One of the best things about challenges, masterminds and online groups is the community that forms around doing things out of your comfort zone not only for personal growth but as a constant force to move one’s business forward.
(Did you hear me groan just then?)
I mean, it’s a GOOD THING, right?
We need to shake things up a bit to avoid boredom…always doing the same thing. Believe me, that’s where stagnation and laziness live. I know this for sure, you see.
THE BACKSTORY
A mastermind, if you are not familiar, is a peer group of highly ambitious businesswomen (men) who come together under the guidance of a mentor or coach who is most likely a few…or a few hundred…steps ahead in their business journey. Substitute “business” for whatever the person is teaching. These are usually high stakes, high dollar events that result in HUGE gains both personal and professional.
Like…HUGE.
Definitely go to one or a few when you get the chance.
It was at one such event where we were encouraged to do a series of Facebook live broadcasts to well, GET OVER OURSELVES and get our message out there. It works really well. This was at a time when “going live” was in its infancy, which now writing this seems so silly as it is now so common on all different platforms.
I have a point, I swear.
MY POINT
Perhaps part competitive Irishwoman and part FOMO (fear of missing out) I seem to be unable to say no when someone Double Dog Dares me to do stuff like this…especially when it’s a public challenge. Ugh, dang it.
This was the first of my DO IT SCARED mentality that involved doing things out of my comfort zone for the sake of my business.
“Customers can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist.”
I don’t know who said that…I tried Googling it but don’t see the source so if you know, please tell comment below so we can give proper dibs! Anyway, that was the beginning of doing things that
- brought my introvert blood pressure dangerously high
- scared the bejeezus out of me
- made me want to vomit
you get the picture…
But ya know what – I DIDN’T DIE. Thus, started a whole slew of things that, when looking from the other side, I would say, “well…I didn’t die.”
The impending doom I had imagined in my self-imposed anxiety-ridden subconscious never developed. The world didn’t end. No one commented (so far) that I was a hideous letch who wasn’t qualified to hold a spoon let alone a microphone. Some of the students in my online course thought it was hilarious and told me they looked forward to seeing what I was going to do next. Yikes.
Many things followed in my “I didn’t die” series that included blogging, doing hundreds of webinars (I did mention my anxiety, right), and RVing across America one summer. More on that later.
The point is…I got through it.
FAST FORWARD to today when, during another one of these group online challenges – this time Rusell Brunson’s 30 Day Clickfunnels Challenge – it was proposed that we pick a new medium and start publishing. Now, there are about 1100 of us in this group that I know of. All mercilessly ambitious ready to one-up the next person and in true May The Best Marketer Win will mow you over if you don’t keep up.
Challenge Accepted. (gulp)
MY OH SHIT MOMENT
Armed with a lot more knowledge and expertise than my first Facebook Live I downloaded the Anchor podcasting ap, made a quick challenge icon pic and after three retries (stop laughing), I hit record. Hit publish. Done. #MissionAccomplished
And thus starts the next thing on my radar – I have a radio podcast – KellyO Says.
God help us. She has a microphone.
IT’S NOT ALL FOR NOTHING
Now, don’t let my total embarrassment go to waste. Double click on that link above to check it out while it’s still rough and completely hilarious. There isn’t an intro…I don’t know what I’m doing…I don’t even know how to splice the audio pieces. Go have a listen & share it – misery loves company.
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