Simply Brilliant

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by William C. Taylor

Ordinary individuals far from Silicon Valley are releasing astonishing advancements that astound consumers, invigorate colleagues, and produce significant economic value in familiar, conventional, even unglamorous professions. What's their secret? They recognize that inventing the future isn't only the domain of geeks creating mobile applications and virtual-reality headsets, or of social-media entrepreneurs aiming to establish the next Facebook. In modest settings like retail banks, office cleaning firms, department stores, tiny hospitals, and car dealerships, some of today's most fascinating enterprises are accomplishing remarkable things.

Thousands of miles were travelled by William C. Taylor, cofounder of Fast Company and best-selling author of Practically Radical, to visit these hotbeds of simple genius and discover the concepts and practices that contributed to their success. Regardless of your business or career, he provides intriguing case studies and strong insights that you can use to perform ordinary things in remarkable ways. Take, for example, how...

-The opulent 1111 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach has transformed the lowly parking garage into a high-profile public area that accommodates weddings, yoga courses, and celebrity events.


-USAA, the financial-services behemoth that provides insurance and banking products to soldiers and their families, motivates frontline staff to give legendary service by immersing them in military culture.


-Pal's Sudden Service, a cult-like fast-food restaurant, serves burgers and fries with such speed and precision that firms from other sectors pay to learn from its incredible discipline.

-Lincoln Electric, a company established in Euclid, Ohio, dominates its highly competitive sectors by focusing on quality and productivity. But a share-the-wealth strategy that offers everyone a sense of security and a piece of the action is the key to its prosperity. Since 1958, it has adhered to a stringent no-layoff policy.

Simply Brilliant shows you how.

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Our favourite quote from Simply Brilliant

President Theodore Roosevelt offered a definition of success that has stood the test of time. “Far and away the best prize that life offers,” he said, “is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

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President Theodore Roosevelt offered a definition of success that has stood the test of time. “Far and away the best prize that life offers,” he said, “is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

— William C. Taylor, Simply Brilliant