****Please forgive any and all transcription errors as this was transcribed by Otter.ai.****

Mark Levy 0:00

Hi, this is Mark Levy and you're listening to A Shark's Perspective.

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Kenneth Kinney 0:21

Welcome back, and thank you for joining A Shark's Perspective. I'm Kenneth Kinney, but friends call me "Shark".

Kenneth Kinney 0:27

I'm a keynote speaker, strategist, a shark diver, host of this show, and your Chief Shark Officer.

Kenneth Kinney 0:33

What is your big sexy idea? Whether you're a solopreneur or fortune 500? Are you known throughout the marketplace with something that is subtle, or a big idea that freaks people out? So they'll remember, I mean, after all, who remember subtle, but is your big sexy idea, one that will make people talk about and say you won't believe what just happened? Have you created the differentiation to help people remember what your brand is?

Kenneth Kinney 0:58

Mark Levy is a differentiation expert who's worked with some of the most recognized brands in the world. He's a speaker podcaster magician, and a noted author of five books, including "Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content."

Kenneth Kinney 1:12

And on this episode, we'll discuss what is a big sexy idea, finding that point of differentiation and implementing it how others buy into it and support your big idea, personalizing that magic so you feel like that experience happens directly to you. Subtlety versus freakout moments. Ideas that people talk about after a differentiating cheat sheet, rocky your idea to outer space magical tricks, Cohen's in David's cynics big idea, distinguished scholars from Queens College, other high IQs, a skittish shark, and a lot, lot more.

Kenneth Kinney 1:42

So let's tune into a magical innovator with a magical shark on this episode of A Shark's Perspective.

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Kenneth Kinney 1:52

Mark, welcome to A Shark's Perspective. Would you please give us a brief overview of your career and background to date?

Mark Levy 1:57

Sure. So I'm Mark Levy. I'm a differentiation expert. I differentiate organizations and brands and thought leaders around what I call is their big sexy idea, their signature idea, the idea they're going to be known for throughout the marketplace. And I make sure that that big sexy idea comes through loud and clear in everything they do. So that anyone who falls in love with that idea out in the marketplace, has to seek my client out. Because my client embodies that idea. They represent that idea in people's minds. If you went to someone else to get that idea, you'd be getting a stinky, watered down diet version of that idea. So to get the full potency, you write the everything you have to go to my client, be it a person or an organization.

Kenneth Kinney 2:47

See you've been a leader in the space for decades, and you've worked with some major names and clients who are the types of people that you typically work with.

Mark Levy 2:54

Oh, yeah. So all over all over the map. So I've worked with the head of the former head of strategy at the Harvard Business School. I've worked with the CEO of Popeyes, I've worked with the former president of UPS. I've worked with Simon Sinek of start with Y Fein, I've worked with David Meerman. Scott, who's on the stages with Anthony Robbins Robbins has David on the stage with him. And David wrote the biggest selling social media book of all time, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, I've worked with, I have a background, as you know, as a magician, and I'm sure we'll be talking about it more later, because it figures very prominently in what I do. But I have any work with somebody at the White House. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I've worked with the head of, of two different a head of a division of from two different White Houses, right. I've worked with people from the UN. But the point to go back to the magic, I'm not just a magician, I co created the highest rated live show in New York City on TripAdvisor rated higher than even Hamilton. And that's a magic show. So I've worked with people on TV shows. And so an interesting thing about me is I am a business strategist. Yes. Like I can do classic business business strategy. But also because I have this background. As a magician and an entertainer. I tend to try to go much bigger when I'm working with someone. Subtlety doesn't work. You have to go for something that's really going to make a dent in people's consciousness. So that's a very different approach than most people would find go. It's like, what's this thing that you're doing? How is it different and how do we freak people out with it? is essentially what my works about

Kenneth Kinney 4:53

define who the magician is and that movie poster behind you, Steve. Okay.

