Month: June 2011

The Elf on the Shelf – When No doesn’t mean No

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Thanks to Tory Johnson, the woman behind the fabulous
Spark and Hustle events today for the heads up on
this cool story.

I know it’s not Xmas – chill.  This elf represents the power of sticking to what you believe in and the magic that can happen when you do that.

So, this is the story of the Little Elf that Could – or better yet how Carol Aebersold was the? champion for this lovable little elf.

As with anything, the elf began with an idea.  Carol and her daughter Chandra created him to share the family tradition they loved so much with the world.  To do that, they decided to publish a book and contacted publishers.  The publishers didn’t love the idea.

“Doomed for the damaged returns bin” and “based on this committee’s expertise to this?portion of the market, your book would not see a great deal of success.”- they wrote in rejection letters she received.

Now, let me ask, if YOU received such rejection by authority figures – would you keep on going?  Or would you let others stop you cold?

Well, Carol and her daughter didn’t stop.  They stuck to their beliefs and self-published their book and had the little elf doll created to go along with it.

And, once they did all that, they then had to had to market them as well.  It didn’t just become an instant hit.   They began with a book signing in which they invited 200 people.  That was just the beginning of an intense marketing campaign in which they worked tirelessly to share their little elf with the world.

They didn’t quit when it got hard, they didn’t let other people’s discouraging  comments stop them.  They didn’t give up.

And, it paid off.

Today – the Elf on the Shelf is a multi-million dollar brand. That’s a true testament to the power of sticking up for your dream.

Congratulations Carol and team on your accomplishment!!  You’re my inspiration of the day.

If you’ve ever had anyone shoot down your dreams, tell me about it in the comments, I’d love to hear your story.

 

 

 

 

 

The X-Factor – Secretariat had it – Do you?

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u16T05o7JA[/youtube]

in 1973 Secretariat won the Triple Crown – The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness
and the Belmont Stakes.  That alone should have proved he had the X Factor, right?
Except the X Factor is more than that.  The X Factor means achieving celebrity
in a way that makes you stand out and be remembered.

And, he gave anyone who watched him race something to talk about.  In the Derby and
The Preakness he broke from the gate in last place, and he only started to challenge
the lead horse after the last turn.  He had to come from last place and pass every horse
on the track to win it.

He actually ran each 1/4 mile faster than the previous, he was speeding up as the
other horses were slowing down.

And, that was truly amazing to watch.  Secretariat didn’t take the lead until 3/4
of the way around the track and not only did he take the lead – he won by
almost 3 lengths.  And he was running on his own – no whip, the jockey
had both hands on the reins.

And, then with 2 of the Triple Crown races won – it was time for the Belmont.  The stakes
were unbelievably high.  This was his race to lose, and anything can happen in
horse racing.  In the Belmont, there were only 4 other horses even entered.
Secretariat didn’t break last as he usually did, he broke out in first and stayed
there until the first turn when he was overtaken by Sham for a couple of seconds.

Then Secretariat turned on the gas and he never lost the lead again.  He was ahead
by one length, then two, then four.   In the home stretch, the camera had to pull back
to show that he wasn’t running the race alone – he was almost 1/16th of a mile ahead
of the 4 other horses.  At that point, Secretariat wasn’t racing against the other
horses, he was racing into history, winning the 1 1/2 mile race in just 2 minutes 24 seconds.

Not only did Secretariat win the Triple Crown – but he shattered the track record and set his own for each race.

And, that is the X Factor at work.

What can you learn from this?  Use your natural talent to it’s best ability.
Stand out from the pack.  With each 1/4 mile, Secretariat pushed himself harder, he ran
faster, he was racing against himself to see how fast he could go.  Do the same.  Better your
best.

Run YOUR race, don’t look back, and don’t race against others.

 

 

 

JV Alert DC – Here I come

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So, excited, heading out tomorrow to meet Ken McArthur
and all the peeps gathering for another JV Alert Live.

It’s always fun to meet people that you’ve only met virtually
in person – I’m looking forward to that.

And, of course am looking forward to meeting new friends
and potential business partners as that’s one of the main
purposes of this fantastic event.

I will update from the floor of JV Alert Live – here and
on Twitter and/or Facebook.