Last week when Craig and I visited Brains on Fire, I had ALOT of takeaways, but one of my favorites was Spike's challenge to us to find our "Stake in the Ground".

A Stake in the Ground is something you claim, your territory, your one thing you will own. It's similar to an onliness statement, (I am the only ______, that will _____), but to choose where and what that stake is seems to be so much more challenging for me. Maybe its the complex simplicity is brings to the table (or potentially my fear of commitment)?

It reminds me of the end of the 1992 classic starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, "Far and Away". Its shows the expansion of the west in the 1800′s and the race to claim the vast amount of land. Riders have to purchases small flags, meet at the starting line, and once the cannons fire they dash off in a race to claim their future property. Once they've found an alluring plot of land they drive their stake in the ground to claim that land as their own. Its a great scene and a great movie.

In a sense, business is like that; a race to claim new land and territory. Here's my issue though, how do you know when you've found your piece of land? How do you know it's where you want to set up camp and raise your family? That's a tough call. I wonder if I would have been that guy riding his horse back and forth from plot to plot weighing the pros and cons of each, researching both on consumerreports.com, until both are gone and I'm left standing their with a flag, a horse, and the horrendous sting of regret.

Your stake in the ground is absolutely crucial to standout, and it needs to be driven in the ground. It is a bit different than the foretold movie though, it is not forever. Try some different ones out, try some smaller ones (like only accepting clients that can meet face to face), but start the process of trying and see what sticks.

Most importantly, it needs to be authentic, it needs to be you, and it needs to be truly your own.

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