Christopher L. Hedges's Blog, page 17

Stereotyping (6/26/14)

When you look at the guy picking up litter blowing in the wind along the interstate in a neon orange jumpsuit what are you thinking? How about when you see someone roll on by in a beat up late model rust bucket? We all fall victim to it at some point or another. We stereotype! It is the gut reaction from our first impressions.

So as you walk out the door how do you think you are being judged? I know based on the creation of a character called Average Joe I’m being judged all of the time because the character is based on my life. Most people I talk to after reading Average Joe’s Story like to say that I’m not an Average Joe, and I take exception with that. Mainly because their objection comes down to their characterization of the term, and I’m in the process of trying to redefine Average Joe. The other group will more than likely look down upon me. They won’t take the time to know anything about me, but they’ll immediately have there mind made up. I created the character the way that I did so that if I’m not feeling like getting all decked out I can roll in with jeans and a polo. Unfortunately that will be all some people see.

So figure out how you want to be stereotyped, and then present yourself accordingly. In the short run you are more likely to be successful if you follow that logic.

The Right Frame of Mind (6/25/14)

The facilitators at PSI Seminars have a jargonary full of concepts and words. One of said concepts they try to impart is “Givers Gain”. Simply put those who give unconditionally with altruistic motives will in turn gain from having done so. I try to live by that principle, but with a Machiavellian mind there are times when my motives aren’t remotely altruistic.

However, I believe in the principle because it has actually worked in my life. My 200 or so Twitter followers, 200 or so Facebook friends, and 200 or so LinkedIn connections don’t constitute a real following in the grand scheme of things in the world of social media. I offered to do something for a couple of friends because I had to get it done anyway, and I got an amazing response from them. “That’s cool! I’m going to promote it on my website and social media too. Do you mind if I pass this along to a friend so he can let his followers know about it?”

By coming from a place of giving I gained access to +/- 200,000 of other people’s followers, and that doesn’t take into consideration what might happen if any followers promote the project too. Was the act of giving the only thing that made that happen? No! The reputation I have with my friends, the value of what I was offering them and the potential pay off also played in, but if I didn’t offer to give them something they never would have offered to spread the word for me.

Envy’s a Good Thing (6/24/14)

I watched a video on YouTube by a Toastmaster named Darren LaCroix. Darren won the highest honor a speaker in Toastmasters can earn, the World Championship of Public Speaking. It’s a speaking competition held annually where every Toastmaster has an equal opportunity to compete for the right to be the organization’s top speaker.

Previous World Champions are all held in reverence. I guess you can say that those who haven’t hoisted it yet have trophy envy. However, Darren will be the first to tell you not to envy the trophy. Instead in this video Darren walks you into his closet and shows you mountains of videos and foothills of audio tapes from every presentation he had ever given. “Envy this (collection of audio and video files) don’t envy this (trophy).”

In sales a little bit of envy from your competition is a good thing. It means you are getting results. Like Darren I’m in the process of collecting my own closet of AV files, but I’m just calling it a book tour. No one is envious of me right now, but if I achieve the results I’m anticipating that will change. However, like Darren I say don’t envy the title envy that closet and the qualities it took to fill that closet. Those qualities are the true enviable part because those qualities are what permit you to achieve whatever you set your mind to.

Leverage (6/23/14)

Leverage it’s the most amazing thing on earth, when used properly. When it is misused you have all kinds of debacles, like the housing bubble and just about every other major disaster that has been created by greed.

However, I got a reminder from Starley to use it the other day. “When you get out on the road milk every last cent for what it’s worth.” She gave me creative ways that she built her business on leverage, and the funny thing was she wasn’t even trying to make money off of the things she was doing. Now if you want the details of her story you have to ask her starleymurray.com.

“When you’re on the tour take video for information products that you’ll develop later, take the opportunity to build your list, Get on as much TV as you can, build some local sponsorship contacts, and create more content.” The point is that there is a hefty price tag on this book tour, and I’m not even talking about the cost. $50,000-$100,000, 10 months, and deteriorated mental and physical health.

Starley’s point was if I was going to invest so much into this one event I needed to get a few extra sides with my entree. The buffet line really looks a little something like this: book sales, personal interaction with hundreds of people, building a contact list, building sponsorship relationships, recording content for future products, media appearances, a potential world record, research for the next book, outline a mentoring program, outline a series of live event, and build a social media presence.

Basically what Starley meant when she told me to leverage every scrap of potential on this book tour was to go from anonymity to bordering on celebrity with a bag of toys for all would be customers by the time I made it home in a borderline vegetative state.

Jack who? (6/20/14)

I love when people tell me all the things they can do, or better yet when they tell me what I know and what I should be teaching on. “You’ve got a real estate license and worked in the industry for a while so you should speak about that.” “You have a degree in finance and worked for the top financial services company in the world you should be an expert in finance.”

We all have a long list of things we have done in our lives, but that doesn’t qualify us as experts on the subject. When you are a Jack of all trades you are really saying you don’t know jack.

However, there is a different way of looking at things. You may be a subject matter expert on something that ventures into several other different areas. Take being an author for example. I’m by no means an expert in sales currently, but based on what I have to do and learn to sell my books I have the ability to step into the subject matter. I will never promote myself as an expert in sales, but as I cover my own material if someone recognizes value in something I say pertaining to sales I will leverage that connection to open the door. Know where you are an expert and own that. Continue to grow and develop new expertise, but recognize that no one knows everything so don’t try to.

Where does content come from? (6/19/14)

It always amazes me when I meet people that say they don’t have anything worth talking or writing about. There is only one way on Earth that you have nothing to share…you never actually lived. I don’t mean that metaphorically, I’m being literal. You can argue that you don’t know how to word it or that it isn’t very interesting, but you have something to contribute. For example I used riding a bike in my first book.

