The scariest campfire story ever...

Do you remember being totally freaked, heart pounding, hair standing straight up while your eyes peer cautiously into the night? The glow of the campfire provides the only light separating you from the unknown. You know you’re safe, in fact, you know for certain that monsters aren’t real. Right? Yet, your mind keeps entertaining the “what if”. Is that the wind really?

Did I just feel something lightly touch the back of my neck?

Silence...shreak...then it grabs you! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh.!!!

That feeling, the emotion that a great story invokes in us, the sheer terror of it all, has now become your most valuable marketing tool. I am not talking about make-believe or stretching the truth. I’m referring to your business as a remarkable story that once heard is worth sharing over and over again. The art of telling a compelling story, one that your audience will hang on every word is now… ALIVE!!! The new way to tell that story is social media, and just like the scary campfire stories of our youth, the stories that stick are the businesses worth talking about!

Today you cannot tell a willy-nilly, average, run-of-the-mill story to your customers and expect them to listen. We don’t have time and we don’t care. You cannot run a 30-second commercial on television or a one-minute blurb on the radio when I'm listening to my iPod and using my TiVo to skip your message. The consumer rules the day now, nothing is force fed to us anymore (unless of course you’re a congressman) and we choose who we want to listen to. If your story is boring, we tune you out for good. My charge to all business owners including me is, be authentic and compelling. Build relationships not sales pitches. Let your customers know that you care so deeply for them, and just how passionate you are about being remarkable! We are all listening, thousands of tuned ears leaning forward, hearts pounding and waiting. Waiting to hear, the greatest campfire story ever   told. Be that story, and we will never forget it.

You don't have to bet the farm...Stop thinking old-school!

I have lived in a bubble in my thinking for some time now. What I thought was the only way, was really fear and a lack of information. I dreamed something really big, and I contained it. Because of Old-school thinking, I shelved that dream. 

There’s a subject that I’m totally stoked on - a mission, and for the last two years, I’ve done little but hold it all in. Bad idea, do not try this at home. What I should have been doing for the last two years, is this right here. By now you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about. I’m talking about your passion! I’m talking about speaking what you’re most passionate about, what you’re totally stoked on. Developing relationships with others who are interested in your passions. Helping others grow, develop and engaging them in new ideas. You don’t need an office, or employees to start. You don’t even have to quit your day job. You definitely do not need to bet the farm, or cash in your life savings to get your best idea off the ground. You just need to be able to communicate to others and energize them with the thing you’re most excited about.

When I thought of The Business Dojo, I thought building, staff, guest speakers, inventory, and invest everything. Don’t get me wrong The Business Dojo will still be the coolest place on earth for small business owners to come train, develop, strategize, and spar with the best minds in the business. Someday down the road that dream can come true. Then I realized, why am I waiting. Why am I holding inside this desire to help and work side-by-side with fellow entrepreneurs and business owners. Just because I don’t have a physical location to do it? Forget that!, Start now, we can help each other now. We don’t have to wait and you shouldn’t have to either.

The world of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and so on are your platforms. Here is your community, there are people here who are ready to help, and there are people who need your help. There are people here who are just as passionate and excited about your endeavor as you are. This technology, is now bringing us closer. We know more about each other, the things we love and the things we hate. The political views we follow, the causes we support and everything else in between. Use it, use this new power of social interaction to allow you the freedom to tell the world about what drives you! You’ll find out real soon that you’re not alone. When your community grows big enough and your ready to open a physical store or company headquarters you won’t be advertising struggling to find interested patrons. You’ll be having a barn raising party! Your community will rally together to support and help you flourish because their your friends and biggest fans. So what’s your deal? What makes you tick and why are you not telling us about it already?