by Michael SansoloWe spend significant time here at MNB talking about what’s new and how emerging trends threaten the status quo. Taken the wrong way, it might be perceived that we no longer see value in experience and longevity.
Nothing could be further from the truth, which is why I want to refer to a small aside from Kevin yesterday: the link he offered to the wonderful “Carpool Karaoke” video James Corden hosted, featuring Sir Paul McCartney.
The video, as Kevin said, in almost guaranteed to make you happy but it also is guaranteed to make you remember that quality and relevance are never out of fashion. McCartney, who seems to possess an unending supply of youthful cool, opines that long ago Beatles’ songs remain popular largely because their themes are timeless, upbeat and relevant. Oh, and they are still great!
To punctuate the point, later in the video we see a young woman with a tattoo of the Beatles logo, even though she is clearly far too young to remember a time when the Beatles were still together. (This is not unusual. I have a 19-year-old on my street who worships the Beatles.) And late in the video, as we watch Paul perform some those old songs, nearly every young person in the crowd seems to know every word.
It almost compels us to recall why the Beatles are still so important 60 years after we first heard of them. They were original, talented and their songs spoke to us in countless way from “She Loves You” to “A Day in the Life”. There have been countless rock groups since the Beatles, some far more talented musically, but none have come close to their status or impact. That’s the power of a phenomenon, which the Beatles were.
And, as always, we can find business lessons in everything, including the Fab Four. The Beatles were, as a friend of mine said yesterday, genuine. Their songs, as McCartney makes clear, came from their personal experiences both happy and sad. As author Malcolm Gladwell has written, they also were consummate craftsmen who worked endless hours to hone their skills.
In truth, you can’t simply make yourself fab. You can’t inspire Beatlemania about your products, services, stores or anything. That just doesn’t happen. But you can be inspired by their creativity, their work ethic and, most importantly, their ability to find a relevant message.
Also you can watch McCartney and find an exemplar of finding joy in whatever you do. What’s clear from the video (and anything else you ever see, hear or read about McCartney) it is that he enjoys being Paul. He loves meeting fans and understands what people love and expect from him.
Paul is well past 64 at this point, but we still need him and love him for all of that. Relevance is not a synonym for new or cool.
Finally, a personal note: Speaking of staying relevant, I’d like to note that today is my 35th anniversary and my wife turns my head as much today as ever. The great ones are always that way and Janice is simply great!
Michael Sansolo can be reached via email at msansolo@mnb.grocerywebsite.com . His book, “THE BIG PICTURE: Essential Business Lessons From The Movies,” co-authored with Kevin Coupe, is available on Amazon by clicking here. And, his book "Business Rules!" is available from Amazon by clicking here.
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