Tired of Thinking Small?

Tired of thinking small?

My future just changed, I’m just not sure how yet…

What Did I Do Wrong?

It’s coming up to Christmas, and in the run up, I thought I’d offer a webinar to everyone who I keep in touch with throughout the year as a thank you, and as a way to help them get ahead next year.

I setup the session, created a few emails with the intent to entertain, inform and offer the webinar.

The signup levels were really great, and people are still signing up as i write this – but there was one thing that happened that may have just changed my future.

Then It Happened…

I received an email from one of those I keep in touch with, it was a polite email to tell me the reason why they didn’t want to keep in touch any more, and that they were unsubscribing from my keep in touch list.

My Button Got Pushed

There was a single sentence in the email that pushed my button.

It takes a lot to rile me.

But it was just one sentence.

A quick context before I share what this has led to:

1. The person who sent this to me is a marketer herself

2. I really like her, and although I don’t know her hugely well, when we have met locally I’ve enjoyed connecting

3. I’m going to send her a bottle of wine as a thank you for what happened next…

So What Could Rile Such A Laid Back Chap?

So what was the sentence?

Out of four sentences, one was this:

“It’s overkill … what we in New Zealand would call a ‘hard sell’”

My button was pushed, and I fell…

…I fell into the 5 stages of rejection: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression then Acceptance

My 5 Stages of Rejection

How did that look?

A little like this:

1. Denial – How can that be a hard sell? I talked about my new focus for my business, a holiday and an offer to help business owners – Seriously, that can’t be a hard sell, can it?

2. Anger – Why is it when I try something a little different, do other people think too small? (this one is just one example from one person) AND why do I keep hearing ‘that won’t work in New Zealand’ – rubbish! Kiwi’s are at the forefront of most things, so why can’t I share what I’m learning as a leader in marketing for other peoples benefits?

3. Bargaining – Perhaps I should change my approach then, but what would I change it to? Stop the third email? Take away the opportunity for someone who perhaps was too busy to see the others miss out on the webinar and its value? Is it really my style? Should I change it? Should I change being myself?

4. Depression – S**t, is New Zealand really that small that I’m going to struggle to be myself and really give the type of value I want to give people to help them? Have I made the wrong decision to move into the beautiful New Zealand countryside with my family? Is that decision going to mean my professional future will not go where I’ve always hoped for it to go?

5. Acceptance – Hold on – I do have huge value to give, and I love New Zealand and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, but how can I professionally connect to as many people as possible for me to be able to help? Both in and outside of NZ? And where is it i’ve always ‘hoped to go?’

Smacked Right Between The Eyes

…and then it hit me…

I’ve been thinking too small myself.

For those of you who know me, you may think this statement is a little strange because, yes:

1. I have customers across Australasia (and just launched an online offering with people from 3 continents signed up)

2. I’m earning mid six figures, whilst working with clients half time, and based at home with my young family

3. I’m a top performer in the global network of consultants that I belong to

4. I have an international team of advisors/mentors who guide me

5. I’ve brought to NZ three ‘first-time-in-NZ’ offerings that have succeeded the world over to help business owners succeed and are each witnessing their own successes here in NZ (Alchemy, Forum and Book Yourself Solid)

6. I have a team of 9 staff located around the world, to give me the capacity and flexibility most small businesses can only dream of

Just a Wining Pom?

So what’s my problem then?

Those points look pretty good as they are now

But I’ve realised something

I’ve realised I’ve been designed for something bigger

But there’s one problem:

Bugger me if I know what it is yet

So What Comes Next?

What comes next? I’m not exactly sure, but I do know where to go for help

As I’m about to start my own journey of thinking big, and I already know my next step

I’m about to email one of my mentors, Michael Port, who’s the creator of the Think Big Revolution (thinkbigrevolution.com), and I’m going to ask for a little guidance on how to get to somewhere I haven’t defined yet

This is about to get very interesting indeed…

Wish me luck!

p.s. The bottle of wine to say thank you with a link to this post will be delivered next week… it helps me to remind myself about one of my favourite sayings:

“Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions”

p.p.s. Did this journey remind you of a time when someone pushed one of your buttons, and what was the positive outcome from it? Would love to hear about it…