In a hotel lobby in Vancouver, B.C., Charlie Gilkey sat me down, stared me in the eye, and said, with that strange combination of compassion and icey-seriousness that was no doubt effective when he was a military commander, “Mark, you have to do video.”
You know that kind of gross habit some buggy people like to do where they stick a pin in a butterfly and display it in a book? That’s what Charlie’s nicey-icey look did to me. Transfixed, I was, right to that chair. I nodded. “Yes, Charlie. You’re right. It’s time.”
Trouble was, I had said that a dozen times before and since. I wasn’t getting to it. I wasn’t actually doing the walking.
Time to Get Walking
In my Sufi spiritual lineage, spiritual work is referred to as “the walking.” As in, “You’re walking your path.” Challenges, issues, even joys and celebrations, are all part of the walking.
The brilliance of this metaphor is in the observed phenomenon that you have to be in motion to see change. Just sitting there isn’t going to get you anywhere.
In writing that, I feel the need to explain I’m not talking about forgoing contemplative or devotional spiritual practice in favor of action. As I’ve written about time and time again, action can be useless or even harmful if it’s not based in connection and love.
And if you’ve ever maintained a regular spiritual practice, you know that “just sitting there” isn’t just sitting there. You’re doing the walking.
But beyond spiritual practice, showing up is often a critical catalyst for change and evolution.
All of this high-minded blither-blather is to say that I realized there was a place I wasn’t showing up and doing the walking. Video. Oy.
So I Showed Up
I’ve been writing for over twenty years. I love to write. I’m really comfortable with it. I’ve been recording audio for close to ten years. I feel darn good about that.
Video, eh? Yuck. I don’t know how to edit it. I’m not always comfortable staring at a camera. I don’t know all the tricks to engaging an audience visually. I’m a beginner.
But the only way I’m going to get there is by walking.
The Two-Week Video Challenge
I challenged myself to make one short video each day, and posting it on our blog, starting Tuesday, August 24 (Monday was my birthday) and going through Friday, September 3, not including the weekends.
I let go of trying to meet client needs and expectations. I let go of being in service. I realized that I needed to get comfortable with the medium, and just doing nine videos in a row is, I’m pretty sure, going to get me comfortable very quickly.
It’s working. You can see the first video here and then just follow the trail through the blog. I’m already more comfortable.
Will you join me? You could do a video challenge, or some other kind of challenge. The basic guidelines are: pick something you’re uncomfortable with, and then do a lot of it, consistently, in a short amount of time, with no expectations on how effective it will be for your business. It’s purely a learning process.
If you take it on, and you have a blog, post the link here in the comments. Let’s check us all out.
p.s. Molly Gordon’s Amazing Self-Employment Telesummit
Molly Gordon, from Shaboom, Inc, has been a true friend of mine for a few years now. We’re in a mastermind group together, we hang out when we’re in the same city. I just love her to pieces.
She’s also really, really good at the self-employment thing. She’s been helping entrepreneurs for years, longer than I have, and she’s been extremely effective.
Molly invited me to present at her Self-Employment Telesummit, which I agreed to. I know we just promoted our Momentum course, but this is way different. If Momentum wasn’t right for you, but you need real support to get your business going, then check out the telesummit.
Next Wednesday, September 8 I’m doing a no-cost call with Molly so you can experience who she is. I think you’ll really enjoy her no-nonsense, grounded, heart-felt way of approaching self-employment. Click here to read about the call and sign up. Please join us.
10 Responses
I’m happy that you decided to take the video plunge. I started doing a weekly video on my blog ( http://www.minibizbuzz.com ) last summer, and I improved every time. Initially I felt uncomfortable, but now I love it. Once people started responding and commenting, I understood that there was an actual audience, even though I was alone when I made the videos. I now feel I’m speaking directly to people. I know you’ll enjoy the process, and you’ll be a video superstar in no time.
Beth
Thanks, Beth- glad to know you jumped in, too.
Hi Mark,
Best wishes for your two week video challenge. I’m sure you’ll be super.
I wonder, though, if we all have to do video. Or, is that part of the “you’re not enough just writing” school?
It’s interesting how folks out there talk about the new biz authenticity, then “experts” insist we have to do it because everyone else is doing it.
Wouldn’t it be more authentic to work with the medium that makes our hearts sing, so others can feel it? It might be video, or it might be writing, or it might be audio or it might an in-person meeting or it might be a phone call, or it might be all of them or none of them.
What feels important is that we really like doing it enough to make a true connection. Otherwise, we’re back in the 9 to 5 job we didn’t like where others told us what to do.
Will I do video? Not sure. At this point, it feels like another “must” and I’m trying to steer clear of them.
G.
I totally support you to only do what you are called to do. Video was calling me and so I finally answered. I’m wondering if I was clear enough that I wasn’t asking everyone to do a *video* challenge- but just to take something in their business that has been calling them, and to do a lot of it, mediocre, in a short time frame to break through and get comfortable with it.
Mark,
I have to say that I agree with Giulietta–my web designer is trying to convince me to put some video up on my new site when it launches but I just don’t feel like it’s the right thing for me and coming from a background in musical theater, I don’t even know how I would keep the thing from turning out like a Busby Berkley production.
That being said I watched video #1 and #5 and oh, my dear do you have any idea of the brilliance that you revealed in #5?
What you said that sums up the whole piece was this in regards to writing content: “If you have just one message in your heart, that’s enough. Just say it in as many different contexts as possible. Don’t feel like you have to be original, instead what you want to be is truthful and sincere.”
You just gave me a BIG gift right there. I have been struggling with producing content and finding my blog voice for a long time and this has just shifted everything.
Thank you barely cuts it.
But that’s all I have right now so…
Thanks you, thank you, thank you.
You never cease to rock my world.
Right on! What I said to Giulietta applies here- listen to your heart. It wasn’t time for me to do video for a long time. Then it became time, then it became over-ripe.
If it’s not time, it’s not time. Maybe it will never be time. And stay open. As seasons change, so do their fruits.
And thank you for your kind words. I’m glad the message landed with such perfection for you. Rock on!
A knack of mine is the nicey-icey look and tone, or so I’m told. I’m so happy to have influenced this new blossoming, even if was just a little.
As always, thanks for your continued friendship and wisdom.
Dude, you’re dangerous with that. Who else is good cop/bad cop all in one?
Hi
I couldn’t stand how I looked or what I was expressing on video. So I video taped my friends. It’s call the 15 seconds of Fame video project, and here is one of the links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA2iNoHijGc
My goal is to film many more established friends and new friends!
Fantastic- I loved the video. Ahhh… the Castro. Brings back memories.