How Lego has inspired my brand

Who inspires the brand that is your business?

That was the prompt shared by Sapna Pieroux, at one of the Atomicon round tables earlier this year - and it probably came at a good time for me: some readers may recall that after 20 years of freelancing / self employment, I'd decided to start taking it seriously so this is exactly the kind of reflection I need to get into doing more of.

In that round table, my initial thoughts turned to the Lego group (and not just because I have a professional affinity with them as a certificate Lego Serious Play facilitator).

How are Lego and I are alike?

I think it's because I see a lot of their ethos and thinking in my own approach to how I've tried to build and deliver my own business:

1) there's their value of play, and stressing the importance of it - something that reflects one of my business' own core values (more about that in my impact reports, if you're interested...).

2) as a business, they're constantly experimenting even though they know it may lose them money (and spectacularly has in the past, in the times that they've found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy). I've also taken experimental approaches to trying out new offers (such as my books), and trying to develop collaborations with peers that would have seen new products and services being launched (had my co-conspirators' own circumstances not suddenly changed meaning they had to withdraw...).  

3) they're concerned about inclusion and accessibility (anyone else remember the braille bricks?) - my own approaches to this have meant I've been asked by national foundations to upskill their teams on designing practices to ensure greater accessibility and psychological safety for everyone they find themselves supporting through their respective awards.

4) and they're also keen to try and support wider communities through their Foundation, as well as offering free magazines and bags of bricks for children and families that might otherwise struggle to afford them - which mirrors my own commitments to offering pro bono, and trying to support / advocate for unpaid carers who, like me, are also self-employed or freelancing and so otherwise hidden, unrecognised, and unsupported.

How have others recognised my business' affinity with Lego? 

And it's not just me who's thought the above through like this - at the start of 2023 (over 3 years ago), Paul Kelly of Pandek Solutions presented me with a custom Lego minifigure resplendent with top hat (the top hat being a nod to my technically being a legally recognised Lord...)   

So - who's business has most inspired you to shape the business you're leading today, and how are others around you recognising this?