Source Text

Author: [[Brian Smith]] Full Title: The Birth of a Brand Category: #books My passion for surf has driven me to this day, affecting where I have lived, worked, and vacationed for more than forty years. Surfing, like sailing, becomes a way of life, allowing you to see the world from the shoulder of a vastly more powerful presence than yourself. It sets human endeavor in proportion and reminds you that setting a goal and reaching it is never solely the result of your own effort; it’s a negotiated partnership with the universe. In 1978, I was twenty-eight years old, single, and after an unfulfilling career as a chartered accountant, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. The late-afternoon sun was shining through the window of my living room where I sat amidst the discarded wrapping of my new Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon. sat bolt upright, and my body became covered in goose bumps (my higher self’s way of letting me know I am on the right track). I thought of all my accounting friends who were working toward the coveted partnerships and others who were running successful businesses, and realized I had been running in place for ten years. I’d missed the starting gun. I had a strong voice inside me telling me that the life I was living was not in harmony with what I really wanted. I had recently bought a book on Hatha yoga and was practicing the basic poses. What struck me about yoga was its ability to get me out of my head—out of my body even—and into a different level of awareness. It had helped me inadvertently discover meditation. safe. Call it God or guardian angels or whatever you will, I am convinced there is some sort of intelligence that speaks to all of us on this planet but we do not yet fully understand how to tune in. While we’re all looking for a God that is somewhere far off in the heavens, that Presence is here within us, guarding us and keeping us safe. curve: Conception: There is the blissful aha, then, little by little, the concept continues to take embryonic shape. Birth: The concept is introduced to the world and attracts the first true believers who love it with all their heart. Infancy: The concept just lies there, needing lots of feeding and constant attention. Toddler years: It begins to crawl, then stands up and reaches out, and you don’t dare take your eyes off it for an instant. Youth: The passing of weeks and months falls into a routine that is more or less predictable and enjoyable. Healthy growth seems natural and surprisingly controllable, yet every time you turn around there are unexpected expenses and needs. You struggle to keep up. Teens: They seek popularity and want to be at all the parties, everywhere at once, setting the world on fire. Rules are broken, and despite your best efforts at establishing controls, they refuse to be contained. Adulthood: With luck and hard work, the child survives in the real world. Expectations become realistic and growth settles into a manageable long-term pattern. The product begins paying for itself! Basically, it can now stand on its own at last; however, sometimes, real opportunities are overlooked or discounted as mature judgment overrules unbridled enthusiasm. In This Book What follows is my own story, and the story of UGG.* I break down each year, the cash flow, the major setbacks as well as the major successes, the ever-changing structure of the company, and the moments when the universe spoke to me in the form of aha moments, goose bumps, or even a strong intuition of dread.

AI Summary

The Birth of a Brand by Brian Smith presents wisdom from the contemplative traditions.

This entry was generated from Readwise highlights.