My son Lex sent me this video (a favorite song of his sister Anna) and it made me think of the Tom Waits brand. I’m one of the many raving Tom Waits fans. He combines his whiskey voice, amazing lyrics and a continual effort to create better music through innovation.

He doesn’t have many lukewarm fans. Either you love Tom Waits, you dislike him or you don’t know about him. If you’re looking to build a business in the construction industry, that’s the type of branding you want. It’s not important to be well-known, just to be loved and respected by your loyal customer base.

In the Chocolate Jesus video below (which I hear as a respectful song), Tom produces a nice live version complete with voice distorting bull horn, confetti and twisted dancing.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wfamPW3Eaw&feature=player_embedded

We need to look outside our daily workload and grab inspiration from unlikely sources. Think about how others succeed and what success may look like for you. Remember, as the Industrial Age ends and we catapult into the Information Age, there’s a place for us.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taeFKIKfnZU