To Be a Legend, Don’t Be a Castaway!
By Jessica Sitomer
I don’t know about you, but watching Will Smith in I Am Legend and Tom Hanks in Cast Away was downright uncomfortable for me! Don’t get me wrong, their performances were outstanding, it was the loneliness of their characters that had me so unsettled. Do you ever feel that your computer is your “Wilson” (the volleyball Tom Hanks talked to)?….(click read more link for the rest of this article)
Most people pursuing a career in the entertainment industry think their only option is to do it alone. They sit in front of their computer or their phone, maybe say a good morning to their pet if they have one, and then decide if this is the moment that they are going to write that e-mail or make that call OR go do some laundry or watch TV.
In successful companies the CEOs and/or Presidents of the companies have plans/projections for the year. They hold quarterly, monthly, or weekly meetings to check in with their staff to see how the actions being taken are affecting their plans/projections. There is ACCOUNTABILITY.
Guess what? You are the CEO of your company. When you try and build a company on your own there is no accountability unless like Will Smith your dog barks at you when you’re not focused. And are you really going to listen to your dog’s bark when you decide to watch TV instead of making that important business call? Really. Who’s going to know?
The better questions is: who’s going to get the job that you missed out on because you were watching TV while someone else was making the important business call?
Are you tired of being a “castaway”? Are you ready to find a community who will become the “staff of your company?” The answers are YES and YES, and it’s time to take action!
Make a list of every action you need to take for your business based on the following samples:
Make business calls
Write introductory letters/emails
Follow up with contacts
Interview/audition
Get advice form experts
Create marketing material
Ask for help
Brainstorm until you have twenty actions on your list. If this is a challenge, you are not doing enough for your company. You need expert advice on what more you can be doing. Once you have your list, rate how comfortable you are doing each action with 1 being terribly uncomfortable and 5 being very comfortable.
Now evaluate your ratings. Are you more uncomfortable than comfortable with taking action for your business? If so, like Tom Hanks, you can be RESCUED! You don’t have to do it alone, but you must be willing to reach out.
Remember Mister or Ms CEO, how you treat your business will determine the speed at which results happen and the quality of your career relationships and jobs.
© 2008, The Greenlight Coach. All rights reserved
I answer an Entertainment Industry Coach question, daily at www.AndActionBook.blogspot.com