Mark Levy 4:57

Yeah, so that Steve Cohen, the millionaires magician, Steve is the CO creator, and the star. It's a show of Beck show that I just talked about chamber magic. And so, Steve, the show is run now for 22 years and has made an enormous amount of money. He's had his own TV, TV show and whatnot. And the interesting thing again with Steve, is and this should be an interesting story to me for anyone thinking about differentiation. When Steve first came to me, he was a magician like other magicians. Now, he was a brilliant magician, but he was a magician like other magicians, and it was from watching him perform, and then studying his background and studying the field that I said to him, Steve, there is no one performing for the decadently filthy rich, there's you know, people like David Blaine is doing street magic and like they're an Intel are the bad boys of magic, all these things, you know, Criss Angel is the golf magician or so forth. But there's no one performing for kings and queens and billionaires and, and millionaires and all these things. So that and he has an amazing background to do such a thing because he comes from a very moneyed area. And so we changed the way he dressed, we changed his differentiation, we changed the very Trixie perform, because remember, I have a background as a magician. So that's when he became Steve Cohen, the millionaire's magician entertainment for exclusive events. And that's where, you know, he is the top of the top of the top.

Kenneth Kinney 6:38

What was the first magic trick you felt like you mastered as a junior magician?

Mark Levy 6:43

Oh, great, great question. No one's ever asked me that before.

Kenneth Kinney 6:48

Were you the rabbit out of a hat or card trick guy? No, I've

Mark Levy 6:51

never I've never I've always been scared that I would mangle an animal and to animal loving

Kenneth Kinney 6:58

to tell your wife is event she can help fix the rabbit. That's right.

Mark Levy 7:02

That's right. My right my wife became a vet at the at the age of 59. She retired from her nine to five job and said I always wanted to be a veterinarian. She was in her mid 50s. So she went to vet school then and she just became a vet very recently. But the first trick that I'll give you a different answer. I'll give an answer to a slightly different question. Not that I'm trying to evade what you're saying. But this is something that comes right from the top of my mind. The very first magic trick I ever remember seeing I was about four or five years old, in Flushing Queens in New York, my dad took me to what a big deli like a sit down deli with waiters. And I remember the waiter, I still remember what he looked like today. He was bold, and he had black hair around the sides of his head. He was bald on top, and he had black glasses. And he had a pencil behind his ear. And he said you want to see a magic trip. And he took a sugar cube. This is how long ago it was sugar cubes. You don't see sugar cubes anymore. And and he took the pencil from behind his head and he said, What's your name? And I said Mark, and so he said m for Mark, and I said yes. And so he wrote an M on the sugar cube with the pencil. And then he dropped the pencil upon me, he dropped the sugar cube with the M in the glass of water. And he had me hold my hand palm, palm down over the glass of water and waved my hand over it. And then he had to be looking at my hand and the M was on the palm of my hand. And that was the trick. And I was so taken with that, that I just started studying magic. I started loving magic. And an important thing with that chart. Is the reason why I remember that story. So well. Well, I mean, first of all, it's the first trick I can ever remember being done. But one of the things that I believe made that trick stand out so much is because it was done to me. Like it was my trick. Like you won't believe what happened to me. It was my name on my hand. And you know, it's all those things. The so this idea when I'm working with people on their digit differentiation, or their IP or their brand or so we're always trying to think how do we create an experience for the marketplace where it seems like it's happening to them? It's not out there in some objective abstract way. It's them. You know, so very important in creating excitement about a

Kenneth Kinney 9:52

brand. Yeah, it's a perfect analogy. So define, if you will, what a big sexy idea is to a CEO at all. organization or somebody like that, that you might often work with who's trying to define that, because a lot of these companies have probably been around a while you're not getting them always from the very start of when they're forming their business, they've probably have some maturity to them. And so they started developing as a business. And it's sometimes hard to come and talk to people midstream, or wherever they are in the process of defining what that idea is.

