers see is exactly what they get.

There’s no denying that it feels great when someone does you a favor or gives you a compliment. In fact, you’ll probably want to spend more time with that person because of it. Why not make your brand do the same thing by celebrating empathy?

As part of a promotional campaign, KIND developed the #kindawesome cards, which were to be handed out to people in public performing kind acts. If, for instance, someone on the subway offered their seat to an elderly or pregnant woman, and a person from KIND spotted them, the thoughtful passenger would be handed a #kindawesome card with a code that could be entered on the KIND website. This code would then unlock a packet of snacks that would be sent to the person’s address.

Running a kind business is demanding, and it’s vital that you keep your team going, even in the face of setbacks. But how? Enter the tenth and final tenet of the kind philosophy: a focus on resourcefulness and empowering your team.

So what does it mean to be resourceful? Well, for one thing, it’s not the same as being frugal. If the main priority in your business is frugality, your team members’ concern with budgets will come at the expense of other important aspects.