Okay so that is the most misleading title I could ever have used for this blog article. Permit me to explain with the following story to illustrate my point.
A few weeks ago I had a model from another city contact me to commend me on my work as a photographer in the fitness industry. She then asked a moderately peculiar question. She asked “can you send me contacts?”
Perplexed, I inquired as to what she meant by “send me contacts.”
Her response was that she wanted me to put her in touch with fitness photographers in her area, fitness modeling agents in her area and fitness magazines in her area.
Bear in mind, I’ve never met this person nor have I really had any conversation with them previously. Yet I was being asked to provide them with contacts to build their portfolio for them, contacts to consider signing them and contacts to publish them.
Assuming I was not reading this properly; I offered instead a wealth of information on how they could pave the path they wanted in their modeling career. I linked them to multiple blogs they could follow with information on how to develop a great career modeling as well as relevant articles I had written about pitching to magazines, developing client relationships, etc. Even linked them to TheProExposure podcasts which are all about how models can better their careers.
I ended with, please let me know if this information is helpful to you.
Couple days went by – no response. Not even a small response of insincere gratitude. Then a few more days went by. Then a few weeks.
Unfortunately this talent did not want information to help her be successful. She wanted the magic solution. That quick fix. The perfect and easy remedy to solve all of her problems and help her achieve all of her goals.
We see this a lot in many industries and mass marketing prays on it.
Get in shape quick, just take this pill which has a laundry list of side effects. But it is simple!
Get money without having to work for it. Attend any pyramid marketing meeting to see what that is like.
Spoiler alert! There is no magic solution.
It seems that very few are willing to do the hard work (and yes it is hard work) to strategize what they want. To set goals for themselves. To break those goals into milestones. And then to put themselves through the effort of achieving one milestone after the next.
This is why I have such admiration for those who I see achieve what they want. Whether it is in business or their personal life. And I stress the emphasis on the word “achieve.”
They are the few who earned IT.
James Patrick
www.jamespatrick.com
I love this blog, James. The truth is that nobody wants to hear the truth! Many clammer to the quick fix or the “you do it for me” solution. The achievers are those who realize that success is not owed to them it must, instead be earned by them.
Teri – Thank you so much for the reply. Really agre ewith what you commented here. Success is NOT owed. Good point!
James,
Interesting post. Society is changing all around us and at a quick pace. Your post is a prime example of where the world is going. Society is becoming full of people who want something for nothing. As I recently read, the newer generation is what they called the “entitlement” age. Where people feel they are entitled to things that they have not worked for. They just feel like they deserve it because they are who they are. The world is moving so quickly and technology is playing a bigger part in our lives. We don’t have to wait for the mailman to deliver us a letter because email can deliver it instantly. With internet available just about everywhere we are made available, our cell phone make us available 24/7, video allows us to see each other even if were hundreds of miles away from it other, you can collaborate over the cloud, etc. It has become a world of “we want it and we want it now”. The younger generation has never learned how to do it the manual way and the older generation is learning how to get it done with not having to work as hard to get it.
In the interim more is lost then working for it. Diplomacy, tact and respect are lost. How could this woman think that it is okay for her to ask you for all that you have worked for like it is a cup of sugar? It’s like asking a KFC for their secret recipe. We all have to build our own self-worth gaining respect along the way. Of course, this point of view is only coming from someone who has had to earn her way to the middle.
Sonia
Sonia – Thank you so much for the reply. It is scary to think what the entitlement age is creating. However; it just means that those who do the hard work and take on the bigger challenges are the ones who stand to gain more in the end.
Wow! I can’t believe she asked you that – and you didn’t even know her! Actually…I can…sounds like some of the other faux pas networking blunders! Remember someone bringing a portfolio at the mixer? Remember someone asking for a reference to college, when they did a horrible job in their volunteer position? Remember someone asking for a job, when they didn’t even know what the business was? I agree that there are many who want the quick solutions, and don’t want to take the time to work hard and build relationships. That is really nice, you gathered and sent all of that information over to her. That was a very stand-up way of handling an awkward situation! 🙂
Thanks so much for the comment Julie as well as the humorous reminder of all the faux pas we dealt with a few years ago. I certainly remember every single one of those things!
Love it James!! Well said!! It’s all about the consistent hard work and the little disciplines and decisions we make each day that add up to massive results. Everything worth achieving takes time, consistency and hard work. It’s probably why very few achieve what they really want in life!! Thanks for sharing…. great reminder!!! ~Morgan
Morgan – thank you so much for the comment. You are correct; that is why so few are archieving what they really want. Great point.