Don’t Trade Your Soul for Sterile

In a World Full of Gray Booths, Be the Porch Swing

Have you ever walked into a place that used to feel special and realized it doesn’t anymore? I feel like it has become a trend. Recently Cracker Barrel announced a remodel that seems to be abandoning the “Old Country Store.” McDonald’s forgot the magic a long time ago (has anyone seen Ronald McDonald lately?). Chuck E. Cheese packed up the band and lost the fun atmosphere.

Here is my question. When did being “different” become a problem to fix?

When a company loses its soul, it stops being a brand and starts being a commodity. And people don’t go out of their way for commodities. They pick the one that’s cheapest, closest, or most convenient.

But when a place has soul, heart, character, and story, people stay longer, tell their friends, and come back because of the quirks, not in spite of them.

So How Do You Keep the Soul? Here are 3 tips that can help:

1. Know Your Soul

You can’t protect your identity if you haven’t defined it. Ask:

• What makes us unique?'

• What do people feel when they experience us?

• What would they miss if we were gone?

Cracker Barrel didn’t just serve food. It created a moment. From the porch rocking chairs to the fireplace and the checkerboard table, it felt like stepping into a simpler, warmer world. That feeling was the brand.

Strip that away, and you’ve lost more than decor. You’ve lost meaning.

2. Evolve Without Erasing

Modernization doesn’t have to mean memory loss. Apple evolved but never stopped feeling like Apple. Target remodeled but you still know when you're in a Target.

Think of it like renovating an old home. You update the wiring and fix the plumbing but you don’t tear down the fireplace where everyone gathered. You keep the character while making it better.

Refine. Don’t replace.

3. Make Emotion a Metric

Data tells you what people do. Emotion tells you why.

Before you ask, “Will this scale?”, ask, “Does this feel like us?”

That shift from logic to loyalty, from convenience to connection, is what creates brands people actually care about. If you want customers to come back, speak to their heart, not just their habits.

“In a World Full of Gray Booths, Be the Porch Swing”

People don’t just want fast food or flashy redesigns. They want places that feel like something. That mean something.

So whether you’re running a business, building a brand, or shaping a team, don’t trade your soul for sterile. Keep the quirks. Keep the stories. Keep what makes you you.