I think there is a very big difference between not having anything to say, and having the confidence of actually saying it. I met a young lady a few weeks back who told me the basis of a TV show she thought was pretty good. I ruminated on what she said for about 36 hours and left her a message, “Give me a call when you get a chance.”

During this conversation I reemphasized how much I liked the idea, and asked her if she wanted to write it. Based on past experience whenever I have been confronted with something that could lead to greatness I would pick up the excuse encyclopedia and begin to dictate every excuse under the Sun. My friend wasn’t that bad, but it was like she was waiting for me to validate the fact that the idea wasn’t any good. Sorry to disappoint you.

Now I have to learn how to write a screen play so we can take a chance on her vision. The only thing I had to do to acquire all of the material for that story was say, “Hi. I’m Chris. How are you doing?” As I write this blog I can already envision at least one chapter in my next book. Content is easy to come by; go out, live your life and take a few mental notes. Sprinkle in a touch of creativity, and a pinch of confidence and you will be surprised by how good your content can be.

Quality or Quantity (6/18/14)

I may have already blogged about this, but I’m going to claim chemo brain because I can’t remember. When you have to make a choice between quality and quantity the correct answer is always higher quality, but ideally it is a large quantity of high quality.

Well until I get to that point I’m going to simply focus on high quality. I had a meeting scheduled with my image and branding coach, and I included her into my budding entourage purely based on the quality of her character. Believe me the results she has achieved over the course of her career didn’t hurt in signing that retainer check, but it was the quality of her character that sold me.

If I have already brought this up recently believe me when I say this is a subject that is worth revisiting often. You have to spend a lifetime building a reputation, and it may only take one minor incident to shatter it. Sometimes it is something you do and sometimes you are just guilty by association, but either way your reputation is the collateral damage.

Keep your reputation guarded. Protect it with impregnable walls that are surrounded by a bottomless moat filled with all sorts viscous critters because you may never know how valuable your reputation can  be until you’ve lost it.

Book Tour Sponsorship Checklist (6/17/14)

Average Joe’s Road Show is in the process of enlisting sponsors so this is your opportunity to be a part of the journey. If you would like to sponsor one of the listed items please reach out to us at chris@averagejoesstory.com. These are the essential items for any road trip of this magnitude.

Average Joe’s Checklist:

2 pairs of pink bunny slippers

51 six packs of Mexican bottled Coke (sugar not corn syrup)

1 iStabilizer ISTMP01 Extendable Smartphone Monopod

30 boxes of Twinkies

1 Energizer Bunny to ride shotgun

2 bottles of olive oil for shaving (I’ve been told almond oil and coconut oil are suitable substitutes)

1 iStabilizer Shutter Remote (SRIOS-01)

1 iStabilizer Flex

139 bananas (preferably not all at once)

10 bags of mini carrots for  Energizer Bunny (also not all at once)

5 packs of Mentos (Watermelon, Green Apple, cherry, Strawberry ‘N Cream, or Banana ‘N Cream)

1 turkey sub with extra meat and Swiss cheese, spinach, pickles and a splash of ranch

1,500 gallons of 89 grade gasoline

2 bottles of sleeping pills

1 tactical beverage helmet to be used with caffeinated beverages for safe hands free driving

52 XL Dunken Donuts coffees

13 get out of jail free cards, and 1 proceed directly to go card

4 containers of pomade to create precise professional looking bedhead.

2 containers of stemidents

1 container of Q-tips

2 pairs of sunglasses

2 iphone 4 chargers

1 10 foot iphone 4 charger cable

5 black ink ballpoint pens

Differentiation verses making a difference (6/17/14)

I differentiated Average Joe’s Story from other books in the success family of books by the way I wrote it. I like to refer to it as the first book in the success genre written by someone who isn’t perceived to be “successful”. I tried to accomplish that by the way I chose to write the book. Most books are written in hindsight after the author has become a moniker of some sorts in society. I tried to write in real time so the reader has the opportunity to see me grow.

However, differentiation is different than making a difference…that was a mouthful.

With the exception of impulse buys the main reason most people make a purchase is that they believe the item/service in question will on some level add value and make a difference in their lives. So what is the difference that you or what ever it is you are peddling makes in your customers life?

All success books are basically inspirational stories that provide a path or hope to the reader that they too can accomplish what the author has achieved. That’s a generic difference that I think the whole genre contributes to. By differentiating myself from the rest of the pack the way I have done with Average Joe’s Story and any other ancillary products/service that may be developed I make a difference in any would be customer life by being relatable. Can you truly relate to a billionaire, celebrity, or world leader? What about a guy on disability that’s just trying to find a way to survive and rebuild his life? Who’s stories do you think you have a better time relating to?

What do you do (6/16/14)

A tough part about being an author is that part of your job is not simply running a brand, but you can in fact become the basis of the brand. I have heard experts say that isn’t the case, and you shouldn’t think of yourself that way because it limits your potential profits. That may be true, but what I do know is that by being one in the same I maintain consistency between who I am and what I do.

So when you think about an individual as the brand in my opinion the who you are and the what you do can really merge into the same thing. However, I started to focus on that idea of what you do a little more as I began strategizing on the logistics of the book tour. Mind you things can drastically change between now and the culmination of a 20,000+ mile road trip, but I think I figured out what I do.

“I’m an author that helps people dispel deep-rooted stories that hold them back from their desires, which permits them to achieve what they say they want in life.”

That means Average Joe’s Story: Quest for Confidence is really just a tool to breakdown self limiting beliefs that are engrained into a persons mindset.