I once read where LinkedIn founder, Reid Hoffman said “if you’re not embarrassed by your first launch-you’ve launched too late! That resonated with me as I worked in radio at the time and had to record my first commercial. You don’t know how long 60 seconds is until it’s your turn to find the right words to fill a blank space in thin air, that thousands of people are going to hear…ugh! Oh and I forgot to mention, that same message needs to call the same the audience to action. Say what?!
Listen, I absolutely love radio and know without a doubt it is the number one way to reach your target audience in advertising no matter what business you are in. This situation was different, I was out of my comfort zone, and what many people don’t know is that this was a lifelong dream of mine. It came to life in different form, but I’m not one to get picky with God when he sends stepping stones my way.
You would think I’d be jumping for joy at this opportunity, but I wasn’t…I felt sick and couldn’t figure out why. Looking back now, I think it was nothing more than the fear of being out of my comfort zone and worrying what other people might think. “Are they going to laugh at me? Are they going to listen to me?” “Seriously self, WTF cares!”
When you had to get a commercial on air, there wasn’t time to practice, there was just time to get it on air!
I’m sharing this with you as it’s a lesson I’ve had to re-learn as I’m stepping out of my comfort zone once again. Only this time, the knowledge and experiences I have will remain mine, so that I can share all my secrets with you to help you Unlock Your Potential in the new year. I have a great deal of info to share and want it in your hands as quickly as possible! My team will work on the spelling and grammatical errors later so keep letting me know where they are…
It doesn’t matter what form of media, what type of content it is, or what business you are in. Successful entrepreneurs and business owners know the key to staying in front of the competition with your target audience is to get your information out first. You’ll know your audience is paying attention when they start calling you to tell you there’s a spelling error in your paragraph…oh, they will! They care about you more than the content. Imperfect, relatable, you! That’s what keeps them coming back for more.
Note to self: this blog will not be perfect and that’s completely ok!
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”-Walt Disney
