Just Do It and Reap the Rewards

Some of your greatest opportunities are ahead of you, although some may not seem possible, at this time. To achieve them, all you have to do is decide to try ... to take the first step ... to put something into motion ... to just do it.

There's a reason why Nike chose "Just Do It" as its slogan. It's the first step to getting results, and that's what business is all about.

Think about the movie "Frost / Nixon." It brings to mind how a British talk show host outmaneuvered the big three networks. At a time when ABC, NBC, and CBS were willing to allocate few resources and funds to the idea of interviewing the former president, David Frost was willing to ask for an in depth interview.

People told him that he wouldn't be able to get the interview, and if he did, he wouldn't be able to get Mr. Nixon to answer questions. As the British would say, the idea was pure folly. But he did take the first step. He asked. He got the interview. He then had to get sponsors. Again, he just did it.

The rest, as they say, is history. The interviews were indeed revealing, the interviews led to a play, which led to a movie. David Frost has since been knighted, and the interview, though seemingly devastating for Mr. Nixon, may actually have been cathartic for him. All because Mr. Frost took the initiative and just did it.

It has worked for me A couple of years ago, I read the book "Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels. I decided that it would be beneficial for my clients and others to hear from Mr. Tisch and his thoughts about the results provided by a superior customer experience.

I contacted Mr. Tisch and asked for a brief interview. In a short time, it became a reality. When I published the subsequent article, a business associate in New York called and asked how I got the interview. I answered, "I just asked."

This idea is still working for me. I have published a marketing workbook, called "More Clients More Profits: How to Build the Business You've Always Dreamed About." It systematically helps self-employed professionals attract more clients and be more profitable by creating a customized marketing plan they can and will implement.

While creating the workbook, I decided to ask other authors to contribute their expertise. So I asked. As a result, articles by the following experts are included: - Ivan Misner (founder and chairman of BNI), Susam RoAne (author of "Working a Room"), Bob Burg (author of "Endless Referrals"), Debbie Allen (author of "Confessions of the Shameless Self-Promoter"), Scott Ginsberg (author of "The Power of Approachability"), and others.

Too often the only thing that holds us back is ourselves. Don't let this happen to you. If you have an idea that you believe is worth pursuing, just do it!