Hi guys,
this is not going to be a rant against this forum, or MJ, or anyone. It's just a short update on my progress and why I stopped reading this very forum.
A little bit more than a year ago (8/16/2014), I discovered this forum through the Bold and Determined forum. As many of the participants that come and go, I wrote my Introduction where I even discuss about a so-called Epiphany, and I started a progress thread somewhere.
The main objective was to fulfill a dream of mine, which is writing and publishing a book. I spent hours researching, reading this forum, and trying to write my first book. I did it, I wrote and published a short book, that actually did better than I thought, but very far from allowing me to make a living.
Then I decided to take one step further, and I decided to subscribe to the INSIDERS Section, I think I did the three months subscription, and read all of it. ALL-OF-IT. I became obsessed with the forum.
Yet, I was absolutely clueless on what to do next.
Then one day I realized that writing the book was just a dream, I was not producing any real value. I was looking for a shortcut. Worse, I probably spent more time on the forum rather than writing my stuff.
It took me a while, but I envisioned myself as a guy standing in front of a gold mine, listening to all the miners that come out explaining what you have to do in order to get to the gold, and listening to all the possible ways to get to it. Yet, I never ventured into the cave myself. I just pretended to.
You know, most of it it's here, in the non-INSIDERS Section. But let me tell you, the INSIDERS's is like the missing key. I am not advertising it, as I am saying the opposite. By reading what is in there I realized that I had all the information that I needed, and that I HAD to think outside of the box, and STOP reading about it.
Therefore I thought the following:
- Although I am an immigrant, I know US and State politics VERY well.
- I work in government, which sucks but it allows me to get to a unique perspective and knowledge
- I have interesting things to say, and a pretty decent general knowledge.
- I will not write or read FLF until I implement the first steps and I find a product that could be a vehicle to bring some value to the world. It doesn't matter if the product will make me rich or poor.
I decided to do what the INSIDERS are saying: ACT, and in order to ACT I had to find what was the problem, and after a little bit of research, I understood.
First Problem: I had no credibility.
Solution: Act on it.
Generating the plan of action was easy, implementing it a little bit more difficult. I needed to network, and find people that could push me in the right direction. After some initial stumbles, timing was on my side. Municipal elections were rolling in, and the local politics machine kicked in gear.
I went to a political meeting, and guess what? To my surprise my accent became a vehicle to start conversations. Ladies loved it, men asked me about Europe and stuff. Not even two meetings later, I was talking in a restaurant to one of the leading Texas politicians that work behind the scenes. Want to call governor Abbott? here's the phone #. Want to talk to Chuck Norris? Oh, he was in town tomorrow (I missed him!!!). More importantly, this guy spent an hour telling me many things, explaining the hows and who's. He just wanted to talk, he explained how it was difficult to be a young intern at the Nixon White House, and how many crazy things he saw in the US Congress. But he gave me many pointers that I wrote down as soon as I got home (in his opinion the most important pointer is: "Take notes. wherever you go, whenever you meet someone, take notes. and if necessary take notes on your notes.")
Now, accessibility is fine, but it's far from being important. Without me even realizing he was testing me.
At a different meeting a month later I saw him, next to the (now) mayor, a couple of senators, councilmen, and other politicians. As soon as the guy saw me, he interrupted his conversation and yelled : "Hey [my name!], come here I want you to meet someone!". He made me greet those people, that instantly thought I was someone working behind the scene. He was even able to remember everything I told him. In their eyes I had some (minor) credibility, and more important all the other people around them looked at me as I was someone known for something. I was (and I am) a nobody, yet this guy saw something. Fast forward a few months later, and by showing up (as Woody Allen would say), acting, and preparing, I am well known around the area. Still a nobody, don't get me wrong. I am not bragging. But it's a big step up for someone who spent ten years alone in a lab.
Now, I had to make tactical choices, here they are:
- Stop reading FLF. The amount of information here is incredible, the INSIDERS section is a MUST (at least once), but FLF won't feed me. It's not made to feed me. Stop, and act. Then come back.
- Use social media to my advantage. I created a FB profile, very professional. I (social) networked with all the "big guys", and to my surprise after a while THEY were asking me their friendship. My LinkedIn is as pure and complete as it could be. I use twitter and Instagram once in a while, mostly to show that I am active.
- Stop reading fiction books, begin reading serious stuff. I began reading many non-fiction books, there's another thread on that somewhere.
- Stop listening to music (well, reduce it). Boring stuff to do at work? Podcasts, audiobook, or youtube seminars. Commute? Audiobook.
- Network, network, network. Go to events. Show up.
- Be myself.
Now, a few weeks ago I did not have a product. I had no idea of what product I could offer. By chance, and thanks to an online conversation, I think I got it.
- Am I an expert on the Subject? yes.
- Have I lived through it? yes.
- Have I asked for opinions? yes.
- Am I credible? yes.
I don't know if the product will sell; it starts with a blog that is up and running now but it has just little content. Yet, I am obsessed with it. And I am back on FLF to get to the next step.
The game is on.
Oh and by the way... the other night there was a big reception with governor, senators, 9/11 survivors, and all the usual guys you would expect to find at that kind of reception (millionaires).
The old guy I told you about received a lifetime award. During his speech he thanked his wife,his kids, a couple of friends and... guess who? Me. Why? For being a conservative immigrant that decided to be active in his adoptive country.
Guess what? Two minutes later I was surrounded by people wanting to meet me. Again, this is far from success. I am not successful. I am just saying that by acting - and maybe even stopping reading FLF - opportunities may arise.
this is not going to be a rant against this forum, or MJ, or anyone. It's just a short update on my progress and why I stopped reading this very forum.
