“The only thing you’ve got in this world is what you can sell.” – Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman
Think ‘salesman’ and no doubt the image of a bloated, middle aged white man with a bad comb over quickly springs to mind.
Sporting a smile that even his own mother wouldn’t trust and a handshake that makes your skin want to leave your body; and it’s no wonder ‘sales’ is a dirty word.
It’s time for the lasso of truth, to ‘out’ a non-superhero ‘hero’.
You see, while it is true that Wonder Woman and I have never been seen at the same time, at the same place. I am in fact, not of Amazonian immortal descent.
Even though I may or may not own a Wonder Woman singlet – which I secretly wear under a blouse during the colder months – alas neither am I the daughter of Queen Hippolyta.
You know, I had forgotten what it was like. How terrifying it was to put yourself ‘out’ there ‘out’ there.
Having worked in media and publicity for the past 20 years, I couldn’t remember a time when I struggled to get on TV, on radio or in magazines and newspapers. It had been my Business Owner Secret Sauce.
But then ‘Big Magic’ hit last month, suddenly and unexpectedly while sitting in a convention in Phoenix.
This isn’t my idea. But then none of them really are.
It’s not that I steal other people’s creations, concepts or inventions, it’s just that the ideas were not mine to begin with; and they’re not yours either. Let me explain…
Ever had an exciting new, ground breaking, innovative, inspirational surge of creative adrenalin only to find out someone beat you to it?
My father once told me that life had no dress rehearsals; that we didn’t get to “do over” a scene we didn’t like or star in more screenings than originally booked.
That is, unlike Aussie singer John Farnham (who’s famous for a dozen or so ‘last comeback tours)’, or the never-ending parade of Cats musicals, life – unlike a show – is finite.
Life has an expiration date.
Have you ever wondered if “successful” people feel fear?
It seems like once they’ve made it, all that other stuff – that internal dialogue: angst, anxiety and self doubt – just fades away, right? Continue reading “Fear, Ferraris And The Courage Formula” »
Have you ever wondered whether you should just go and get a day job? Quit and join the ant trail on the highway that drives to and from work every day? I know I have.
In fact, once I sat opposite a friend of mine – also a fellow entrepreneur – and I was so “done” that I could barely utter a broken sentence as I cried in to my flat white (coffee). Continue reading “How many chances do entrepreneurs really get?” »
Having had a business wash away during an inland tsunami, I often get asked the question: “When is an obstacle in business just a challenge to be overcome or a sign of something more systemic?” Continue reading “Lessons From Irresponsible Paddlers” »
Warning: This is shot on location on a bull-shark infested windy canal on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia. If you’re wearing earphones, apologies for the blast of wind at the beginning. It was great sailing weather.
In what has been a very sad week in the news – 49 killed in Orlando – it’s a massive reminder to make sure we’re fast tracking life to live on path, on purpose and passion fuelled … because time is finite.
One of my favourite says is: “Life has no dress rehearsal”. Continue reading “Life Has No Dress Rehearsal” »
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Tanya Targett a multi-published, award-winning daily news journalist and former investigative reporter. A media trainer and speaker, Tanya is based on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia, where she indulges her love of kite surfing and stand up paddle boarding.
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