There’s a simple trait I’ve seen amongst successful entrepreneurs, and it seems to separate those that achieve from those that just dream:
Taking Action.
From first hand experience and observation, those simple 2 words seems to make the difference.
Taking Action means just do it, just go for it, just start it. Whatever your business is, do it.
It does not mean “find more busy work”, “take another coarse”, “build a web page”, “edit a document”, or whatever else keeps you from doing the thing that you are here to do.
This means putting yourself out there. This also means you might have to go about it in a way that isn’t part of your master plan. Maybe it’s about getting a new client, but they aren’t your dream client. Fine, but get a client, get doing what you are here to do. Later you can replace your clients with better ones.
When I retired from DJing and transitioned over to Stage Hypnosis, I basically was starting over. I knew how to do the back-end office stuff, but in the end I was starting from zero.
I knew what my target markets were, specifically corporate programs and high school assemblies, but I didn’t have those all lined up in any sense. Well, other than a desire, I didn’t have any bookings.
It’s a lot easier to fantasize about your phone ringing on its own, and just showing up to gigs.
My mentor, Geoff, urged me to just get out there and book a bar show. Basically do a show for free at a bar, and collect $10 covers from people to see the show.
This wasn’t exactly the “big time”. It actually sucked. Definitely not the market I wanted, but it was a place to start. If I worked a bar show, it would create some money, let me work on my stage craft, and allow me to work towards my goal markets.
When I look back, the bar pitch to the owners was simple; let me do my show here, I’ll promote it, you’ll get more people buying beer and I’ll collect the door. Win win. Yet it was still incredibly difficult and scary to make that proposal.
But I didn’t want to let Geoff down, nor myself, and sucked it up and found a good prospect bar and walked in. 10 minutes later I had a date for a show the following week. I was super happy to share the news with Geoff.
The show actually didn’t go great. People showed up, but I sucked. I sucked so bad I couldn’t even get through the show because someone on stage got into a coughing fit and basically screwed up the whole show and I wasn’t seasoned enough to deal with it. But, the bar didn’t care, they still sold beer, so we booked more dates at the bar. I then went and pitched a morning TV show to promote my appearances and they had me on their show to do a demonstration.
Now here I am a full-on professional appearing on TV promoting their appearances! Little did anyone know how early in my career I was!
My phone rang the same day I was on TV, a hospital had seen me and wanted to book me. I quoted them my corporate price and they accepted, since I was so legitimate having appeared on TV!
I then used the TV appearance and video and photos from the corporate show to promote myself to more corporate prospects and agents, as well as schools.
Everything turned around because I took that 1 simple Action, even though I was not good, or ready, or anything else. But I walked into that bar.
Take action.
