The best way to see (at least the southeast portion of) Alaska is by boat. Why? Well many of the port cities (including Juneau and Ketchikan) are only accessible by sea or by air. You simply cannot drive to them, as there are no highways that connect to those cities.
So how did we go? On a cruise of course!
The cruise lines are another example of businesses that have been forced to innovate. One hundred years ago (in the era of “The Titanic”), the primary method of travel was by sea. If you wanted to travel from Europe to America, you had to travel by ship. It took several days to get across the Atlantic, and people traveled in high-style on “luxury liners”. Contrast this length of time to a flight that lasts only several hours. It didn’t take long for passengers to realize the benefits of time saved and turn to the airlines for an overseas trip. Suddenly airlines became the preferred method of travel, and the cruise lines suffered, nearly going out of business.
Just like the WP&YR railroad, the cruise lines were forced to innovate or go under. So, how could the cruise lines make people want to travel by ship and over water, rather than by air, which was much faster?
Answer? #1) Go to interesting and exotic places, and #2) Make the cruise ships a destination in and of themselves.
Today you can do almost anything you want to do on a cruise ship. Loaded with activities from rock climbing to salsa dancing to bowling and everything in-between, including huge theaters onboard for live shows, to say “there is something for everyone” is an understatement!
Lesson learned? It’s all about innovation. From time-to-time you must reinvent yourself to stay fresh, to keep on the cutting edge, and so you don’t stagnate.
I just finished reading Martha Giffen’s excellent book “Be Social, Be Rich.” In it, she talks about her former career as a realtor and how she reinvented herself as an Internet Marketer today. I have done the same thing – I had a very successful former career (and my own business) as a software instructor, and now I am a business coach (fortunately the skills in training and coaching overlap). In turn, I am sure that Martha’s sales skills as a realtor help her now as well.
Do you have some skills that you could apply in a new career?
Do you need a new you?
Do you need to innovate?
Where and how do you get new ideas?
You betcha, Karen! While we still do (some of) the same things as when we first started out, we have added to our repertoire. And our skill sets and pedigrees (degrees and certifications).
3 and 4 decades ago, we would develop new products for clients, obtain government approval, develop marketing plans- only to see the smaller and mid-sized clients fail. (Some of the larger ones, too.)
We decided to offer CXO services (at the change of the century)- CEO, CFO, CTO services- to our clients. Show them HOW to plan and get things down. Train them to NOT need us doing that.
See the market niche- fill the market niche- do it well!
I’ve spent most of my life in cities that could be reached only by air or water. Watching the cruise ships come to port here, I’ve been amazed at how much of a destination they are in themselves with the swimming pools and such right on board. They’re definitely a great example of innovation to stay in the game.