Mark Levy 10:24

Right, great question. So I work with, with people and companies from all different levels, very experienced to start ups, and you know, where VCs are attached and so forth. I would say so a big sexy idea is the the signature idea, it's the idea you wear your brand are going to be known for throughout the marketplace. And the thing that to me makes it different is that again, the idea needs to be a freakout. Like it can't be settled, because people won't retain subtlety. So the idea, that's what I like to say, the ideas my clients and I have created are known by hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. I mean, it's true. It's a it's what are we going to do here, around the idea that will make people say, you won't believe what just happened, like, like, it's essential that I tell people about this, I like I, I collect examples of this work that I've done, but also that I've seen other people do. And I always like to use simple and simple demonstrations or so. Because to me, that penetrates the mind best. So I like to say in New York City, you know, the Carnegie Deli. And so the Carnegie Deli, if you had ever gone to the Carnegie Deli, when they serve you with sandwich, it's about a foot high. And literally a foot high, not figurative. Ignore, it could fall over.

Kenneth Kinney 11:59

Yeah, comes with a defibrillator.

Mark Levy 12:01

Right? Right. So so they serve you with sandwich that's a foot high on purpose, it's not an accident. And they do that, because the next thing that happens is no one takes a bite of the sandwich, they pull their phone out. And they start to take pictures of the sandwich and send those pictures out on social media and call people and go and have conversations about the sandwich like Oh, my God, this is going to be three meals for me and so forth. It's that kind of. And so to me, that's the kind of thing that you want to go for. So to me, again, Big Sexy idea is a little different in in, I put on the magic hat as in saying what is it that people will get the Mad excited, they won't be able to stop talking about it,

Kenneth Kinney 12:49

when as an idea too sexy, if you will. And I think about you know, being too differentiated, not necessarily for helping people understand how to persuade them into it. But sometimes people want vanilla and safe. And I know a lot of leaders that I've talked to over my career as well want to always fall back on vanilla and safe. And I hate it for a lot of times, but a lot of times it's what what's their comfort zone. And so another book, this is probably ties into another book you've written where you've written about persuading the people who don't want to be persuaded. How do you help talk these people into understanding what this big idea is that that's going to help them succeed in business?

Mark Levy 13:29

Yeah, great question. So I would say, when is an idea too sexy sometimes? And I don't I off the top my head. I don't have an example of this. But I've certainly encountered this many, many, many times. Sometimes people want to differentiate, and what they want to differentiate around is too trivial. Like in other words, yes, it's way different. It's going to stand out there in a big way. And it's absolutely meaningless. It's like, you know, so the thing that you need to differentiate about actually has to help people have impact in their life. You know, and you could say, Well, what about a foot high sandwich? What is it for a deli? That's a big deal, you know what I mean? Like you're coming there, the transaction is very short or so. So so to me, that qualifies, that qualifies as a meaningful point of differentiation, because the transaction on the ladder of transactions is not, you know, at the top of the run, but So, if you try to differentiate around something that's trivial, if what you're differentiating isn't good, because if you differentiate properly, people are going to pay attention to you. And so that means if there's lots of flaws in what you're differentiating that's going to show up, so that can that can be a problem. I often if Pete Well, when I'm working with them come up with brilliant differentiation. But it's not necessarily accurate. I'm being diplomatic, it's not necessarily accurate to what it is that they're selling. And so to me, a super important point to the work I do is, is you want to be as honest and transparent with what you're doing as you possibly can. As a matter of fact, a high level of honesty and transparency is almost itself a differentiating factor, if you're honest and transparent about what your philosophy is why you started the business, how you go about doing things. So it's both being honest and transparent about why you do the work you do, and how you make decisions and so forth and who you're hiring and, and in the creation of the project, so for instance, Patagonia, if you go to the Patagonia website, not only did they tell you all about, like how they started and what their philosophy is, but they tell you in certain products, where they're falling down with sustainability, it's like, oh, yeah, we're using this dye. It's not the most sustainable yet we're working on it or so. To me, that is an extraordinary level of honesty and transparency. So the fact of I don't like it when people want to differentiate, just so they can stand out, but it's not based on anything, that's really accurate.

