Instead of being a mediocre magician (which he was), Harry Houdini decided to become something new – an escape artist. No one would have guessed that audiences would sit for ninety minutes or more while someone they couldn’t see tried to get out of a box. But they did, and Harry became more famous than any magician of his day. Likewise, Cirque du Soleil, which began as a group of street performers, reinvented the circus, ditching the animals and amping up the theatricality. Today, they’re a more recognized brand worldwide than Disney or McDonald’s. Is it possible to rethink what you do in such a way that you create a whole new ballgame?
