It all began with a simple post. Seth Godin, marketing guru and best-selling author, made an announcement on his blog that he was accepting applications for nine women to attend a private workshop with him at his office for three days of coaching. Oh, my… be still my marketing heart.
I diligently filled out the online application, typing furiously. Then, before I pushed send, I paused and said a prayer.
Whoosh (sound of email being sent).
Five days later I got the response. I was not selected from the pool of 900+ women, but I was welcome to attend a lecture he was hosting in LA a few short weeks later.
Thirty-five bucks would get me to the early morning breakfast and interview and nine hundred bucks would get me a full day with the man in person.
Hmmmmm. Nine hundred bucks? (And little did I know I was so close to THREE FREE DAYS). Examining my budget, I went for the breakfast. Something was better than nothing.
The day before the lecture, my friend Julie was having lunch at Akasha, a vegan restaurant in Culver City, when lo and behold, Seth Godin walks in to post something for his blog. Recognizing his brilliant, bald head, she marched over and introduced herself explaining that it was her birthday (and it was) and she was thrilled to meet him.
He smiled, congratulated her, and then promptly gave her THREE VIP PASSES to the event the following day. He could have given her one…he could have given her two…but no, he gave her three and because of that lovely gesture, I got to stay the whole day.
I decided to write about this because this strange turn of events gave me pause. As an entrepreneur, I sometimes feel that I have to do everything on my own. My to-do list, my clients, my website, my goals, my bills…you get the idea.
I may be a solopreneur, but I am not alone. I wanted to meet Mr. Godin and learn from him. That was my intention. Then, I put my intention into ACTION. While I was not selected for the private coaching, the universe did indeed deliver and that’s a miracle unto itself.
I learned so much that day. It was very humbling to ask him about my business and then exhilarating to hear his frank remarks. Not because he thought I had a genius business plan (in fact it was the opposite!), it was because I felt brave enough to bring my dream to the table, in front of an audience, to the attention and scrutiny of a business thinker I admire very much.
Wishing for things is OK, but it’s not always enough. Believing in what is possible and then truly going for it with actionable steps creates results. That is really exciting. Doors magically swing open when you are present and you are prepared.
The day I hung out with Seth Godin was amazing. He’s honest, he’s smart, he’s generous and he is rooting for me (and every person out there) with all he’s got. It was a privilege to spend that much time with him. And…I have no doubt that our paths will cross again.
Every day presents miracles. It’s our job to notice.
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