I tell my clients that good things happen when you increase your visibility.
The more you are in the spotlight, the more good things happen. I can’t tell clients exactly what will happen, but I guarantee good things of some variety will happen.
Recently a client said yes to the opportunity to introduce a U.S. Senator. The client said he would have said NO, but he knew I would tell him to say Yes to the opportunity to be in the spotlight.
As a result of saying YES, my client ended up on the front page of his city’s newspaper receiving a proclamation from Senator Brown. A thrill for most people to be on the front page of their city’s paper whether or not it bears any direct professional fruit.
As exciting as it was, probably even more exciting for his wife, I would like to share with you another reason for saying YES. Remember, I believe good things will happen when you leave your office, I just can’t tell you what those good things will be when you choose visibility over the stack of work on your desk.
On August 5 I held a one-day off site event for clients and participants. Because it centers around horses it is an intimidating event for some, definitely out of the box for many.
A young woman in her early 30’s chose to make this day a priority. With a job, two small children, and an hour drive, she could have found reasons to not register or to not show up. Have you ever walked past a table of name tags on your way out of an event and noticed how many people did not show up?
Three weeks later this dynamic young woman died in her sleep. Everyone who knew her was devastated. After my initial shock, I realized I was in possession of a great gift.
This event is videotaped. We condense an 8 hour day, with both video and audio of each participant. I realized that I was in possession of what was most likely the most recent video footage of this young woman. The last captured audio that her family could listen to now and always. Her children are too young to remember her as they grow. With this DVD they can always see their mom: happy, engaged, learning, fearless, kind, and so sweet that even with a whip in her hand the horses still were not scared of her.
Her son can hear her talking about him with a love reserved for a mother. Like a shooting star that blazes across the sky, her life was too short. Now at least a day of it will live forever.
Had she not chosen to come to this learning experience, I would not have had the DVD to give to her family. I had a wonderful gift to give her husband and mother and eventually her children, because she chose to say YES to leaving her office.
Leslie is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire. Read more posts by Leslie Ungar here.
The online feature magazine, JenningsWire.com, is created by National PR Firm, Annie Jennings PR that specializes in providing book promotion services to self-published and traditionally published authors. Annie Jennings PR books authors, speakers and experts on major high impact radio talk interview shows, on local, regionally syndicated and national TV shows and on influential online media outlets and in prestigious print magazines and newspapers across the country.
