Surround yourself with people who lift you higher Just over a year ago I met Daphne via Twitter. An innovation Diva. A charming lady with a book on knowledge management on her name. A girl who was about to launch her own methodology for solving complex issues and designing solutions (Plan B). She intrigued me. Because she was so different. I invited her for a coffee, but she was too busy. I insisted and finally we caught up. We went out for lunch and I tried to understand what she did. I didn’t. But there was something.

Later I introduced Daphne to my partner Kim Cramer and Daphne invited me to be take a seat on her Plan B Boosting Board. I got to know a diverse group of bright and inspirational people. None of them with a branding background. All of them with a good heart and intentions to better the world. And we got in common helping Daphne and Plan B.

We started exchanging our views on the world and business. On people and behavior. On role models and conventions. On leadership, greed and gratitude. We gradually discovered we share the same ideas and ideology. I introduced Daphne to 23plusone, our emotive language and she immediately got it. Intuitively she started using our tools in the Plan B sessions. Often she asked me if she was doing it the ‘right’ way and always I cryptically answered that emotions serve many purposes.

Daphne and I talked a lot over the last year. First I had to understand her thinking. Her roots in information technology and service design. Where did we fit? We shared exactly the same ideas on inspiration, gaming, fun and creative process to get people in flow. These principles are the foundation of both our ways of working. And later on we discovered that Plan B and BR-ND both aspire to motivate organizations in creating a better and beautiful world where money is not the motive, but the result. Destination Happiness it is.

BR-ND takes management teams, boards of directors or the single entrepreneur on a journey to find their inspiration and create meaningful solutions that connect people happy and inspired. We juggle with jargon like culture, positioning, branding, identity and purpose.

But before we embark on such a journey, the situation is seldom clear nor are the alternative solutions. Often there is no shared understanding on the complications and pivotal question. And most people lack the guts to let go of conventions. Incremental thinking always leads to mediocrity. That is where Plan B comes in. It’s about acting differently. Breaking through the status quo and unscrewing the system. Plan B is there to solve problems. Create smart and beautiful solutions. To make a difference and move forward.

Now I discovered the ‘something’ I felt when I met Daphne for the first time. Her passionate drive to steer positive change.

So now that we dismantled the walls between problem solving, innovation and emotive branding, we can offer you a combination of our tools, based on years of research, science and practical experience.

How can you benefit from our friendship? First by telling you the news that Daphne is now a licensed 23plusone friend. You can have us both. Mixed up or in co-creation. Second, try us. Simple as that. You’ll love it. And you're welcome!

This is what you can do. Now.

• Contact Daphne from Plan B if you first want to find out what is needed to solve your problem and/or which solutions you can design to create value. Check out the Plan B opportunities.

• Contact BR-ND to help you out with emotive value that connects people and brands. Check out the BR-ND services

• Check out 23plusone and get yourself a deck of 23plusone cards

• Or start with an introductory ‘emotive’ session with your team and see what magic happens. Contact Kim or Alexander

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