In a 2007 blog post on TroyRutter.com I posted an idea.
Send me one of your “techy” T-shirts, literature about your company, and I will blog about it and post a photo of myself wearing the shirt on my Flickr account with a link (thats 2 links) and maybe even podcast about it (3 links!). That will be at least a PR4 (used to be a 5) link from me to you, reciprocal link is not necessary. Again, this is for technology, Internet, web companies only please. Examples include Podshow, Viddler, etc.
Today, Jason from I Wear Your Shirt is on the Today show.
Good for him!
It would be easy for me to sit and whine about “But I thought of that first!” Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. (He says he came up with the idea in 2005.) But the undeniable fact is this:
He took action.
Those who take action are 100% more likely to accomplish a goal than those who don’t. It’s true. The leading cause of thousands of businesses never being successful is the inability to start.
Fear is a great un-motivator. What if I fail? What if I lose all my money? What if my parents think I’m crazy. What if my friends say its a stupid idea?
What if you never take a chance and DO it
As I was driving home from Minneapolis Sunday, something was going through my head. I had heard time and time again that “The bigger the chance, the bigger the payoff.” As I was thinking about this, I passed a casino. It is one of the smallest casinos in Iowa, and when I went in, finding a slot machine I liked was difficult. People say the slots are a waste of money, but I kept thinking, “the bigger the chance.” I put $20 in and played all “lines” on the machine. $20 gone in 10 seconds. Another $20. Same deal. Finally, I realized what I had to do, I slipped the $100 I had into the machine, played all lines. First pull, nothing, second nothing, third… it wasn’t a jackpot, but I made the initial $40 and then enough for gas money for the road trip. I cashed out.
Risk Does Not Equal Money
Not all risks have to be monetary things, it can simply be stepping out of your comfort zone. In 2005 I had just published a book on acting, with an entire chapter dedicated to auditioning. The local community theater was havign auditions for “The Fantasticks” – a musical, and I thought about trying out. Not because I wanted to, but because I thought “I wrote a book on acting – how hypocritical would it be to be scared of auditioning. So I did it. The next year I was on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, and then served 2 years as President. I have seen a lot of great shows, met a lot of great people and have made a difference in a few people’s lives. That’s my “big reward.”
Consequences of never starting
If you have an idea and never start it, you will always be on the lookout for someone who “stole your idea.” It’s human nature. In reality, for every new idea you think of, chances are somebody else thought of something similar. What makes your idea unique is simple. You! Never underestimate the unique value that you, yourself, bring to a seemingly simple idea. The trick is taking that idea, making it yours, and doing it.
Otherwise, just sit back and tell your family and friends “I thought of that first!” They are the only ones who will listen.