Kenneth Kinney 16:38

That's such a great point. How do you differentiate that also, with personal brands, because as you're working with a lot of these people, as well, we hear this in the speaking world, a lot of event planners, for example, they always want something new and different. And then they fall back on the safe. And so it's, it's even harder, I think, for a lot of personal brands to do something that's too crazy and too, out there. Maybe swimming with sharks, isn't everybody's cup of tea, right? But how do you sort of caution people that you work with, who are differentiating themselves, the Steve Cohen's of the world to do that, something different, that it goes different than Penn and Teller, and David Blaine, and so forth?

Mark Levy 17:15

Yeah. I, you, you have to be comfortable with the differentiation, it's got to be, I like to say, a differentiation, or a business idea, or a business strategy that you will get behind. It will be will be a quote, unquote, better idea. You know, the way I like to put it a C idea with a implementation will be an A idea, with C implementation. So you've got to be excited about an idea and push it. And it's, you will, perhaps at times feel a little unsafe doing it, because I hadn't addressed that safety idea of it. But to me, like, there's just no way around it. When I talk to people, sometimes I'll say, look, the good news is that, from the work we do, you're going to stand out, the bad news is you're going to stand out. So you know, it's, it's just part of these, it's part of the human condition that we want to stand out. And we're terrified of standing out, right, a friend of mine, Dr. David Reynolds once said that to me, and like I so agreed with him, you know, it's, it's you, once you stand out, the marketplace, will make judgments that are outside of your control. But you just have to stack the deck as much as you can in your favor. So right, make the right judgments about

Kenneth Kinney 19:01

you, you are going to say something about safety.

Mark Levy 19:05

Well, that's it the idea of you will have to you have to be excited about the idea. But no point of differentiation is going to be 100% safe sure it because it can't be it's outside your locus of control. So if you if you add a point of differentiation that was 100% safe, that means it would be ineffective as Seth Godin who I know you have interviewed, as Seth once said in one of his books, he said something like all the boring spots are taken. You need to take a spot that's not boring, and that means it's going to draw people to it. And well, you've worked

Kenneth Kinney 19:50

with so many brands, how do you know when you've truly identified that big sexy idea? You also have to sort of think through is this going to work in the marketplace other than Is the idea you sort of have to really identify? Is that really the great idea that's gonna move forward?

Mark Levy 20:06

Yeah, it's, well, you can test it. And by the way, when we come up with a point of differentiation, once the client has it down well enough, like I've rehearsed them enough on it, I have them go out and start to use it everywhere. You know, like, we don't, we don't overly Wait. You know, we make sure that they have ownership of it, you know, what the URL is, like, all these things. But, but they have to go out and they talk about it. And sometimes things change. But let's see, it's, it's the brands are evolutionary, yes. Right. Brands are evolutionary. So, in going out there, things might evolve in a little different way. But you would never have gotten to that more advanced point of evolution, if you hadn't taken the steps to get there. Is that make sense? I like I like what I just said,

Kenneth Kinney 21:16

Yeah, we test everything else we do. So

Mark Levy 21:19

Right. Just to finish the thought. I like to say that the work that we're going to do, I say, our work is like the initial stage of a rocket. And it's to get you in outer space, it's got a lot of gas, that it's burning up, it's got a lot of power. But once you're in outer space, its job is to fall off. So I let people know this is to get you out, get you out in a big and visible and exciting way. And it's going to do and then if things evolve, follow that evolution. But you know, we're gonna get you into outer space. What should a leader

Kenneth Kinney 22:06

think through when they've identified that big sexy idea on how they implement it with the rest of their team? Where do you sort of help that process evolve, because outside of just a great idea, you've got to have others in an organization get behind it, other than the one that you maybe have discussed this with? And I know you've discussed with multiple teams as well, not just solely an individual, but the odds are, they're gonna have a marketing team and a sales team and a customer service team. And everybody's got to get behind something to move forward.

