A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This is the most important thing that I’ve realized in my life so far. I’ve managed to use it to my advantage in both my personal and professional life and found that this is really the only thing that sets me apart from others better than I am.
I’m a journalist by training, but I worked as one for less than six months. Instead I’ve taken on other completely unrelated tasks, first struggling to stay afloat, but always reaching the surface a little bit wiser. Without it I wouldn’t grow.
My mentor Neil Vineberg aka Shambu at one of my previous jobs had a saying – it starts with one – meaning that if you can get just one person with you, the rest will follow. The wonderful thing is that it actually works. I’ve used it to set up new business models, partner deals, exhibitions and much more. The way I go about it, is that I set up the best pitch I can and then present it to whomever I’m pursuing, often many companies or people simultaneouly. If it doesn’t stick the first time, I perfect the pitch based on the feedback and then wait. Most often the idea will grow and either I or the one I’m pursuing will return when the time is right and it just takes off from there. If you force it, it won’t work. When you then have one, the next one is easier since you can say that the first one is already onboard. And that’s when it really takes off. But you have to take that first step – most never do.
Forthzine - Jonas Forth 