I have been working with marketers for more years than I can count now but it was only recently that I learned how the Hero's Journey is put to work. The person who explained this concept to me is an brand consultant with a liberal arts education. I have worked on and off with P for a while now and was impressed by how she always had the most unique and refreshing ideas of anyone else in the room even when there are a lot of creative types around.
Every encounter with P is a learning opportunity. She reminds me of my friend A who is largely self taught and tinkers around with mechanical and electronic things. He is able to bring his education into real life every day - at home and at work, it is well-integrated whole. P has similarly brought her education to bear upon every real-world interaction she has, in ways that are seem unique to those of us who don't have the background she does.
When a person is able to integrate learning, work and life in a beautiful symbiotic way like these folks have, they are able to be create unique value where those words intersect. A is able to rig up remote controlled a houseplant watering system out of remnants from other projects an hour before he has to leave town for a couple of weeks. There is a practical need in his life that he is able to meet using what he has learned over the years and used at work.
P is able to make graphic art to illustrate branding concepts to clients that end up as posters in her studio, serving as wonderful conversation starters. When she is a buyer of a good or service, she engages in that experience in a way that yields invaluable lessons for her and her client. We would go through the same shopping cycle and miss out most of what there was to be learned and understood about the business and the market it serves.
Comments