Last month, we started to explore the relationship between brand and culture. Great cultures are those that have a great story that employees want to be part of while great brands are those that have a great story that customers want to be part of.

I spent most of my career in marketing at Chick-fil-A. I was there for 37 years, 35 of which were in the marketing department (I rotated out for two years to lead an operations team). While reflecting back on my time there, I made a discovery that I wasn’t consciously aware of while living it: the very best marketing is not about generating sales – it’s about creating a story that customers want to be part of. The greatest brands have the greatest stories.

Today I'm excited to share one of my favorite little principles with you: The Payoff Paradox. It was an "ah ha" moment for me and I hope it will be for you too!

Last month, we talked about what it means to be In Your Element: when you are unstoppable because you’re really good at what you’re doing (strengths), you’re energized by what you’re doing (passions), and it’s taking you where you want to go in life (values).

Over my time at Chick-fil-A, I had the privilege of hiring hundreds of employees into the organization. And I’m often asked what tools I used to do that effectively. Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of my favorite tools for both hiring, and developing strong team members: the In Your Element triangle.

At this time of the year, in addition to celebrating the holidays, many leaders and organizations are currently in the thick of making plans and budgeting for the next year. This brings an important lesson to mind that I learned during my time at Chick-fil-A.