Mark Levy 22:35

Yeah, yeah. All these are wonderful questions. I will one thing is, of course, the old saw of people don't criticize what they helped to build. So if you work with teams on helping them to create the foundation of the idea, or how to get the idea out there, they're going to feel a vested interest in it. So they're going to want to do it. But I have an answer that you that you may not have heard before. And that is, is the idea of, I think some. So I'm, again, I'm very big on, people are excited about ideas that they can talk about, and that they want to share with people even when you're not around. And so for instance, with organizations, one of the things that I do for them is to create what I call a differentiation cheat sheet. And so what it is, is the idea of we we take what it is that they want to be in the world. And we find every fact figure and anecdote that that there is for them, and we put it together in a little script. And everyone in the organization, from senior leadership to the people answering the phone, they memorize the script. And one of the reasons why that's so great is that you giving people facts, figures and stories to talk about to substantiate what so when they go out having dinner, or they go out to have a drink on Friday night, and they want to talk about their work, which sometimes people do, right. So now they can say, oh my god, we have the greatest company around. So everyone here on average has been here for 12 years. And they've been in the industry for 12 years. They've been with us seven years. As a matter of fact, we we were in the top 10 of best places to work in bubba. You I mean, let me tell you a story about this. And so I find that when you give people colorful ideas, facts, figures and stories for them to speak about. They better are, they're more excited about it, because they have something to talk about. Does that make sense? By the way. So other people have written about this kind of thing beautifully. There's a woman, Jamie, Jamie Smith, who if you're she's written some books, this kind of idea. But it's this idea of a substantiate substantiating otherwise, all people are doing or talking about things that are in their opinion. And they like to talk about things in their opinion, but they would prefer it if you gave them some substance with which to support their opinion on Does that make sense?

Kenneth Kinney 25:37

100%. And when you get behind it, it becomes way beyond just a differentiating spectacle, it becomes a differentiating product or service that they can sustainably carry through months and years in their business, getting a group together to really get behind something and support it.

Mark Levy 25:54

That's right, that's right. And that they can be, you know, they can pick and choose what to say about it. But they have this potpourri of great stuff that they can pick and choose from. So it's that kind of idea.

Kenneth Kinney 26:06

So what is Mark's Big Sexy idea today? And what is what is the Big Sexy,

Mark Levy 26:12

sexy ideas? Because big sexy idea. That's my big.

Kenneth Kinney 26:17

Well, Mark, I asked this of all my guests and I must ask you, what is your favorite kind of shark and why you know, the Delaware River, which are close to does have a history of seeing some bull sharks, which can thrive in both freshwater and saltwater environments. It's one of only a very few.

Mark Levy 26:34

Okay? I only because it's but if we want to say differentiated, I can say what's the what's the most different differentiated of all sharks,

Kenneth Kinney 26:45

the quasi moto of sharks hammerhead?

Mark Levy 26:48

That's right. That's right. So I love all sharks. They're super cool. But whenever you say sharks to me, of course, I think of the great white because of jaws. Right? So think about this from differentiations that what I think a great wife. And I think of hammerheads because there's no other creature that looks like that. So yeah, what what's the shark that you said to me because you and I have talked about sharks, bull sharks, but ones where the shark where you say if they get to malvehy You just push their nose? Well, that's pretty much any shark. I

Kenneth Kinney 27:21

mean, if Yeah, if I'm in the water hammerheads I've come across hammerheads are very, very skittish, generally one of the goofiest fish to swim around, but they're absolutely stunning and beautiful.

Mark Levy 27:33

What what's the what's the reason for their their head shape? What's it facilitate?

Kenneth Kinney 27:41

It's it's just something that evolved over time.

