I saw a pair of black swans one day, serenely sitting on a pond, and I was so struck. The unexpected colors, the stillness, the simplicity. Have you seen one? Then you know.
Soon after, I told a graphic designer I wanted a black swan on my business card. She came up with this logo (shown left) that captured the essence for me — so striking yet so simple — precisely what I want to convey about my approach. Here’s why.
Uniqueness = Impact
I have felt struck by swans since reading “The Ugly Duckling” who turned out to be a beautiful swan. The moral: be yourself and that’s where the richness is. I needed to hear that then, and I still do.
Aah, what could be better to emphasize part of my philosophy: More You = More Impact!
Most people are struck when they see a swan — but the impact is amplified when you see a black swan. More unusual equals more impact!
I also like the introverted style that swans suggest, since coaching introverts is my specialty. Being struck by seeing a swan reminds me that introverts can command our attention simply by being themselves. No need to put on a duck mask to fit in. Be you and it’s everything you need.
My Black Swan Formula
So, after seeing the impact of uniqueness hold true in many situations, I developed my formula for helping clients reach their deepest dreams:
My Black Swan Formula:
More YOU = More EASE = More IMPACT
I’ve seen it happen so many times that when people show up as their true selves, they are more fulfilled, more at ease, and more successful.
Where are you trying to fit in with the ducks when you’re really a swan?
More Black Swan Associations
After I started using the black swan logo a few years ago, I heard more associations with the black swan, and fortunately they are excellent connections for my business.
- First I heard that the idea of a black swan was used in ancient Western civilization to describe something impossible because all swans were white. That is, until a Westerner traveled to Australia and saw an actual black swan. After that, “black swan” became a way to emphasize that anything is possible. YES!
- Now, someone has taken the symbol a step further. Nassim Nicholas Taleb outlined a “black swan theory” in his 2007 book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Taleb refers to a “black swan” as something with high impact that happens outside the realm of expectations. He claims that it is the unexpected that has the biggest impact. His examples of “black swans” include computers, the internet, and Google.
High impact, unexpected. That’s still just right for what I want to convey.
