Small Business Today Magazine MAY 2014 CUSTOMIZED REAL STATE SERVICES | Page 26

EDITORIALFEATURE

Rewriting the Rebel’s Manifesto:

13 New Rules for Business
By Aimee Woodall

A

s my agency turns five this year (I
know, you guys, where did the time
go?), I’ve been consciously reflecting
on the people, places, and experiences that have helped shape me along
the way. From happy hours to networking
to hours spent trolling the World Wide
Web, I’ve taken bits and pieces away from
everything I’ve encountered while on this
wild ride.

In fact, I remember reading a popular Internet image that made its rounds several
years ago — the Rebel’s Manifesto. Its thirteen rules resonated in a deep, personal
way at the time, and I passionately clung to
its decrees for several years after it made
its initial appearance. After all, my agency
was brash and rebellious, and this image’s
stick-to-your-bones kind of logic was refreshing; it was tough, meaty, and reverberating in all the right places.

But, like several things you learn along
the way, what resonated five years ago
simply doesn’t have the same “oomph” today. After five years of owning a business
— five years of trials, tribulations, tiny victories and time for reflection — what was
once “rebellious” seems pretty matter-offact and commonplace. After re-reading
the Rebel’s Manifesto, I found it no longer
spoke to me in an evocative manner —
through no fault of its own, of course. I had
grown; I had learned; I had experienced.
Five years was enough time for me to realize that someone else’s words weren’t
what I needed to make an impact.

So what I needed to do, of course, was write
my own Rebel’s Manifesto.

And, with no further ado, here’s MY version of the Rebel’s Manifesto, with five
years’ worth of ups, downs, highs, lows, ex-

In fact, I remember reading a popular Internet image
that made its rounds several years ago — the Rebel’s
Manifesto. Its thirteen rules resonated in a deep,
personal way at the time, and I passionately clung
to its decrees for several years after it made its
initial appearance.
perience, and tenacious grit thrown in for
good measure.

1.   Be creative and use what you were
taught in school. A creative type using algebra? That will surprise people!
(And surprising people is always good
fun.)
2.     Stop not caring.Turn opinions around.
Show people what they should care
about. Shift thinking. Change minds.
Teach them what you’ve learned. Not
caring isn’t good enough.
3.   Commit to whatever it is you want
to do. Learn from those who came
before you in other