Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about changing behavior.

That moment when Bill Bowerman, legendary track coach and co-founder of Nike, poured urethane into his wife’s waffle iron and created the first prototype of the waffle sole.

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A moment of creative insight

In the early 1970s, Bill Bowerman, the legendary track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, was determined to improve his athlete's performance.

Frustrated with the heavy running shoes of that era, Bowerman wanted lightweight shoes with better traction.

One morning during breakfast, Bowerman looked at the waffle iron on the kitchen table and he realized that the waffle iron grid pattern could be a solution for his shoe design.

Bowerman poured urethane into his wife’s waffle iron and created the first prototype of the waffle sole.

Despite several ruined waffle irons and a lot of noxious fumes, Bowerman refined his technique and materials until he created a new and effective shoe design.

The Nike Waffle Trainer, introduced in 1974, quickly became a revolutionary piece of athletic footwear and solidified Nike’s reputation as a running company.

​Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is full of these short anecdotes about both business or athletic performance.

At innumerable points for decades, the company is stuck, Phil Knight or one of his colleagues try something new, and after a lot of anguish something works and the company makes a giant leap forward.

That is how creativity works! You encounter a problem. You make little progress for what feels like forever. And then, in a moment, everything changes.

But, of course, things don’t change in a moment.

What we don’t see from the outside is the myriad steps and the gradual progress along the way.

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Homework

Just because other people do things a certain way, doesn’t mean that’s the only way that task or project has to be done.

When people say “that's how things are” it doesn’t mean that something has to be done that way. If the status quo doesn't suit you, listen to your intuition.

One commonly held belief that I don’t believe is that “change is hard.”

What’s one for you?

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3 things I’ve loved this week

A book I love: Illusions: Tales of a Reluctant Messiah​

I’ve given this book as a gift more than any other.

It is a small book and you can read it in one sitting.

Read it with an open mind and a willingness to embrace magic realism and this little book can change your life.

A recent podcast interview: The Coaching Habit with Michael Bugay Steiner on Snafu

Michael Bugay Steiner is the author of books that have sold a million copies, including The Coaching Habit, a self-published book that’s become the best-selling book on coaching this century.

In this episode of my podcast, Snafu, Michael and I talk about turning your weaknesses into strengths, the right way to give feedback, how to talk about collaboration, and much more.

A recent podcast interview: The Future of Teams with Sally Thornton on Snafu

Sally Thornton is the founder and CEO of Forshay. Forshay is a company that specializes in executive recruiting and improving workplace dynamics.

In this episode of my podcast, Snafu, Sally and I talk about the science of work, how to be a good leader, doing work you love, cold plunges, and more.

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Support Snafu

This newsletter is free and I don’t run ads. But I do spend dozens of hours researching and writing about selling each week. Here’s how you can support.

Share Snafu - If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it with one person who you think would like it. What friend, co-worker, or family member comes to mind? Forward this along!

​Books by Robin - I've published two books - so far! If you’re interested in learning to do a handstand, check out How to Do a Handstand. If you’re building a company or want to improve your company’s culture, read Responsive: What It Takes to Create a Thriving Organization.

​​​Attend Responsive Conference​ - Responsive Conference is coming up in 3 weeks! The agenda is incredible, and our attendees are even better. This is my one big event of the year and I'd love to see you there!

Thanks for your support! It means the world.

Until next week,
Robin