In 1931, a young pharmacist named Ted Hustead and his wife Dorothy bought a small drugstore in Wall, South Dakota, a dusty town on the edge of nowhere. The Great Depression was in full swing. Times were tough, and traffic was sparse. For years, they struggled to bring people through their doors.
One hot summer day, Dorothy had an idea. She noticed travelers along the nearby highway, tired, sunburned, and thirsty. She turned to Ted and said,
“Let’s offer them free ice water.”
It was simple. But that one small idea changed everything.
The Power of a Simple Idea
They painted signs—one after another—advertising “Free Ice Water.”
But they didn’t stop there. They didn’t hang one sign and hope for results.
They put up signs everywhere.
For miles in every direction.
Along highways, on fence posts, in towns across the Midwest.
Each sign pointed travelers to their little store in Wall. And slowly but surely, cars started pulling off the highway. People stopped for free water, and they stayed to buy ice cream, souvenirs, and coffee.
That single idea turned a struggling small-town pharmacy into a world-famous destination—Wall Drug, now visited by over 2 million people every year.
Ideas Are Useless Without Action
Here’s the real lesson:
Dorothy’s idea wasn’t unique. Thousands of small businesses have great ideas every day.
But what made Wall Drug special was what they did next—they acted.
They executed relentlessly.
They spread their message far, wide, and consistently.
They didn’t just have a great idea; they built a system to make sure everyone knew about it.
What Are Your “Action Signs”?
In business, ideas are everywhere. Everyone wants to grow, attract new customers, or build a stronger brand.
But few take the consistent, bold action required to make it happen.
So, ask yourself:
- What’s your version of “Free Ice Water”?
- What message could draw people toward you?
- And more importantly—what signs are you putting up to tell the world about it?
The gap between ideas and success is filled with action.
Final Thoughts
If you want results, don’t wait for the perfect moment or the perfect strategy.
Start with what you have. Take Action.
Put up your signs—everywhere.
Because when you combine a great idea with massive action, you turn ordinary effort into extraordinary momentum.
Create your action signs.
And watch what happens next.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud ActionCOACH Franchise Partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation—a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to both develop a systematized and structured organization while accelerating their mindset, efficiencies, and effectiveness to grow both personally and professionally to achieve extraordinary results. He brings more than 40 years of business and entrepreneurial experience in his leadership, team training, and mentoring practice. BusinessCoachMichaelDill.com