You Never Know Where Your Impact Will Occur

Garth Beyer

“I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.” – George Carlin

Carlin is a perfect example of one who self-evaluates and redirects purpose. In his story, which I’ve chosen not to write better, Joe Sergi shares how Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words became the cornerstone case for regulating indecent speech.

It all began when a radio station aired his Seven Dirty Words comedy bit and one man called the FCC to complain because the man’s son heard the vulgar language.

Carlin went from nice suit and tie, safe (and by safe, I mean most of the time awful) jokes to a frustrated, yet intelligent spit-show of an average Joe who found stories about crossing lines to be well-liked by the audience. Through his personal transition, he sparked discussions about the First Amendment – something he didn’t need to mention in his standup sessions, but were a result of them.

I mention Carlin because he didn’t follow a path, he made one. He set out to have people realize their own stupidity and in doing so, in constantly redirecting his comedy, his passion, his words, he changed everything about the FCC, the First Amendment, and most importantly, who people can look up to. If we could ask Carlin if he knew where he would make an impact, he would say the where didn’t matter to him, all that mattered was he would make an impact.

At heart, Carlin was a true critic. A heroic one.

 

Stay Positive & We Need More Good Critics

 

 

Time

Garth Beyer

Maybe it’s not that a person doesn’t have time, it’s that you haven’t made something worth their time.

We all have 24 hours in a day. We can choose to search for people willing to give us their time to click on another page, to test out our product, to listen to our pitch…

or we can spend more of our time creating something people will willingly trade their own time for.

 

Stay Positive & Is Their Time As Valuable To You As Your Own?

The More Different You Get

Garth Beyer

the scarier it gets.

Weekly I sit down and chat with people carrying around bright, innovative minds. They pitch ideas and ask for my feedback. The majority of ideas are similar to ones already in existence. The trouble seems to be in differentiation or finding the hole, the angle, the niche of their idea.

The further away they get in our brainstorming session from what they already know exists (and works! [and is safe!]), the more scared they get and the quicker they dismiss the idea as “not as good of an idea as I thought it was.”

Niches are the creativist’s worst trap. Asking someone how they will differentiate their business is really asking them how much uncertainty and fear they can dance with.

Sometimes I wonder if what you decide to do with your business is not what differentiates you from others, but that you just do something with your business… that is what will differentiate you from others.

 

Stay Positive & Business Isn’t Like Sports, Oddballs Get Picked First

What To Do About Your Idols

Garth Beyer

Mentors, idols, professors, heroes, whatever you call them, you have them. Someone you look up to, someone you admire, someone who can teach you their ways to success.

A common problem I’ve seen from people who have idols is they don’t know what to do about it. They can read up on their hero’s work, analyze their decisions that got them to where they are now, they can take sound advice from them, but it’s all study, little action.

Something I’ve written about before, but now I’m able to put my finger on it: what to do about your idols is impress them.

When you begin to doubt yourself, when you’re unsure of the next step (or if you’re currently on the right one)… if you don’t know what to do or if you’re doing something the right way, your way, ask yourself, will it impress your mentor?

If you impress your professor, you haven’t just done great work, you’ve done great art.

 

Stay Positive & Show Them What You’ve Really Got

Haaaaaave You Met

Garth Beyer

Here’s a quick networking strategy. I’ve used this strategy dozens of times at events where I know very few people. Always successfully, I might add.

step 1: Find the person running the show. (No need for elaboration, you should know who it is.)

step 2: Ask the person to introduce you to someone. If she’s in a conversation already, interrupt or awkwardly stand next to her until you get her attention.

People running the show have short-term attention spans, they’ll be ready to meet your needs within a minute.

step 3: If the person running the show is good, she will ask you what you’re interested in and then connect you with someone she knows can spark a conversation with you.

Regardless if she is good or not, she’ll still do part two and introduce you to someone.

step 4: Take part in the scariest thing in the world: small talk.

It’s as simple and as daunting as that.

 
Stay Positive & Networking Is Not Standing By People You Already Know For Two Hours

 

Static Confidence Is Key To Success

Garth Beyer

Everything about success entails confidence. It takes courage to tackle a piece of complexity and render it simply for others. It takes spirit and tenacity to stay in it for the long run, the long-haul. You can read every step-by-step guide to becoming an author, the next greatest blogger, an entrepreneur, an artist of any sort, but what each guide fails to explain is each step requires confidence before you take it. You may have every skill mastered to move on to the next step (if you are reading this, you likely do), but no one moves forward in ability without confidence.

From the wise words of Anna Deavere Smith, “confidence is a static state, determination is active.” Confidence is like a water pack you carry on your back while you chase your dreams, except, the closer you get to your dream, the more confidence you need, the heavier the pack gets. Whatever you do, do not drop the pack. It takes confidence to not move backward too.

Confidence makes you compelling and influential. It sends a signal to all those around you that you are an asset to the group (a group you may or may not be part of). Confidence is nothing you talk about or brag about, it’s what other people attribute to you.

The part about confidence no one talks about is mettle and moxie; the willpower centers of loss, the excitement of failure, the determination to get off the ground, knees scathed, and start running at the same pace you were. Moreover, it is the brashness to move forward after the “safety guaranteed” label is removed.

Returning to the step-by-step guide analysis, it’s worth reiterating you do not need to complete a step to have confidence to take the next. You can be void of skill to take the next step, but still take it – powered by confidence. For some, it may still be successful. For others, failure will ensue and you must use the mettle and moxie legs of confidence to either retry that step or move up on a different step. Confidence is a choice. Always is.

 

Stay Positive & While You’re Being Dynamic, Check To Make Sure You Still Have Your Confidence Pack