Guy Kawasaki talks about
how anyone can be an influential,
regardless of their sphere of influence.
He quotes Duncan Watts’ findings on
the importance of readiness of market.
“If society is ready to embrace a trend,
almost anyone can start one—
and if it isn’t, then almost no one can.”
I agree.
The market has to be ready.
However once the market is ready,
it does help to have some very noisy and vocal supporters.
Especially if you are on a tight marketing budget.
Mary J Blige has built
her career up from nothing,
overcoming substance abuse,
to be one of the top R&B singers.
This was not a “fluke.”
At a recent concert,
she repeated one mantra over and over
“I choose not to lose.”
Notice that she didn’t say fail.
Everyone fails.
Losing, however, is a choice.
Only you can define what a loss is
and for Mary J Blige,
that definition is narrow.
I was hanging around
after a tradeshow finished for the day.
Out came a group of employees,
all wearing the distinctive company uniform.
One employee proclaimed loudly
“There’s only so many freaks you can help
before you get pissed.”
My immediate thought was
“XYZ company thinks I’m a freak”.
Be careful with the company uniform.
Let the employees know that when they wear it,
whether during business hours or after hours,
they are representing the company.
A friend of mine,
very successful in her own field,
is married to an executive.
At his company parties,
she promotes her husband’s causes,
hears the concerns of his major customers,
evaluates the promotability of his employees,
and at the end of the night,
presents her findings.
She is an extension of her executive husband.
She is also typical.
When you meet the CEO’s spouse,
assume that she’s representing him.
Assume that everything you say (good or bad)
will be relayed back to him.
Because it will.
Note:
At her company parties,
their roles are reversed.
Don’t underestimate executive husbands either.
If you plan on achieving something great
(and if you’re not,
why the hell are you reading this blog?),
then prepare to be rejected.
It is part of the process.
Who will reject you?
Don’t worry,
there are plenty of people lining up for that pleasure…
customers, partners, employers, your Mother.
One person should not be in that line-up,
however,
and that person is you.
Don’t pre-reject yourself.
That is not your job.
Your job is to try and try and try again
until you get past the rejection.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s advice
to aspiring writers puts it better.
“Magazines, editors, agents –
they all employ young people making $22,000 a year
whose job it is to read through piles of manuscripts and
send you back letters telling you
that you aren’t good enough yet:
LET THEM DO IT.
Don’t pre-reject yourself.
That’s their job, not yours.
Your job is only to write your heart out,
and let destiny take care of the rest.”
I read an interview with Clive Barker.
It was obvious that the interviewer
hated the man’s writing.
I watched a special on wine tasting
on a business show.
The host hated wine and
grimaced during the entire taping.
Does a host have to like
every topic being discussed?
No.
However, they do have to suck it up
and not let their dislike show.
We all do things we don’t want to do.
With a professional, however,
you wouldn’t know it.
I’ve spent the last couple weeks
doing rework for a project I’m now on.
Why?
Because the project manager keeps changing direction.
Yes, I realize that the market is fluid.
Yes, I realize that the competition is launching
with new products every day.
But changing the product constantly
means that we’re launching with no products.
Having to change the product also indicates
that we’re not developing anything sustainable.
Our proposed product does not have a competitive edge.
It is a me too
and the me too continually changes.
That is the key problem.
Many bloggers
when talking about print journalists
have a us vs them mentality.
Foolishness.
And foolishness proven by a report
by Marketing Pilgrim.
27% of journalists confess to having a blog
(I suspect that number is higher).
70% check a blog list on a regular basis.
Over 75% get story ideas from blogs.
There is no us vs them.
Us IS Them
(and yes, I know that isn’t proper grammar).
It is so easy to do “busy work.”
Things that take time but
don’t really accomplish anything.
It is my most frequent way to procrastinate.
That is why goal setting is essential.
If goals aren’t achieved,
then there hasn’t been any true effort.
Mark Cuban puts it better…
“It would have been easy to judge effort
by how many hours a day passed
by while I was at work.
That’s the worst way to measure effort.
Effort is measured by setting goals
and getting results.”
Chief Restructuring Officers have a tough job.
The companies hiring them are
in deep financial trouble and
as turnaround specialist Randy Benson states
“People have to come to grips with the fact
that there isn’t enough to go around, and
they’re going to have to compromise.”
How to reach this compromise?
Surprisingly the time pressures help.
“Nothing focuses the mind like a hanging in the morning”
is Calin Rovinescu’s favorite saying and
nothing gets a decision made like a clock ticking.