Make Sh*t Happen
No one else will do it for you.
I often talk with my son about taking action to move his life forward. Kids of this generation are often paralyzed. Social media skews the idea of risk, and kids (like many of us) lack an understanding of risk and growth. But I digress just a bit.
I’ve said this many times - failing is the best teacher. Success is not guaranteed. It never is. Taking risks and working to move things forward is how you grow as a person.
When I first started in advertising/marketing, I thought I wanted to be a copywriter. That’s what all the cool people were doing on the show Melrose Place. I figured I was a pretty good writer and could get the job. I had no advertising experience, I didn’t study advertising and marketing and got terrible grades in college, but I liked to write and I liked how everyone looked at D&D Advertising. I even went ahead and put together my version of a portfolio filled with copywriting for ads I created myself.
One of the biggest ad agencies in Philadelphia had an ad for a copywriter in the local newspaper. Seeing that I had no experience, I wasn’t confident that I would get an interview so I decided to send along a pair of cheap shoes to the head creative director with a note that said “now that I have my foot in the door, I should be your next copywriter”. They were Chuck Taylors. Crazy, right? Well, with no experience, I landed the interview.
Did I become a copywriter? No, but that’s not the point. I took a risk and was rewarded with an interview at one of the top agencies in Philadelphia and learned quite a few good lessons along the way.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Noticed
Again, I didn’t get that job. But my career started that day when I put a pair of Chuck Taylors in front of a creative director and learned that when you do unique things people will not only notice and they may even reward the effort.
Taking Matters into Your Own Hands
If I sent my resume and waited for a call, I would still be sitting here 30 years later waiting. I wasn’t going to get one. I decided to do something about it by going above and beyond what was asked and while I didn’t have the experience, I surely jumped ahead of a lot of people with my unconventional approach.
You Gain Confidence
The idea worked and I realized then that out of the box thinking can help you succeed. I’ve never lacked the courage to try unique ideas since that pair of Chuck Taylors and while many didn’t succeed, I was never afraid to try. (In a later post I’ll tell you about how I sent an actual large scale Porsche car to Porsche’s ad agency and won a six-figure advertising contract for Rolling Stone magazine).
You Grow
Each time you take a risk you grow and become a richer person. Simple as that. Staring the possibility of failing in the face and sometimes winning is a tremendous boost in all areas of life.
The Worst-Case Scenario Rarely Ever Turns Out
One of the biggest things that hold us all back is fear. We create these worst-case scenarios in our heads and they rarely turn out. The creative director wasn’t going to call and start laughing at me on the phone and tell me I had no shot at that job. Don’t let negative thoughts take root and stop you from trying.
You Make Sh*t Happen
Making sh*t happen is powerful. You realize that you can influence your life on your own and can’t wait for others to make it happen for you.
You Start To Realize Your Potential
When you take action you are aiming to make your life better. When you succeed you start to tap into all that potential you have that can lead to success in other areas. And the more you try, the more success you’ll get.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take - Wayne Gretzky
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