A Delicious Concept

Volkswagen of America's Steve Neder is Spreading the PB+J

You hear "PB+J," and you think of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And yet it can be so much more than a childhood favorite that puts a smile on your face. PB+J stands for a way to do business, a way to live your life.

At our company, LaBov and Beyond Marketing Communications, PB+J stands for Passion, Bravery and Joy. It's a mantra, a motto, a direction, a guideline, and a litmus test. Its beauty is in its simplicity. And, most importantly, it can work in businesses and organizations of all shapes and sizes. Consider this:

Too often in business, you may have enthusiasm for a big idea (passion) but don't have the courage (bravery) to stand up for it or really pursue it. In the end, you get nothing.

Other times, you may have guts (bravery), but you’re not striving for anything great, unique, exciting or inspiring (passion). Again, no one wins.

Sometimes, people are just order-takers—no passion or bravery there. And no reason for the customer, the boss or employees to be thrilled either.

When, however, you have the passion—those great ideas, that infectious enthusiasm—combined with the bravery to express that passion in whatever way necessary to get it to resonate with your client or your company, you can achieve tremendous results. We call those results joy.

Joy is the result of your passion and bravery. It’s when you move mountains or when you do things others thought impossible. Joy, in these instances, is exhilarating.

Very few corporations actively promote passion and bravery, depriving themselves too often of the joy. Those that do, however, have people with a heavy dose of PB+J. Those PB+Jers show energy and belief in their companies. They champion exciting ideas and opportunities, they pursue them courageously—even against the odds, and they don’t quit until they get results.

Volkswagen of America is one such company, and its general manager of brand strategy, Steve Neder, is one such person who has PB+J on a daily basis. So we asked Steve to tell us about how far a little passion, bravery and joy can take you.

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