What Skywalkers Can Teach Businesses About Taking Risks
Every day, thousands of pieces of content disappear into the internet – Instagram posts, LinkedIn updates, blog articles, etc. Most are perfectly fine and almost none of them are memorable. On a daily basis, most businesses aren’t taking risks.
Then yesterday, something happened that made people (ok, me) stop scrolling.
A couple climbed the Empire State Building, unfurled a flag that read:
“When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
As they climbed back down, the man proposed.She said yes.
They kissed, hugged, celebrated, she took pictures of her engagement ring.Then…
They were arrested.
Whether you agree with their actions or not isn’t really the point. (Although, I don’t encourage breaking the law, but as a marketer, I couldn’t stop thinking about what made this story spread.)
The marketing lesson is.
People Remember What Breaks the Pattern
Marketing isn’t about being louder. It’s about being different. Our brains are wired to notice things that interrupt the expected pattern. The proposal wasn’t memorable because it happened. It was memorable because nobody expected it. Businesses often make the opposite mistake. They create the exact same website as their competitors. The same offers, headlines, and same stock photos. The same “We’re passionate about helping our customers.”
Everything is safe. And because it’s safe…It’s invisible.
Safe Doesn’t Mean Effective
Many businesses believe avoiding risk is the safest strategy. Ironically, it often becomes the riskiest. If your website looks like everyone else’s… Why should someone choose you? If your content sounds identical to every competitor… Why would Google rank it? If your offer isn’t memorable…Why would anyone share it?
Playing it safe protects your ego. It rarely grows your business.
The Best Marketing Creates Emotion
Think about the campaigns people still talk about years later. They weren’t ordinary. They made people laugh. Cry. Debate. Smile. Or simply say, “Did you see that?”
Emotion creates memory. Memory creates conversations. Conversations create customers.
Too many businesses focus only on explaining what they do. Great marketing makes people feel something.
Calculated Risks Beat Reckless Ones
Let’s be clear. I’m not suggesting businesses break laws or create dangerous publicity stunts.
There’s a difference between being reckless and being remarkable.
Calculated risks look like:
- Publishing an opinion your competitors are afraid to say.
- Completely redesigning an outdated website.
- Giving away valuable knowledge for free.
- Launching a bold lead magnet.
- Narrowing your niche instead of trying to serve everyone.
- Investing in SEO while everyone else chases social media trends.
- Saying no to marketing tactics that don’t generate revenue.
These decisions can feel uncomfortable. That’s exactly why they work.
Growth Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone
Every successful business owner eventually reaches a crossroads. Do I keep doing what’s familiar? Or do I try something different? The businesses that grow aren’t necessarily the smartest. They’re the ones willing to test new ideas before everyone else catches on. Sometimes you’ll fail; a campaign won’t work; a landing page won’t convert; a blog won’t rank.
That’s okay. Marketing isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about learning faster than your competitors.
The Biggest Risk Is Staying Invisible
Here’s the irony. Most business owners think trying something new is risky. But staying invisible is riskier. Ignoring SEO because social media feels easier. Keeping the same website for five years. Never publishing helpful content, improving your offer or testing a different message. Those choices feel comfortable today. But they quietly cost you customers tomorrow.
The Real Marketing Lesson Isn’t The Climb
It’s commitment. Think about it. They didn’t climb halfway and decide it was too risky and they didn’t wait until they had 100% certainty. The real lesson is that they committed and that’s exactly what many businesses fail to do.
They’ll…
- Post three blog articles and quit because they don’t rank immediately.
- Try SEO for a month.
- Launch one email campaign.
- Redesign half of their website.
- Publish inconsistent content.
Then conclude: “It doesn’t work.”
Great marketing requires the same kind of commitment—not illegal risk, but strategic persistence.
Final Thoughts
That proposal on the Empire State Building wasn’t memorable because it was perfect. It was memorable because it was unexpected. The same principle applies to marketing. You don’t need to be outrageous, go viral or climb a skyscraper. But you do need the courage to be different. Because in business, the companies people remember are rarely the ones that played it safe. They’re the ones that dared to stand somewhere no one else was willing to stand.
Have a pawesome day, kids.
Also, congratulations to Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov! 💍
Now, I have to watch their Netflix documentary, Skywalkers: A Love Story.
-Belkis