In the past months I have singled out United for its spectacular failures around customer service and highly publicized passenger fiascos. So, giving credit where its due, I now want to cite the airline for the exact opposite reason: It is forging ahead to eliminate a major customer pain point - and in fact they even use this very phrase in describing the initiative. Now only if they would start to target customer infatuation rather than customer satisfaction as their ultimate goal. But one step at a time.

In the appendix of my book ‘Slingshot’ under the heading ‘Radical Ideas’, I presented a way to re-imagine higher education in the U.S. Namely, to eliminate tuition altogether, which shackles students with insurmountable debt upon graduation.  I cited Berea College as an example of a brave university already pursuing this path. So, I am pleased to see the current list of the ‘Best Value Colleges’ by the Wall Street Journal, as validation.

This article appeared in Forbes last month about our launch of Stand-Up Strategist, which recognizes and celebrates the important role of humor in corporate leadership and culture. The dawn of a new era, filled with mirth and laugher!

The core concept of the Slingshot Framework is to continuously identify customer pain points and to transform them into points of delight and infatuation. Have I got a perfect illustration of this for you!

The perfect name for a start-up on a mission to re-imagine healthcare. One that sees opportunities to provide exceptional customer value, where others see only obstacles and traditional boundaries. One that is bold enough to innovate an industry as seemingly complex and unmovable as healthcare.