Best Advice: Be a Baker, Not an Eater
Peg Fitzpatrick
Social Media for Small Business | Marketing + Social Media Manager | Author | find more at pegfitzpatrick.com
My best advice is from Guy Kawasaki who has offered this advice to everyone through speeches and it’s also in Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions but I’ve had the opportunity to discuss with him personally so I have a deeper personal understanding.
Guy’s advice, “Become a baker, not an eater. For an “eater,” the world is a zero sum game. There is a limited pie with only so many pieces. A “baker,” however, looks at the world in terms of “Wow. I can bake more pies. I can bake bigger pies. I can bake cookies. I can bake cakes.” This philosophy applies not only to communication, of course, but to every aspect of selling as well.”
The part that wasn’t clear for me was the “zero sum game” section. A zero sum game is “zero-sum game is a mathematical representation of a situation in which a participant's gain (or loss) of utility is exactly balanced by the losses (or gains) of the utility of the other participant(s).” This selfish attitude doesn’t build relationships with others or build trust. The eater is a competitive person who feels like they need all the pie. While being competitive isn’t always a bad thing, feeling like if others succeed it will hinder your success doesn’t lend itself to growth.
A baker believes they can always make more pie and that the pie won’t run out. Their generous, giving spirit helps others bake their own pie and even shares their pie. If you can always make more, you have an endless supply of pie. No need to be selfish. Being a baker allows you to grow and enrich other’s lives as you share your ideas.
Michael Hyatt calls this scarcity vs. abundance. “One leads to success, joy and fulfillment, while the other leads to failure, fear and discontent.” Having an abundant mentality allows you to be optimistic about your life while being an eater is a negative, smaller view of the world.
- Baker traits: generous, optimistic, and open
- Eater traits: greedy, limited, and negative
I chose to be a baker. I feel there's plenty of awesomeness for everyone. Which do you choose?
Peg is a writer, positive vibe producer, a social media butterfly and connector. Peg is also managing partner/co-editor-in-chief at 12 Most.
If you liked this post, please follow Peg above to catch all her future LinkedIn posts. You can find more of her writing on her personal blog, you can sign up for updates here.
Beautiful graphic from Simple Reminders.
Strategic Advisor for Board of Directors at CasperLabs
9yThank You 4 Sharing Peg... another Great article with important, lasting insights.
Digital Experience Transformation | Marketing Technology & Platform Operations | Storyteller
9yI had a comment, but I ate it :(
Certified Product Marketing Manager | B2B SAAS | Content Marketing
9yThis is so perfectly Positively Peg Fitzpatrick! Your generosity and optimistic nature make everything you do and say so refreshing. And does it cost you anything? Maybe a little extra energy, but I'm sure it's really done nothing but add to your own happiness and success. Also, this advice is good for the waistline. :)
Marketing Pro | Graphic Design | Branding | Coffee Lover | Nerd
10yPeg, you inspired me to start writing on LinkedIn. Thanks!
Global IT Executive
10yAlso Baker, everybody says we are facing the Collaborative Age; it applies for the business, the way the business were made 5 years ago are getting obsoleted opening doors for a new way of doing relationship based on education and collaboration.