Mark Levy 27:44

I was wonder if their their eyes are further out that allows them more peripheral vision, or

Kenneth Kinney 27:52

it does allow them to see basically the 360 view. Yeah, so I mean, that just evolve over time. But one of the things I love the best about Hammerhead is basically they can see the entire world around them. And it's their, you know, it's their differentiated differentiation that a lot of sharks don't have because they do have better eyesight than we do, especially underwater, but they aren't able to look at the world the way a hammerhead does so Right, right, right. Well, Mark, it's a special time in the show. Are you ready for the five most interesting and important questions that you're going to be asked today?

Mark Levy 28:23

Sure, as long as the answer to each one of them is Hammerhead,

Kenneth Kinney 28:29

good point. These are some knucklehead questions. So that will that will go with hammerhead. So all right. We're talking Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld or Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza, think about favorite characters on the Seinfeld

Mark Levy 28:43

show. Yeah. Oh, Seinfeld. Well, Seinfeld, I like to say is the most distinguished scholar from the school that I went to Queens College.

Kenneth Kinney 28:54

So Jerry in real life, graduated from your alma mater, Queens College, however, the fictional character of Costanza went to Queens College as well.

Mark Levy 29:03

I didn't realize that and also something else about Jason Alexander. So again, I have a background as a magician, Jason Alexander is a fantastic mentalist. Like a brilliantly he's, he's played the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

Kenneth Kinney 29:18

Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah,

Mark Levy 29:21

so see, there's more depth to the answer that to your question, pardon me than I even initially thought. So now I'm struggling. I'm locked in this battle between Queens College and magic.

Kenneth Kinney 29:34

Well, so you like magic and you co wrote tricks with your head with macking the about magic? Let's talk about magic shows and magical David's at first, who would you rather go see in Vegas, David Copperfield or David Blaine?

Mark Levy 29:48

Well, I I adore them both. I have to be diplomatic there. Because they they have very, very different approaches to the war. World So David Copperfield does these big giant illusions that I loved as a child, you know, in other words, that was what symbolized magic to me. And David Blaine, does this stuff that's not just borderline real, some of it Israel. You know, when he's regurgitating a frog or so alive, that's real trick. The trick is getting it out. So, it just depends. Am I looking for that romance, that childhood romance of the giant illusion, or am I looking for something that's, you know, like, in your face real?

Kenneth Kinney 30:42

Yeah, they're all great. And I've seen Penn and Teller and I saw...Siegfried and Roy were very underrated at the time to oh, they there. They were magic with animals, you know, up to that point. So number three, you also wrote the accidental genius. So some smart guys, which won the trivia question which one has a higher IQ? Pennsylvania native, Dr. Mehmet Oz, or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger, oddly enough, and I never know where they actually come up with this estimated, you know, it's believed to have an IQ of such and such whenever you read. Dr. Mehmet Oz was 158. And Swartzeneger was 132. I saw several different ones that were just, you know, regurgitated over and over on the internet. But apparently, Dr. Oz is this not just the man behind the curtain in Pennsylvania?

Mark Levy 31:32

Oh, okay. Well, I know, the heart. He went to Harvard, right? He went to Harvard. Yep. So yeah, I mean,

Kenneth Kinney 31:39

but Matt Damon and Ashton Kutcher supposedly have IQs of 160. And Kesha has an IQ of 140. So go figure. That was weird trivia pulled up this morning. That just made no sense.

Mark Levy 31:51

Oh, my God, what? One of the things that I love about Schwarzenegger is that he's achieved in so many different venues. Oh, my gosh, yeah. You know what I mean, like in bodybuilding and acting in different businesses he's had in politics, you know, like the guy to be able to go from different spheres of interest like that and actually make a go of things in a respectable way to me is extraordinary. Yeah, he's been at the top of his game and every level I mean, from bodybuilding to acting to being a governor, it's a great. Alright, so

Kenneth Kinney 32:29

number four, you've worked with Simon Sinek. So let's talk about his books. Which would you prefer to read? Start with Why or Leaders Eat Last?

Mark Levy 32:41

Oh, I mean, everything he does is great. I mean, I guess start with why only because it's closest to the kind of work that I I find interesting the differentiation or so. What about yourself?

