Have you ever been blown away by another person?
The other day, I was listening to the Fizzle podcast while making my way through the unbearably clogged streets of South Miami. The first part of the podcast was an interview with a restaurateur from Seattle whose name is Mark Canlis. (Check out the episode here.) As I listened to Canlis speak, I was moved, excited, and enchanted. He described the customers at his restaurant with such loving detail that it was impossible not to be drawn in by his story. He talked about his philosophy of hospitality with such precision and grace that I literally craved more.
Ever since, I’ve been asking myself: What did Canlis do that was so exciting? How can I truly enchant my audience?
If you want to work for yourself, it’s not just an option, but a necessity to pull people in and inspire them.
I asked myself – what can I do to inspire my audience way more than I have been?
A few months ago, I took the Fascination Advantage Assessment on Sally Hogshead’s website, and today I decided to dig it up and read the results. It said that my key fascination strength was “Innovation” – the ability to see trends, be creative, and think outside the box.
And that got me thinking about this blog. Because I really, really care about it. And I am proud of it. But I don’t have audience I want. Which must mean it’s not truly fascinating.
If my fascination skill is Innovation, why is this blog only mildly innovative? I think it’s because I modeled it after so many other blogs I’ve read. Bullet points, headlines, key takeaways, it’s all useful and helpful. Which was my goal.
But to really motivate you to build those fantastic relationships that will truly keep your business going, I think you need more. I need to knock your socks off. I want my readers to be so interested in one post that they can’t help but read the next. And in order to do that, I need to be more innovative, more creative. Every time I sit down to write, I need to be ready to not just help people, but to truly inspire them.
Enough about me. What about you? How can you knock their socks off?
Here are a few ideas:
- Get to know yourself better. Take the Fascination Advantange Assessment to see what your top fascination strengths are. Listen to this podcast by Jason and Jeremy at Internet Business Mastery about your Single Motivating Purpose to discover what drives you to wake up in the morning. When you know your purpose and your fascination strengths, you will be better able to inspire others.
- Think about people who inspire you, and emulate them. What makes them so fascinating? Why do you crave their company or their message? For example, my best friend Danielle fascinates me because she’s not afraid to pursue her goals and takes steps daily to make it happen. Chris Guillebeau of $100 Startup and the World Domination Summit fascinates me because he’s adventurous and celebrates the accomplishments of others. From this, I ask myself, how can I better communicate my courageous pursuit of worthwhile goals, adventurous spirit, and love of teaching?
- Stop copying other people. Wait, what? Didn’t I just write that you are supposed to emulate other people? Yes, but do it by celebrating your own uniqueness. You may be adventurous, driven, and innovative, but I guarantee you express those traits differently than everyone else on the planet. Own that.
- Get excited about other people. What really drew me in when I listened to the Fizzle podcast was Canlis’s apparent love for his customers. He didn’t say much about his own story, but instead focused on why he loves serving others. People will crave your company when they know you really, really care about them.
- Be courageous in your own life. When you courageously pursue your dreams, you will become someone that other people look up to and want to emulate. And be honest about your struggles in your pursuit of your dreams. Courage becomes that much more magnetizing when it’s wielded in the face of adversity.
What are you going to do to knock their socks off today?
Share your thoughts in the comments section. I can’t wait to hear from you!
I think you will attract the audience you want. You are a good writer and passionate about helping people.
I struggle with finding my own voice writing. Speaking is more natural to me, so some posts I have written are better than others.
I am launching a podcast this fall and it may be something you want to consider. You already have written interviews and a podcast would bring you a larger audience. It is the one thing I have seen skyrocket some people’s blogs. I am currently taking John Lee Dumas’ course.
On a side note, since you liked the Mark Canlis interview so much, you might enjoy Danny Meyer’s Setting the Table book.
Hi Wendy, thanks for your comment! What is your podcast about? I’d love to learn more about it. Thanks also for the book suggestion!