Thinking Outside the Box: A Lifelong Advantage

Thinking outside the box is more than just a catchy phrase for me. It is a guiding principle in both business and life. It means staying current, staying innovative, and always growing. It means asking hard questions: Am I doing what everyone else is doing, or am I doing what is right for me? Will this choice take me to the next level?

My mission has always been simple: to improve my business, my skills, and myself every single day. I am also drawn to others who value that same mindset.

Why Thinking Outside the Box Matters

In both business and life, challenges rarely come with instructions. Thinking outside the box means looking beyond the obvious, digging deeper into the status quo, then stepping beyond it. That is how you spot unexpected opportunities and find new ways to serve people.

In entrepreneurship, this mindset keeps you curious, resilient, and adaptable. You do not just solve problems. You redefine them. You see shifting trends before they become mainstream. You turn constraints into advantages. You take what is typical or accepted and ask: What if things were done differently?

That question has been the fuel behind every major leap I have made, whether in my career as a therapist, my ventures in business, or my pursuits as a competitive athlete.

How It Became My Guiding Principle

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to keep doing what I was doing. Even before I knew the phrase “thinking outside the box,” I was living it.

I remember my early years as a therapist, before I ever got the call to work with the Vancouver Canucks. The first time they reached out, I actually said no, turning down what most would consider a dream job. At the time, I felt I could not abandon my current patients.

It took a second phone call for me to realize I needed to stretch outside my comfort zone. That meant saying goodbye to my current caseload, finding them another therapist, and taking a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a leap, but that decision set the tone for how I approached every challenge afterward. I learned to weigh the risk, make the move, and trust the growth that follows.

Breaking New Ground in Business

When I opened the Apollo Clinic, no one in my position had ever launched a multidisciplinary clinic in British Columbia. No one had sold products directly out of their clinic either.

I had to test the waters, take calculated risks, and trust my instincts. These moves were not just about trying something new. They were about doing what made sense for my patients and my vision, even if it did not look like what everyone else was doing.

One pivotal moment came when I learned about the limitations of traditional topical pain relief products like BenGay, especially when used alongside certain medications. Instead of accepting the status quo, I asked: What if we developed a natural alternative? That question became the spark that started an entirely new product line, one that continues to define my business today.

The Role of Risk in Innovation

Thinking outside the box always involves an element of risk. For me, risk is not overwhelming. It is motivating. I enjoy doing what others are not doing, but I am careful about the kind of risks I take.

I am not going to jump out of a plane, but I will challenge the norms in my industry if I believe it will lead to better results. The key is making sure the risks I take will not cause irreparable harm to my business or myself. It is about confidence, preparation, and knowing that the potential reward outweighs the uncertainty.

I have learned that risk is best approached with a combination of optimism and strategy. You need to be bold enough to try something new, but grounded enough to anticipate the challenges that might come with it.

Lessons from Competition

This mindset is not just from business. It is rooted in my years as a competitive athlete.

When I lost to Stan in a professional pool tournament, I was not upset. I was motivated. I wanted to practice more so I could play at his level. Losing did not feel like failure. It felt like an opportunity to improve.

That is the real heart of thinking outside the box. Take every experience, win or lose, and use it as fuel to get better.

In sports, you are constantly faced with challenges that test your skill, patience, and focus. In business, the same is true, but the stakes often involve livelihoods, reputations, and long-term growth. In both worlds, your response to setbacks defines your trajectory.

Staying Current, Innovative, and Continually Learning

Being current means scanning the horizon for new ideas in technology, design, culture, or emerging markets. Innovation means taking those ideas and giving them shape. Learning means challenging what I know and seeking knowledge outside my comfort zone.

My business evolves because I evolve. I try new tools, explore unconventional partnerships, and test ideas quickly. When something fails, I learn and pivot. I also mentor others and seek out people who share that growth mindset.

A recent example is my return to the compression-sock industry. Years ago, I started in that space. Now, through partnerships with inspiring friends in Amsterdam and Dubai, I have re-entered the market with a fresh perspective. It is a full-circle moment. My past experience merged with future ambition, leveraging relationships, cultural insight, and market knowledge to build something new.

Advice to My Younger Self

If I could go back to my first year as a therapist, I would remind myself that thinking outside the box is not a luxury. It is a necessity. That first big leap with the Canucks taught me that growth often requires stepping away from what is safe and familiar.

Opportunities do not always come dressed in certainty. Sometimes they arrive as a second phone call, a risky pivot, or a bold question that challenges everything you thought you knew. When that happens, take the step.

The Mindset That Lasts a Lifetime

From the clinic floor to the competitive pool table, from the early days of my career to building and scaling businesses, the theme has been the same:

Differentiate yourself
Take smart risks
Never stop improving

Thinking outside the box is not a one-time decision. It is a habit, a mindset, and a way of living that turns challenges into opportunities and ideas into achievements.

Not everyone will understand your decisions at first. They may see your moves as risky or unconventional. But if your choices align with your values, your vision, and your growth, then they are worth taking.

In my experience, the greatest leaps forward come from moments where you resist the urge to blend in and instead, dare to stand out.

-John