Innovation and creativity are the lifeblood of any successful business. They fuel growth, drive competitive advantage, and lead to the development of new products, services, and processes that can transform industries. Mashi Epting, a multi-faceted business executive and master strategist, knows this better than anyone. Drawing from her extensive experience in both healthcare and business, Mashi has developed a deep understanding of how to foster a creative mindset within an organization.
“Innovation isn’t just about coming up with new ideas,” Mashi often says. “It’s about seeing the world differently and finding unique solutions to problems.” This perspective has guided her through the creation and growth of several successful ventures, including Complete Treatment, Complete Taxes, and Complete Tax and Training Software. For Mashi, creativity is not a mere trait but a crucial skill that needs to be nurtured and developed.
“Creativity starts with curiosity,” Mashi emphasizes. “Encourage your team to ask questions, explore new ideas, and challenge the status quo.” She believes that fostering a culture of curiosity helps employees feel more engaged and empowered to think outside the box.
In a business environment, companies that fail to innovate are at risk of falling behind. Creativity leads to innovation, which in turn drives growth and success. It’s not just about keeping up with the competition but about setting the pace and leading the market.
Mashi’s journey is a testament to the power of creative thinking. Early in her career, she realized the importance of approaching challenges with an open mind and a willingness to explore unconventional solutions. “When I first started Complete Treatment, the healthcare industry was heavily regulated and resistant to change,” she recalls. “But I saw an opportunity to offer comprehensive care based on the DSM-5-TR, which was not widely adopted at the time. It was a risk, but it paid off.”
Her success with Complete Treatment laid the foundation for her other ventures. “Each business I’ve started came from identifying a gap in the market and thinking creatively about how to fill it,” she explains. “Innovation is about constantly asking, ‘What if?’ and not being afraid to take calculated risks.”
Have fun with creativity
“Creativity starts with curiosity,” Mashi emphasizes. “Encourage your team to ask questions, explore new ideas, and challenge the status quo.” She believes that fostering a culture of curiosity helps employees feel more engaged and empowered to think outside the box.
Curiosity is the spark that ignites creativity. When team members are curious, they’re more likely to investigate new possibilities and push beyond their comfort zones. This inquisitive mindset can lead to innovative solutions and unexpected breakthroughs. Mashi sees curiosity as a fundamental trait that should be nurtured and developed within every team.
The Peak End Rule
When it comes to meetings, how do they usually end? Often by running out of time. That’s far from ideal. According to the Peak-End rule, what people remember most from any interaction are the emotional high point and the end. So, it’s crucial to conclude with a bang, not a whimper.
Mashi Epting highlights, “The end of a meeting is your last chance to leave a lasting impression.
Make it count.” She suggests a couple of strategies to wrap up effectively. “One great way to end is by synthesizing key points and discussing actionable next steps,” she says. “This not only reinforces what was discussed but also gives everyone a clear direction moving forward.”
It’s a good idea to embrace the process
While creativity should be free-flowing, having a structured process for innovation can help turn ideas into reality. “We use a stage-gate process at Complete Tax and Training Software,” Mashi explains. “It helps us evaluate ideas systematically and allocate resources efficiently.”
A structured innovation process provides a framework that guides creative ideas from inception to implementation. This kind of process ensures that great ideas don’t get lost in the shuffle and that resources are allocated effectively. The stage-gate process, which Mashi uses in her company, is a popular method for managing innovation projects.
The stage-gate process breaks down the innovation journey into distinct stages, each separated by a “gate.” At each gate, the progress is reviewed, and decisions are made about whether to proceed to the next stage, hold the project for further development, or stop it altogether.
One of Mashi’s favorite inspirations for creativity comes from her time establishing Complete Treatment. “We were facing a significant challenge with patient engagement,” she recalls. “Traditional methods weren’t working, so we decided to think outside the box. We implemented a gamified system for patient feedback and engagement, which was quite novel at the time. It transformed our interaction with patients and significantly improved our service delivery.”
Another instance was during the development of Complete Tax and Training Software. “We were struggling to differentiate our product in a crowded market,” she shares. “I encouraged the team to look at the problem from a different angle. Instead of focusing solely on the technical aspects, we started thinking about the user experience. This led to the development of features that were user-friendly and addressed pain points that other products overlooked.”
