Captain Jack Sparrow the renowned Pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, played by the sensationally talented Johnny Depp.
Also Read ➤ 7 Entrepreneurship lessons, advice and inspiration from Gary Vaynerchuk
Captain Jack Sparrow is the epitome of free spirit and either madly brilliant wise man or brilliantly mad pirate. His first appearance is in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). After this success story he also appears in the sequels Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), and On Stranger Tides (2011).
In anticipation of the new Salazar’s Revenge (Dead Men Tell no Tales) to be released on the 26th of May 2017.
There’s something about quotes that we all find irresistible. Here are 7 timeless quotes, an inspiration for every marketer and entrepreneur.
1- Handling bad publicity
Norrington said to the Captain “You are without doubt the worst pirate I’ve ever heard of.”
Jack Sparrow’s replies: “But you have heard of me.”
-Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Train your mind to see the good in every situation even during situations that initially seem negative!
Don’t get discouraged even when others discourage you. Be aware of the phenomenal speed at which information spreads about your brand reputation, especially via social media and take quick action to counter bad publicity. It’s all about how you react to it.
Try to understand where the potential for bad publicity may lie in your business and do what you can to resolve issues before they become a problem.
2- Action talks louder than words
“The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can’t do. “
-Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Do you have what it takes to reach your goal?
It all falls back to what you can or can’t do. Captain Sparrow, knew his target “reaching Tortuga” and he also knew, that he can’t get the ship there by himself so he needed Will Turner with him.
It is whether the planning and tactics used will follow through to fulfill your bigger picture, your brand’s goals. You can chose one course of action because you can do it, but it doesn’t meet your brand’s target. Is it still right to do it?
3- Don’t wait for the perfect moment
“If you were waiting for the opportune moment. That was it.”
-Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Are you one of those people who want to start their own business, but still waiting patiently for that economic circumstances when the market will welcome your ideas and you will be a millionaire in 15 minutes and make millions overnight?
That moment is unlikely to ever happen. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, the right time is now!
There is no “perfect” moment. Make your move now. Throw caution to the wind, say screw it and set sail for your adventurous journey. Grasp every opportunity you can and don’t wait for the perfect one. Everything will align at the end.
4- Set your destination
“Wherever we want to go, we’ll go. That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that’s what a ship needs but what a ship is… what the Black Pearl really is… is freedom.”
-Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Realize that success takes time. Approach goal setting like creating a customized road map to chart your success. The best thing about entrepreneurship is that you are its Captain and you steer it which way you want. You don’t drift with the current, you steer and maneuver till you reach your goals.
It is the freedom and the true meaning of “the sky’s the limit”, you build it to be anything you want. With skill and hard work, you can achieve greatness.
5- Consider intangible values
“Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.”
-Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
According to Harvard Business Publishing, Company valuation or market value has two parts: tangible value, like cash flow and earnings, and intangible value. Intangible value is based on the market’s perception of whether a company is likely to keep its promises about future growth.
Interesting Article ➤ Have you ever read about Apple’s core values?
The goodwill of an established business is an intangible value. As a brand you should have core-values and not jump any bandwagon just because it’s the shiny new thing, stick to your meaning and integrity. Treasure what means to your brand, what it stands for!
6- Find alternative solutions
“Why fight when you can negotiate?”
-Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Simple yet not so common, people drift first thing to fighting, and not necessarily physical fighting but spiral of incoherent brainless babble, that only weaken your situation.
But Jack Sparrow here is a person of the mind, even if you see him funny and most of his actions and talk is a like jibber-jabber, still you have got to admit, he never misses his target. He is a great planner, strategist and an outstanding negotiator. Because he has already put all the chess pieces in place.
Always remember that, No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high.
7- Keep Evolving
Captain Sparrow “Did everyone see that? Because I will not be doing it again.”
-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Well, this means a lot. There are certain things in life that must not be done again, especially your mistakes.
On the other hand, innovation is a critical part of business, and not just in product design. Strategic innovation includes surprising market moves and changes in direction that keeps competitors guessing.
According to The Art of War by Sun Tzu: You should not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.
When you are successful in using one method it is very tempting to repeat this. Yet strategic planning success often comes from the surprise created. Lightning is very unlikely strike the same thing twice!
Know your competitor, anticipate his next move, be ready for it. It is similarly very unlikely that the same tactic will create the same surprise twice (at least against the same market competitor).