Kenneth Kinney 32:54

I think I liked leaders eat last better. Yeah. Yeah. But start with why was the big idea that everybody has regurgitated even if they haven't read it? They get the big idea? You know, people have not read it. And they can tell you it's a wonderful book, because that's where you start.

Mark Levy 33:13

Yeah, it changed. It changed the face of civilization. I mean, I've been in other countries and places like that, where people are talking about it. It's for all right, pretty good. You know, he didn't say starts with

Kenneth Kinney 33:31

It starts with por que, right? Number five, and the most important question that you're going to be asked today.

Mark Levy 33:38

Hammerheads!

Kenneth Kinney 33:39

is biscuits or cornbread.

Mark Levy 33:43

Be Oh, that's the hardest of all of them. Biscuits, or cornbread. I'm going to go see I like, I like food that fights you back. So for instance, I like bagels, and things like that, where when you bite into them, you know, they you have to wrestle with them a little. So I'm say biscuits, because I'm thinking

Kenneth Kinney 34:12

Let me stop you. Which one would you rather pull out of a magic hat?

Mark Levy 34:18

A biscuit? Well, I'm gonna say biscuits, Lily. Because when I think about biscuits and cornbread, even though they can both have substantial texture, I would guess that a biscuit would have greater texture because of the skin on the outside, or whatever you'd call that, as opposed to the corn bread, which is more exposed, the innards, the fluffy innards. So I'm gonna go with biscuit because it's more it's more substantial in my mind in the theoretical images I have in my mind.

Kenneth Kinney 34:50

Great, that's perfect. So Mark, where can more people find out about you keep up with your thought leadership in the space, my leadership, your leadership Upon biscuits and differentiation, I'm gonna Hammerhead, my

Mark Levy 35:04

poles the Hammerhead best hammerheads coming out soon,

Kenneth Kinney 35:07

I have a recipe for Hammerhead biscuits. But where people keep up with you,

Mark Levy 35:13

my, so my website is Levy innovation.com. That's le v y, and then the word innovation.com Levy innovation.com. And I, like put stuff up there. And I'm always out speaker and you're so if you check around, I speak I do a lot of keynotes.

Kenneth Kinney 35:32

Awesome. Mark, thank you so much for being with us today on A Shark's Perspective.

Mark Levy 35:36

Shark thank you so much.

[music]

Kenneth Kinney 35:42

So that was my conversation with Mark Levy, a differentiation expert who's worked with some of the most recognized brands in the world. He's a speaker podcaster magician, and noted author of five books, including "Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content." Let's take a look at three key takeaways from a conversation with him.

Kenneth Kinney 36:01

First, Mark says it with a big sexy idea. Subtlety doesn't work you have to go for something that's going to make a dent in people's consciousness. Your idea needs to be a freakout. Not something subtle. For it to be that big idea, people need to say you won't believe what just happened.

Kenneth Kinney 36:16

Second, Mark brings up such great point on how a magic trick would apply to him. We do as business leaders create a lot of work that ends up in the abstract marketplace. But Mark when working with his clients thinks about how that magic applies to the individual in that audience, and not just some nebulous faces. Continue to ask yourself, how do we create an experience so we feel like it's happening to us.

Kenneth Kinney 36:38

Third, you've got a big sexy idea, but are people excited enough to talk about it? He says that if you get that big idea help these ideas grow by also helping form a cheat sheet with facts and figures and stories. Help people who are adopting this idea. Talk about that big idea, not just with opinions, but with facts and figures and stories, so that they can substantiate it in their own lives and their own stories and make it part of their own DNA if you will help make that big sexy idea sustainable.

Kenneth Kinney 37:06

Got a question, send me an email to Kenneth at a shark's perspective.com.

Kenneth Kinney 37:10

Thank you again for the privilege of your time, and I am so thankful to everyone who listens. Please consider writing a review and letting me know your thoughts on the show. Time to go come up with your own big sexy idea. I want you to then join us on the next episode of A Shark's Perspective.

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