The Big Uneasy: Clearing the Clouds of Guess
People often come to me to assist them with developing
their brand because they are unable to accomplish the
business success they desire. They're experiencing what
we call the Big Uneasy--the state of being when things are
hard. They are stuck in an idea, unable to make it happen,
and dreams are unfulfilled. Life is heavy, there's a lack of
flow... the Big Uneasy has taken over. Knowledge is needed to alleviate the discomfort-- to grow
your business, to make the right decisions. In our
information-rich world of today there is a multitude of help
available. Multi-day, multi-speaker and multi-vendor events have
become the norm. More help is coming to the rescue
everyday. These essential events open people up to a
greater world of possibility-- as well as something else that
can be debilitating-- the clouds of guess. Yes, you heard me right, the clouds of guess. The breeding ground for the clouds of guess is amongst the
amazing speakers sharing valuable experience and
powerful tools at many multi-day events and the wonderful
people seeking to grow and fully participate in success. I
recently discovered this excruciating phenomenon on the
speaking trail with my own company. Like experiencing the marine layer as it gradually rolls in at
dusk from the ocean, during the first day of the event the
clouds were nearly undetectable--masked by the crowd's
excitement and enthusiasm. But as day two and three day
rolled out, the clouds of guess were swirling overhead.
Hundreds of people became engulfed in these clouds. At
first I thought it was simply information overload, however
looking closer I found the "clouds" were really DECISION
overload. "How do I decide which expert to go with?", "What
tool is right for me for the money?", "What approach is best
for my business right now?". These business owners were
trying to decide without having a solid method to make a
decision so...they were reduced to guessing. By the end of the multi-day event they were unable to make
any powerful decisions for their business. Only a skillful few
were able to circumvent the clouds. What did they know, that
most others didn't? We often trip ourselves up by asking the wrong questions.
The question isn't, what expert, tool or approach that can
assist you best. If you are listening to someone on the
stage they are most likely successful infopreneurs; and
certainly has something of value to share with you. The real
question is "where am I in my business, service or product
at this specific point and what comes first." We all take something for granted in our lives, myself
included. A member of the Producers Guild of America with
a background producing theatre, television, interactive
games and the Internet, and an education in architecture, I
often forget the value of the "process" perspective that I have
honed. Please know that there is an indisputable process
necessary to produce anything-- especially something of
value. And the process clears away the clouds of guess and
prevents them from ever returning. However, if the order of the process is altered, or if a step is
skipped, something WILL go wrong. Not only will those
clouds return, the new question will be... how much and
how bad will it hurt? The major milestones of a typical production process
(bringing a idea into manifestation) in the language of
entertainment is: ? Development (idea, concept & script) ? Pre-production (how will it be made, delivered, budgeting,
casting, etc.) ? Production (making it) ? Post-production (delivering it) Translating these major milestones to manifesting any
business, service or product: ? Idea, Concept & Branding ? Productization - how will it be made or delivered, priced,
where it fits in the existing product line or market, etc. ? Making it ? Marketing it Use ALL those steps and the success you seek is yours. The discipline and excellence you put into each step and
every little thing you do is what allows success to manifest.
The very process that you use directly impacts the speed of
your result. Skipping a step in the process or doing it
incompletely WILL delay or even prevent you from making
your success happen. Before your make any implementation decision, be clear
about where you are in the manifestation process. I
guarantee, operating in this place of clarity will keep away
the clouds of guess and turn your Big Uneasy completely
around. Now that you know this, go out and make it happen! W. Vito Montone, Co-founder BrandU?, Co-Author of Why
Brand: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size, and
BrandU? Bible, the only step-by-step workbook for
developing your business as a brand.
www.whybrandu.com. © 2003 Castle Montone, Limited All Rights Reserved. W. Vito Montone has produced over 25 stage plays including
To Oz and Back, the television show Entertainment Atlanta
? for a CBS affiliate, three multi-million dollar award
winning CD-ROM projects for Disney Interactive: including
MathQuest with Aladdin featuring Robin Williams" and the
award winning broadband website,"Concept:Cure" for
Digital Domain and General Motors. He has consulted on
story structure on over 15 feature projects, and was
Executive Producer at Paramount Digital Entertainment
leading development of the next generation of entertainment
on the web. His vast array of work experience has earned
him the title of "Experience Architect.' He is the Co-Founder
and President of Why Communications where in addition to
the day to day branding business, he explores next
generation digital entertainment & branded virtual
experiences. He co-created BrandU, the only step-by-step
process of developing your business as a brand, and
co-authored the BrandU Bible, and the upcoming Why
BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size
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