Let’s talk about the “curse” of success.
It sounds like an oxymoron, right?
What could possibly be wrong with something that’s working?
Here’s the hiccup:
Success can breed comfort. Comfort can breed routine. Routine, when left unchecked, can breed complacency.
It’s easy to assume that if something was effective, it will stay effective.
That the playbook that worked last year—heck, last decade—still holds up.
But the world moves. Culture moves. People move.
And the brands that refuse to move? They get left behind.
Courage, in this context, isn’t about leaping off a cliff. It’s about having the guts to brave a very hard question:
What if what’s working won’t actually work tomorrow?
That’s where this week’s guest on The Courageous Podcast comes in.
Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer of Kraft Heinz, is not afraid to mess with a classic. For being in the “comfort food” arena, Todd is going the uncomfortable path to shine a light on some of America’s most iconic brands. But what I love most about getting to know Todd is he’s a real dude. What you see from him on a Monday or Tuesday is also what I suspect you’ll get from him on a Funday or Sunday.
In our conversation, we talk about how Todd wants the tension of a provocative idea, rewards fresh thinking, and makes room for calculated risk.
Before you dive into our episode, ask yourself:
Where have you settled into what’s “working”?
What sacred cow needs to be challenged or reexamined?
Where might you be running an outdated playbook?
The real curse of success isn’t failure.
It’s sticking with something just because it used to work.