A little bit more than a year ago (8/16/2014), I discovered this forum through the Bold and Determined forum. As many of the participants that come and go, I wrote my Introduction where I even discuss about a so-called Epiphany, and I started a progress thread somewhere.
The main objective was to fulfill a dream of mine, which is writing and publishing a book. I spent hours researching, reading this forum, and trying to write my first book. I did it, I wrote and published a short book, that actually did better than I thought, but very far from allowing me to make a living.
Then I decided to take one step further, and I decided to subscribe to the INSIDERS Section, I think I did the three months subscription, and read all of it. ALL-OF-IT. I became obsessed with the forum.
Yet, I was absolutely clueless on what to do next.
Then one day I realized that writing the book was just a dream, I was not producing any real value. I was looking for a shortcut. Worse, I probably spent more time on the forum rather than writing my stuff.
It took me a while, but I envisioned myself as a guy standing in front of a gold mine, listening to all the miners that come out explaining what you have to do in order to get to the gold, and listening to all the possible ways to get to it. Yet, I never ventured into the cave myself. I just pretended to.
You know, most of it it's here, in the non-INSIDERS Section. But let me tell you, the INSIDERS's is like the missing key. I am not advertising it, as I am saying the opposite. By reading what is in there I realized that I had all the information that I needed, and that I HAD to think outside of the box, and STOP reading about it.
Therefore I thought the following:
- Although I am an immigrant, I know US and State politics VERY well.
- I work in government, which sucks but it allows me to get to a unique perspective and knowledge
- I have interesting things to say, and a pretty decent general knowledge.
- I will not write or read FLF until I implement the first steps and I find a product that could be a vehicle to bring some value to the world. It doesn't matter if the product will make me rich or poor.
I decided to do what the INSIDERS are saying: ACT, and in order to ACT I had to find what was the problem, and after a little bit of research, I understood.
First Problem: I had no credibility.
Solution: Act on it.
Generating the plan of action was easy, implementing it a little bit more difficult. I needed to network, and find people that could push me in the right direction. After some initial stumbles, timing was on my side. Municipal elections were rolling in, and the local politics machine kicked in gear.
I went to a political meeting, and guess what? To my surprise my accent became a vehicle to start conversations. Ladies loved it, men asked me about Europe and stuff. Not even two meetings later, I was talking in a restaurant to one of the leading Texas politicians that work behind the scenes. Want to call governor Abbott? here's the phone #. Want to talk to Chuck Norris? Oh, he was in town tomorrow (I missed him!!!). More importantly, this guy spent an hour telling me many things, explaining the hows and who's. He just wanted to talk, he explained how it was difficult to be a young intern at the Nixon White House, and how many crazy things he saw in the US Congress. But he gave me many pointers that I wrote down as soon as I got home (in his opinion the most important pointer is: "Take notes. wherever you go, whenever you meet someone, take notes. and if necessary take notes on your notes.")
Now, accessibility is fine, but it's far from being important. Without me even realizing he was testing me.
At a different meeting a month later I saw him, next to the (now) mayor, a couple of senators, councilmen, and other politicians. As soon as the guy saw me, he interrupted his conversation and yelled : "Hey [my name!], come here I want you to meet someone!". He made me greet those people, that instantly thought I was someone working behind the scene. He was even able to remember everything I told him. In their eyes I had some (minor) credibility, and more important all the other people around them looked at me as I was someone known for something. I was (and I am) a nobody, yet this guy saw something. Fast forward a few months later, and by showing up (as Woody Allen would say), acting, and preparing, I am well known around the area. Still a nobody, don't get me wrong. I am not bragging. But it's a big step up for someone who spent ten years alone in a lab.
Now, I had to make tactical choices, here they are:
- Stop reading FLF. The amount of information here is incredible, the INSIDERS section is a MUST (at least once), but FLF won't feed me. It's not made to feed me. Stop, and act. Then come back.
- Use social media to my advantage. I created a FB profile, very professional. I (social) networked with all the "big guys", and to my surprise after a while THEY were asking me their friendship. My LinkedIn is as pure and complete as it could be. I use twitter and Instagram once in a while, mostly to show that I am active.
- Stop reading fiction books, begin reading serious stuff. I began reading many non-fiction books, there's another thread on that somewhere.
- Stop listening to music (well, reduce it). Boring stuff to do at work? Podcasts, audiobook, or youtube seminars. Commute? Audiobook.
- Network, network, network. Go to events. Show up.
- Be myself.
Now, a few weeks ago I did not have a product. I had no idea of what product I could offer. By chance, and thanks to an online conversation, I think I got it.
- Am I an expert on the Subject? yes.
- Have I lived through it? yes.
- Have I asked for opinions? yes.
- Am I credible? yes.
I don't know if the product will sell; it starts with a blog that is up and running now but it has just little content. Yet, I am obsessed with it. And I am back on FLF to get to the next step.
The game is on.
Oh and by the way... the other night there was a big reception with governor, senators, 9/11 survivors, and all the usual guys you would expect to find at that kind of reception (millionaires).
The old guy I told you about received a lifetime award. During his speech he thanked his wife,his kids, a couple of friends and... guess who? Me. Why? For being a conservative immigrant that decided to be active in his adoptive country.
Guess what? Two minutes later I was surrounded by people wanting to meet me. Again, this is far from success. I am not successful. I am just saying that by acting - and maybe even stopping reading FLF - opportunities may arise.
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