You know, I had forgotten what it was like. How terrifying it was to put yourself ‘out’ there ‘out’ there.
Having worked in media and publicity for the past 20 years, I couldn’t remember a time when I struggled to get on TV, on radio or in magazines and newspapers. It had been my Business Owner Secret Sauce.
But then ‘Big Magic’ hit last month, suddenly and unexpectedly while sitting in a convention in Phoenix.
There in a room with 1100 other entrepreneurs from around the world, I was transported back 11 years to the very first time I sat down to write a media release about ME and my business versus a media release about a client.
And it was different.
Now, this wasn’t the first time I had written a press release – I’d penned them for politicians and bureaucrats, musicians and business rockstars … but here I was writing one for me.
And it was terrifying. What did I write about? What was my ‘angle’? What was my story? Who even cared about my story? How was this – or more to the point, how was I – and my business EVEN interesting?
But it didn’t end there, because when fear takes over it can become a bit of a Drama Queen.
Was, for instance, the reporter going to laugh at me at my story idea?
Would a mark go against my name as journalists – near and far – quietly snickered at me in public … “Oh, that’s that Tanya Targett, remember that media release she sent through? As IF…”
Rejection, it can be a dream stealer. And the fear of it can keep you small.
Thankfully my desire to play bigger overcame the fear that day. And so I sat down, with notepad and pen and interviewed myself for a media release about me.
Then I sent it out. Then I followed it up. Then it went from newspapers to magazines to national TV.
No one laughed – at least not to my face. And even if they did, I had the last laugh because that media release not only put me and my business in mainstream media, but pulled in sponsor after sponsor after sponsor.
But I kept that from you – til now.
Let’s call it ‘selective amnesia’, which is crazy, because you need to know that I ‘get it’.
I get where you are at right now… that you want to put your hand up for more profile and authority, to get your message seen and heard above everyone elses.
You have Big Magic to share.. but how – and where – do you put your hand up?
Well, have you thought about TV, radio, magazines and even newspapers?
Because the truth is, while most entrepreneurs overlook mass media and publicity to grow their business, it’s often the key medium that helps you avoid being overlooked.
It shines the spotlight on you and what you do.
Imagine you interviewed on the TODAY show on prime time breakfast TV (3.1 million viewers) to be shared across their social media channels (6.2 million followers on Facebook alone).
It’s hard to ignore you now. So take my hand and let’s take the first step together.
I have a really powerful yet simple online workshop + PDF download (both are 100% free) available for just the next few days that will help you start your media journey.
Thankfully fear only stopped me for a couple of hours that morning, because since then, sharing my tools, my students have been able to chase their dreams, share their passions and mantra in the Huffington Post, Forbes Magazine, Lonely Planet, Daily Mail, the TODAY show, BBC World News and more.
That can be you now too. So let’s take the first leap of faith right now, right here.
By Tanya Targett | Guest Blogger | tanyatargett.com
