Yesterday I celebrated Independence Day with my brother and our families. We took a boat ride on the beautiful Gull Lake chain where we saw dozens and dozens of boats adorned in red, white and blue.
Flags. Streamers. Banners.
The American spirit was alive and in full force.
All that summer patriotism got me thinking about what a great little vacation we were having.
And that got me thinking about other little Americana vacations I've taken. One in particular...
Ever been to Boston?
The birthplace of our country. I was there several years ago, and took a walk on the Freedom Trail, saw the USS Constitution and the site of the Boston Tea Party. I also took a stroll past Paul Revere's house, Boston Common and many other historic locations you would recognize from your 10th grade history class, including Bunker Hill monument.
And, of course, I visited Cheers. By the way, it's a little known fact that battle actually happened on Breed's Hill. But I digress, Normy.
I took away many memories from that Boston trip. And most of them had to do with the thought that America didn't always have the "brand strategy" it has now. "Freedom" wasn't always our "word." Freedom wasn't always our cause. The Kingdom of Great Britain had their own ideas on how to run the country -- and the people in it.
Until one day the ole Continental Congress drew the line in the sand.
Suffice it to say, it is no small feat to start a new country. If you think it's a risk starting a new business, try starting a new nation. In 1776, when Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers drafted the Declaration of Independence, surely they had plenty to lose by doing so. Not the least of which was their pulse.
We've all signed checks... or estimates... or mortgages... or performance reviews... or wedding licenses... but signing your name to a document that declares your independence AND at the same time, declares you are also committing treason? Never done that.
Next time you draft a strategy or make a declaration on behalf of your company or yourself, remember how this great country got started.
Now...Why not make it a little bolder?
Keep it even,
Scott Kuehl








