The Work Behind Luck
My book, The SuddenTeams Program, is featured in the current issue of Triangle Business Journal (Feb. 19, p. 11). How that happened is a lesson in laying groundwork, building relationships and taking chances. As the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
The groundwork is the book, of course. My teamwork training program took six months of full-time effort to research and write back in 2000, and I have updated it regularly since. Once when I plopped the 500-page binder on a prospect’s desk, he said, “That’s about 2000 hours, isn’t it?” At least that, I’m sure.
Paring the manual into a “do-it-yourself” version, editing over and over, designing the cover, and doing all the little things it takes to complete publication took me at least three more labor-months. It wasn’t all hard work. One draft was done in Orlando, punctuated by fun with my “odd-daughter” Gina and trips to rough spots like Cape Canaveral National Seashore, where you can have a big plot of undeveloped beach to yourself within site of the Space Shuttle gantries. (Although I am technically her godfather, I prefer ”odd-father,” hence my funny sobriquet for her. My thanks to Melisse and Lee for putting me up and putting up with me.)
In addition to that preparation, I also regularly attended TBJ events and got to know one of the paper’s staff members. I had noticed the book write-ups in its “Tip Sheet” column, and the last time I saw him, I asked who the contact was. He directed me to Managing Editor Dale Gibson, which made me gulp. When I got to the TBJ Web site to look up Mr. Gibson’s e-mail address, I was bummed to find only a phone number. Like a lot of entrepreneurs, I have a hard time picking up the phone to ask for something. But I took a deep breath and a chance.
He was politely professional, asked a couple of appropriately pointed questions, and then referred me to Associate Editor Jeff Drew. After a similar exchange, Mr. Drew said that in fact, he had an opening in the next issue if I could get the book information and a graphic of the cover to him that morning. This instantly became my top priority, of course. First thing Friday I downloaded the PDF version of the paper and was thrilled to see my book. Lest you think Mr. Drew just used what I gave him, the words are his except where I’m directly quoted, and it was clear he had researched my background.
If you are a team member or entrepreneur trying to get things going your way, this incident provides some tools. I hate general lists like this, but I’ll indulge myself since I’ve given you concrete examples already:
- Do your homework.
- Show up.
- Be nice to people.
- Reach out rather than waiting for others to find you.
- Have priorities, but flex to changing conditions.
I don’t know if this exposure will sell another copy of my book. But it has granted me free publicity in the best-read business publication in my new locale a mere four months after restarting TeamTrainers here.
P.S. The book is available at CreateSpace.com, Amazon.com, and Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.
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Date: February 20, 2010
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