and it can often feel limiting.
But picking the thing
is a choice that WE get to make.
Not someone else.
_
This is a video of Daniel Wakefield talking about why he picked headshots as his thing – using an analogy we can all resonate with.
I’ve been thinking a lot about exposure
for the younger generations
to experience things that interest them.
To find people and organizations
that are willing to share a day in the life
of a particular career path
(or hobby).
One of the early experiences I had
with the benefits of such an approach
was with a high school student
named Sabrina.
Sabrina had helped build a positive news network on campus.
Along this path she expressed interest in reporting different news stories.
So one of the things we did was find more ways for her to do just that.
_
This is a video of the end of her on-camera interview (which was a first for her). I decided to see if she was interested in now running the interview with a crew member (another first).
When put on the spot, she rose to the occasion.
TL;DR
Create more experiences for the younger generations that play off their interests, and embrace the unknowns. Everyone will be better because of it.
In business people will tell you
to crawl before you walk
and to walk before
you run.
And some might wonder,
“Why bother crawling when
I can get shit done now.”
When you begin from the end
you understand why it matters.
(Especially when you see things others can’t.)
If you’re going to run
it’s crucial to develop a pace
you can sustain
and that’s typically a result of
experience, discipline and patience.
(i.e. it’s a process you have to trust)
So let’s break it down with an example of how we might take this approach with someone we want to work with.
CRAWL
before an engagement
when you identify problems worth solving
and have found the necessary alignment
that creates a true win-win.
WALK
when the intended path
creates some disruption in the present
and the implications have been
carefully considered and
communicated.
RUN
when action is necessary
and you’ve established the trust
to execute on the vision
and are prepared to do
whatever it takes to serve that end.
TL;DR
When you get precise
with what you’re aiming at
you get so good that running
feels like walking.
–
This is a recent photo of my foot bleeding through my sneakers. It’s safe to assume I stopped running.
I was paid X to deliver Y.
Y wasn’t a number, but X was.
When I discovered that the delivery of Y also produced multiples of X, I realized I learned something even more valuable.
Money is just a result,
and in a meaningful pursuit
it’s likely not the Y.
–
This is a photo of me, my son Mateo and my dog Beckit from 2018. (We were doing push ups.)
The old way to create video content for clients:
> Get them to pay you for a very specific video
> Do only what the budget calls for and nothing more (especially if they don’t want to pay for your “big ideas”)
> Include a set number of revisions and charge them hourly if they go beyond that
The new way:
> Get them to pay you for a very specific video, but deliver beyond what was promised
> Let the budget be the guide for what you can do, but don’t ignore what you’re willing to do if you identify future value that they can’t yet see
> Actually be open to collaboration and price your options in advance so that you never end up resenting a client that wants to be a part of the process
I could have went on for days about the old ways
because they were something I was able to identify
early in business and quickly shift to
where I saw things going.
It wasn’t easy sorting through
the implications of this non-traditional approach,
but we’re living in a time when people
are seeing that content can pay dividends.
TL;DR:
Go above and beyond consistently and be patient.
If others don’t get it, fuck it. Do it anyway.
_
This is a photo of my daughter, Pilar.
She’s making the kind of face that someone
who disagrees with me would make.
(The kind of face that’s fighting for the status quo.)
Roary is the Autism Strong Foundation Mascot.
Last year a young man named Matthew began “playing” him.
He now works as Roary
and shows up to the same events
families like ours get to enjoy
as a result of the foundation.
_
This is the video we made to help tell that story.