A couple weeks ago, I did the one of riskiest thing I have ever done for my business in the past year. What was it? I sang my heart out to win one of 5 seats to an event I really, really, really wanted to attend.
The name of the event is called Shine and it’s hosted by self-made multi-millionaire Ali Brown. You can watch my entry below.
I actually composed the song for another event, but as soon as I saw the announcement by Ali looking for video entries for scholarships to her amazing event, I quickly changed the words and enlisted the help of one of the most creative and talented artists I know, Tabitha Lewis, to play the acoustics.
In case you were wondering, yes, I won a seat to Shine. But there was a bigger lesson that I learned about this entire experience.
Risk Is Uncomfortable, But Regret Is Much Worst
After I recorded the video, I sat in front of my computer for almost 6-hours wondering if I should upload it. I was
wondering what my clients and colleagues would think if they saw me begging for a seat to an event. I worried that the perception of me as a successful entrepreneur would be tarnished by sharing my singing video online for the entire world to see.
After I showed my family the video and got their thumbs up, I shared my nervousness with them. My sister said something that I’ll never forget. She asked:
“What would not doing it cost you?”
Wow! That’s why I love my sister. She’s always challenging me. As I thought about her question, I knew that if I did not upload the video, I would live with regret for the rest of my life.
The lesson? I would rather try and fail, then not to try at all. So with my sister’s question still ringing in my head, I submitted the video with about one hour left before the deadline.
Standing Out Doesn’t Matter If You’re Not Memorable (Or, Be the Purple Cow that Moos Loudly)
Before I recorded the song with Tabitha, I took a look through the various entries that were already uploaded to Ali’s Facebook page. As I watched the various entries, I was amazed that these business women were putting themselves out there.
A few of the entries really stood, but I wanted to make sure that I was one of the people selected for the 5 seats. I really, really, really wanted to go, and that’s when I knew that I singing my entry would be fun, bold and memorable.
Now, in Ali’s instructions, she said nothing about singing your entry. The 35 entries I watched were people talking about why they should be selected and I wasn’t sure if singing would disqualify me. I think at this point, I was actually afraid of standing out.
And then Ali posted this quote from Shiv Kera in her Facebook status:
“Winners don’t do different things. They do things differently.”
That’s when I knew that singing my submission would not only get Ali’s attention, but help me to be remembered. Here’s what Colleen Fanning said after viewing my video on Facebook:
The lesson? You don’t need permission to do something different. Stand out by being the purple cow and be memorable by letting out a loud moo (I got 2 of Seth Godin’s books as a gift from Zappos.com on my recent trip to Las Vegas, so hence the reference).
Ask for What You Desire, Then Stop Worrying
Like I said before, I really, really, really wanted to go to Shine. Why? Because I’m in transition with my business and at Shine, I’m going to work on my business plan and leave the event with it completed.
Knowing that I had to go on 2 business trips in the days before the Shine event, there just wouldn’t be enough money left over to pay for Ali’s event. Also, because I’m transitioning from being a social media consultant to producing virtual events, I have to really watch my pennies.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to get to Shine, so I prayed. I told God that I really wanted to be there. I shared with God my desires and said that if it’s His will, make it work.
And then, I left it alone.
The lesson? I didn’t stress, I didn’t worry. Frankly, I didn’t have to. I knew that if this was the event I needed to attend, God would work it out. Then, the scholarship opportunity came out of the blue and the rest is history.
Where One Sees Scarcity, Another Sees Abundance
I’ve been following Ali since 2005 and one thing she has NEVER done is give away seats to any of her events. Well, I shouldn’t say never because she does offer complimentary gifts to her Platinum and Diamond mastermind clients, however, these people have already spent money with her.
When she announced the scholarship contest, I was wondering why is she doing this. How could she give away 5 seats valued at $1,400 each to people who may have NEVER spent money on any of her products or services?
Well, guess what happened? As details of my win started circulating amongst my network on Facebook and Twitter, two of my colleagues contacted me to say they were going to sign up.
The lesson here? Generosity comes back around 10 fold. Add generosity to your business plan.
