Writing paper that stands out – something similar got me the most important job of my life, and I had no idea it was a ‘Purple Cow.’
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I’m busy building a business designed to promote safe exercise for better health, especially for older (more mature?) people, or those with health challenges (you know, diabetes, aneurysm, cancer, heart disease, whatever) for which exercise could be a plus. The most interesting part of this process, for me at least, is working out how to reach my audience and thus my potential market.
On the recommendation of Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, in ‘The Impact Equation, Are You Making Things Happen Or Just Making Noise,” I started reading “The Purple Cow,” by Seth Godin, a blogger I’ve been following for ages. Then it occurred to me that years ago, in 1970 in fact, I had benefitted unawares from a purple cow, the writing paper I used to apply for a job in Scotland. I was told during the interview that I was being interviewed simply because of the strange writing paper I had used in my application letter. It stood out. The job was poorly paid, in a cold climate, and a dream come true for yours truly. There were not that many candidates, so that probably played a role, but it was the paper, a Seth Godin Purple Cow, that got me in the door. Come to think of it, the fact that I turned up for my 1962 interview at the Bristol Veterinary School on crutches, having travelled 200 miles by train to get there, was probably another purple cow, and yes, I got the slot.
Now I’m seeking a purple cow for Old Dogs in Training LLC, and I’m having a blast!
What would you do at a race if you wanted to stand out for business photos, family to find you, or just for fun?
Do you have purple cows in your past that are long forgotten, but from which you can benefit today?
-k @FitOldDog
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