Experts increasingly express their ideas through video content on YouTube. It's not uncommon to hear monikers like 'author, speaker and host of a globally successful YouTube channel.' If you’re getting started, what’s your best bet in terms of a setting for your channel?

I was coaching a group of executives in presentation skills and we got to discussing ways to handle nerves. One gentleman confided to the group that his jitters are so severe that before presentations, he experiences a sort of 'white-out', which is a biological fraction away from a flat-out faint. He drifts back in, then finds himself wondering where he is. His colleagues expressed their surprise at this, saying that they didn't perceive him as nervous at all.

Last week, I bought myself a car I've desired for years. It's a Jaguar XJ, and its sense of theatricality is delightful. Since then, I've noticed something. Whenever I've parked in an open parking lot, I arrive to find that the big cat has found a friend. Other Jaguar drivers tend to park their cars beside mine. Not many brands enjoy this level of cult-following.

Could you make customer-aspiration your end-state goal? Could you look at the techniques used by these big brands and reverse engineer how they go there? Could you begin to build brand-messaging with that destination in mind?

The big event is about to begin. Your banners are proudly displayed at the doors. Your pamphlets are on the table and you're excited about winning new business. What's on that banner of yours?