The Margharita - Literally no one's favourite pizza [#4]
If you want to achieve great things, more flavour is needed
Dear Reader,
Today, I want us to discuss everyone’s favourite Italian export: pizza.
What’s your favourite flavour? 4 Cheeses? Meat feast? Pepperoni overload? Vegetarian extravaganza? Or even… gasp... Hawaiian or kebab?!
I personally never met anyone who told me it was the Margherita. And while Goodfellas say it is one of their best-selling pizzas, I can also say I have plenty of times bought Margherita only to add an unreasonable amount of pepperoni and cheese on top of it.
Margherita is that pizza you order when you have the team together and you want to keep it simple and straightforward, or when you want to share one with a friend who have a lot in common… just not taste in pizza. Let’s be honest. Margherita is fine… it’s alright, but not much to rave about either.
But don't worry, this fourth Transformative Letter isn’t a vendetta against the trusty and always-reliable Margherita pizza; that’d be hardly transformative, and I’d hate not to deliver on a commitment I made to you!
Believe it or not, this is taken directly from my coaching practice, genuinely!
I have a long-standing client who I discussed the above concept at length with and actually turned it into a mantra.
Margheritas don’t make waves. No one is passionate about them. Margheritas don’t get promoted, and they sure as sure don’t change the world. They’re just too… alright.
It may be tempting to try and blend in among other people. It may be tempting to act like you are the average Joe or Jane not wanting to make waves. But to grow and achieve your potential, waves are necessary. If anything, waves are what carry you up to the top.
Unless you do make waves, you will struggle to become all you can be. Waves are part of excellence. Observe all the people you look up to: notice how none of them is bland. All the greatest names tend to polarise opinion. Think Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Satya Nadella. People tend to have opinions about these leaders. Those opinions are rarely “Meh. They’re alright, I guess”.
People who achieve great things aren’t margheritas. They have strong opinions, they work hard, and they stand out. And when you stand out, some people will love it, others loathe it.
This is precisely why my client has an alarm on their phone, daily, asking them
“X, are you being a Margherita right now?”
This simple question forces them to take stock and think whether they are trying not to make waves, or are being unapologetically them, going for what they want for themselves.
I don’t care if you are a Hawaiian, a Pepperoni overload, a vegetarian bonanza or the cheesiest of cheesies. Just please, don’t be a Margherita.
Margheritas don’t leave a dent. If you are reading those lines, my bet is that you’d hate to be remembered like a margarita. “Here lies X. They were kinda OK. People thought they were fine, and they led an alright life”.
Be more. You haven’t come into this world to just be; you’ve come to thrive and leave a positive mark on this world. And if the price to pay is to have a few people dislike you like they dislike gorgonzola, then it feels like a bargain price to pay.
Out with the Margherita - In with the bold flavours!
I agree with the main idea, but not with the Margherita metaphor, and here's why. Some things work perfectly as they are and don’t need to be improved. They thrive in their simplicity because they cater to both those who have plenty and want something minimal, and those who can't afford more. That’s why the Margherita works: it’s easy to make, accessible to everyone, and let’s be honest—you’d eat it if it were in front of you.
Let me share a story that illustrates the concept you're talking about: A long time ago, a man named Bíró invented the ballpoint pen—an amazing invention, right? But he couldn’t capitalize on it and eventually sold the patent to Marcel Bich. Bich made a few adjustments to Bíró’s design: he improved the ink flow, put the pen in a plastic casing so you could see the ink level, and gave it a hexagonal shape so it wouldn’t roll off tables—all while using cheaper materials. The Bic pen has remained unchanged for years... because it just works. The key is knowing when to innovate and when to stick with what already works.