out there, across all platforms. Since there are so many brands, products, corporations, etc. vying for people’s attention, you have to go big to get a return. And no one needs to know you only have a four thousand dollar float or a budget for ramen noodles. At this stage of the game, do you want to feel “less than,” simply because someone has more money in the bank, more college degrees from a stable of Ivy League schools, more ideas to boast about, and more designer shoes in their closet? Who cares? Again, the broken record in me says, “Who has time to worry about The Friggen’ Joneses?” There will always be someone who is richer and hotter, someone who is smarter and taller, and someone who has found the secret to a great invention. (BTW, check out www.CarCane.com for an example. What a great idea for those who need a lift! Haha.)
Let those who are successful have their moment, would you please? And stop feeling sorry for yourself while you vicariously experience someone else’s lottery win. Their moment is theirs. It’s great karma to congratulate others because positive energy is infectious—it opens the door to you. Visualize your dream. If you’ve ever gone to a psychic, they’ll tell your spiritual team, “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”—and when they do, don’t be shy. Ask your ghostly cheerleaders for what you want. See it. Feel it. It’s going to happen if you believe that you’re worthy of the request. You can—and you will—have your own moment. So, dream big! Then, strategize and rehearse until it’s lean and mean, focused and clear. Sum up your dream in a few lines so that prospective supporters can understand it, right on the spot. Once you have your story down pat, all you need to do is find the best and most appropriate audience to listen to your life’s anthem.
#Applaud someone else’s success. Get cracking with yours.
#Rehearse your ass off before you go out there and pitch.
If you’re a playwright, work out the synopsis of your story before pitching producers. If you’re an aspiring English teacher, make sure you fill out everything on the job application (without any typos) before speaking with the principal. Work out all the pertinent stuff about you (“Who” are you? “What” are you presenting? “Why” are you the one to get this big order?) Rehearse what you’d say, how you’d say it and to whom—before you break down the doors and ask for something. The “rehearsal” period is very important because it’s the prep time you need to home in on what I call your “nightclub act.” We all have one. It’s the elevator pitch we tell people when they ask us who we are, and all that goes with it. Rehearsal is the time when you can really be honest with yourself to see what does and doesn’t work in your presentation. You will be amazed at how much more confident you’ll be when you are prepared.
#Preparation = confidence.
Why not emulate at least one real trait celebrities possess? I’m not one who thinks that celebs are the be-all and end-all of everything that represents success; however, because I’ve repped plenty of them, there are a few things that go with the territory of being a celebrity that I would like to share with you. They love to hobnob with other successful people and pitch their ideas to the top of the ladder, rather than keep pitching the person who doesn’t make the decisions. Genuine celebs take the elevator straight to the penthouse; they do not wallow in the lobby and stuff themselves into an over-packed elevator to get an answer. In the movies, it takes as much energy to talk to the Wizard as it does to the Munchkins. If you’re afraid to look behind the curtain and come face-to-face with whoever holds the power, you are simply setting yourself up for failure. Agree? (BTW, if you have no idea who the Wizard is, watch The Wizard of Oz—the original Judy Garland classic.) Seriously though, fear of going to the top is a form of self-sabotage. The top decision-makers might not actually be the ones you need to convince; however, if they are, avoiding them chips away at your self-confidence. That cowardly action shows that you don’t think you deserve to spend time with people in power. Unless you can breathe in and taste the notion of hobnobbing with the successful, you’re wasting precious tick-tock time.
I call this the “Madonna” factor. You remember Madonna, the original “Material Girl?” (God bless her. We’re the same age.) That phenomenally successful recording artist was never afraid of putting her dream into drive—and she still isn’t. Knowing that even though she might not be the most talented singer, songwriter, or dancer, she understood her worth and went straight for the jackpot, regardless of whether or not The Friggen’ Joneses believed in her. Madonna understands the definition of “opportunist” and always goes for it. She doesn’t care what Millennials think about her age. Madonna remains focused on living in her spotlight.
#Madonna defies ageism. What can you defy?
As you read in the intro, I left NYU for a “chance” of becoming a recording artist in London, primarily because I was tired of being around so many people who found comfort in failure. Other people might have viewed my ditching an education from NYU as catastrophic for my future, but the last time I checked, NYU didn’t have a class for being a pop recording artist as big as the late, great Prince. (The moment I met George Michael in London was the moment I was going into a movie theater in Leicester Square to see Prince’s Purple Rain. What an inspirational day, I’d say.) Before the plane touched down at Heathrow, I knew I wanted to be a pop star—not pretend to be one, but really take a chance to live as one (to me, the definition of stardom was to be able to create, sing and perform for a living—it wasn’t only having the opportunity to have a hoard of money); and I knew I had something that was worthy enough for the category. That was my big dream, and I decided to embark on a trip across the pond to try my best to make it all come true.
I was ready for the opportunity and didn’t put up any psychological roadblocks to sabotage myself. And I got the deal, the record, the tour, and the fans (all five of them!). Mission accomplished. Even though I left music, I didn’t exit through the back door solely because I was afraid to dream about being successful in it. With an inner voice as loud as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I had no other choice but to find the courage to leave music, which was as bold as choosing to dive into it in the first place. Trust me, you probably have never heard of me before this book, but as I hinted in the Intro, if you do a little Googling, you’ll find all that “Larry Loeber” recorded—when I was thirty-two years younger.
#Before your plane takes off, dream big.
My hope for you is as follows:
If you are lucky enough to live past eighty, I want you to sit in that rocking chair with a smile, satisfied that you gave it your all, not wondering, “What if?” To get you started, here’s my first “TAKE-A-QUIZ” to make sure you’re ready to embark on the road to your big dream:
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