Many people new to the entrepreneurial messenger’s path expect it to be a linear progression. After all, if you are doing heart-centered work, taking actions inspired by your soul’s purpose, surely the Universe itself will align everything to give you a smooth and easy rise to stardom. In my experience – not quite.
No matter how big a leader or celebrity in any field is, there are plenty of people who’ve never heard of him. I still come across people who’ve never heard of Wayne Dyer or Louise Hay, and it amazes me. A couple of years ago I met author/teacher Brendon Burchard at an event and I wasn’t familiar with him at all, which astounded everyone around me.
Also, no matter how “small” you might think you are, if you’ve released a book, taught a class, written a blog… you are a big deal to someone else. I teach workshops on ebook publishing and I tell people each time that publishing a book makes you a celebrity. Most don’t believe that until they hear from their first raving fan – a stranger whose life they positively impacted who reaches out to the author to let them know how much the person enjoyed their work. I still remember the first strangers who told me they’d seen one of my videos and read one of my books.
All the biggest names in any field did not begin with standing room only audiences, or books debuting at #1 on the best-sellers list. The messenger’s path is not a straight line. It has dips, curves, bumps and even such heavy road construction that you’ll be wondering why you ever dared travel down this road. It also has amazing highs, deep pockets of fulfillment, onslaughts of meaning and much more that make the journey very much worth it. You didn’t choose what you love to do, what you love to do chose you!
I recently had a workshop that nobody showed up for. Not long ago, that would have really bothered me and had me questioning what I was offering and if I was wasting my time. But I have learned that interest does not equal availability. People could be very interested in seeing you speak or taking your workshop, but they don’t have the time available that matches yours. So instead of giving up, offer it again. And again. And again.
I once taught a full-day workshop to a single student. I’ve also prepared content for a new 3-hour workshop that nobody signed up for. In that situation since I had all the material done, I made that my first online, on-demand class. And the full-day program for one was a tremendous value to that one student and it gave me another chance to improve my presentation skills. There really are no missteps, if we make the best of each situation. See the gift in what first seemed a disaster, and most importantly don’t take it personally. For that is the messenger’s path.