John is Guest on Veteran On the Move Podcast
Posted by John Livesay in blog | 0 comments
[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]John Livesay is guest on Veteran On the Move sharing tips on how to craft a compelling pitch that engages investors in a way that inspires them to join a startup’s team.
Joe Crane, founder and host of Veteran On the Move, guides veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship. Veteran on the Move features interviews with veteran entrepreneurs, start-ups, educators, experts and information on tools and resources for all entrepreneurs.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Listen Now![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
How to Conquer the 3 Faces of FEAR
Posted by John Livesay in blog | 0 comments
Everyone who has ever thought of trying something new from launching a new business to learning a new skill faces the 3 Faces of Fear.
Clearly fear can be a huge problem to overcome. The most important step in problem solving: clearly defining the problem in the first place!
Once we identify the 3 faces of fear, we have made the first step to conquering it.
I. FEAR OF REJECTION.
Whether you are asking someone out on a date or asking an investor to fund your startup, people worry about being rejected. When I started my podcast, The Successful Pitch, I was worried that people might reject my invitation to be on the show.
The only way to conquer this fear is first don’t take rejection personally. If someone says no to your offer, it just means it is not a fit now not forever. The way to not take rejection personally is to not reject yourself. If someone says they don’t like your idea for a new business, that does not mean you have to agree with their rejection.Howard Schultz was rejected many times launching Starbucks.
II. FEAR OF FAILURE
These are the internal thoughts you have when you launch a new business. When I was thinking about launching my podcast The Successful Pitch, I worried about the many forms of failure.
What if nobody downloads any of the episodes?
What if I can’t find someone to help me edit the podcast?
What if I spend all this time and money on a podcast and it flops?
The best way to deal with fear of failure is play out the worst case scenario in your head and say “So what?” Will I die of humiliation or will I regret not taking a chance?
Jay Samit in his book Disrupt You, says:
“Have a ZOMBIE idea so great it won’t die.”
In other words, fail fast and fail often as you come up with ideas and projects until you find one that works.
III. FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
If we only do the same things over and over that we know, we literally crush our soul’s spirit to create and grow. The idea of a comfort zone (doing things we know we can do) is an illusion.
If we are not constantly increasing the size of our comfort zone, it shrinks. There is no such thing as staying in the same spot as change happens all around us. We are at choice. Resist or embrace the unknown.
When I started my podcast, the list of things I didn’t know was a mile long:
I didn’t know how to properly interview people.
I didn’t know how to record a podcast
I didn’t know how to promote a podcast.
The good news is I found Harry Duran who is an expert and trained me and was able to get my podcast listed on iTunes New&Noteworthy. The podcast has allowed me to meet all kinds of wonderful and inspiring people who are changing the world with their innovations and courage as well as increasing my network.
As Judy Robinett says, “Your network is your net worth.”
If you need help facing the 3 Faces of Fear to get funded…
To Learn More, Join Me On The How to Get Investors to Say “YES”
ONLINE WORKSHOP WITH JOHN LIVESAY
How to become the Picasso of Pitches
Posted by John Livesay in blog | 0 comments
Everyone knows that the best pitch paints a picture.
Five years ago I had the opportunity to meet Francoise Gilot in her charming New York apartment that had her paintings as well as those of Picasso all around in every room. Picture being in an art gallery that just happened to be a place where she lived.
Francoise Gilot is the mother of Paloma Picasso and lived with Picasso during the 1940s and is a painter in her own right. She speaks with a charming French accent and has a light that sparkles in her eyes even though when I met her she was in her late 80s.
She said to me that “During the 1940s there was a shortage of canvas because of the war. ”
What she and other artists did was paint over their masterpieces. She said it very matter of fact with no remorse or sadness. She looked at one painting and said to me :
“This is the 5th painting I painted on this canvas. I think the 3rd one under it is my favorite.”
I asked her “What does it feel like to paint over your masterpieces?”
She said to me “When you have to express yourself, you can’t stop yourself. I still hold the memory of what I created in my mind and that is really where art lives after all.”
To me it was sad that the world would never get to see her favorite painting that was long ago painted over and lost forever. However, the story has stayed with me all these years and I get to share it with people who then are inspired to “paint over their masterpieces” or pivot as startups call it today.
Even when you have a shortage of materials in your startup, you still have the urge to create something that is your unique expression. Some creations become world famous and change the world and some are secrets only known to the person who created it.
Are you willing to paint over your Picasso?
Are you willing to become the Picasso of Pitches?
Are you showing as much passion and drive to your clients as an artist like Francoise Gilot did so that your pitch makes an emotional connection like a piece of art?