Passion excites, it attracts and it sells. It’s contagious, inspirational and motivational. It’s the secret ingredient needed to complete the recipe that constitutes your career. It’s the enthusiasm that makes the difference between a terrific interview and a mediocre one. It’s the catalyst that often makes the difference between selling a project or not. It’s the irresistible characteristic that differentiates you from your competitors. It’s the magnet that pulls others toward you. It’s the motivation needed to keep you in the game. And it’s the driving force that keeps you going when the going gets tough. No matter what book you pick up on this topic, what seminar or course you take, what speaker you’re listening to – everyone agrees: nothing launches or propels a career (in any business) as powerfully as does passion.
So what do you do if you’re passionate on the inside but rather reserved on the outside? First of all, you have to start working on a new MO, because other people can’t read your mind. And there is no pill you can take that will make you visibly more passionate or endow you with a more enthusiastic attitude. So if you’re one of those individuals who needs to venture outside of your comfort zone, how do you start the journey from shy to compelling… from mild-mannered to compelling? Easy… start with a smile :)
My niece was in town last week, and I took her to Universal City Walk one evening. At the very end of a long row of shops, restaurants and bigger-than-life neon signs, there was a street performer dancing the funk and interacting with the audience that had gathered around him. One of the many things this colorful character yelled out to the crowd was, “If you’re not smiling, put it on your to-do list!”
I couldn’t stop thinking about that sentence! After coming off of my 6-week teaching job at USC this summer and having had a few very shy students, it struck me as exceptionally relevant. I figuratively beat my students over the head with messages like:
Get involved.
Ask questions.
Be the first to say hello.
Volunteer.
Get out to meet people.
Start building a network and creating relationships.
Learn as much as you can about the industry.
Have an opinion.
Figure out what it is that makes you special.
Find a way to stand out among your competition.
Pitch yourself and/or your projects with confidence and excitement.
Don’t sit in the corner behind the potted palm plant.
Don’t slink down in your seat.
Don’t stare at your feet.
Don’t complain or whine.
Don’t say you don’t know or it’s not your job.
Be excited about working in this amazing industry.
Be the one with the good personality and great attitude.
Be the one others want to invest in, hang with, work with, have around.
Be the one someone looks at and thinks: “Whatever it is that guy’s got, I want some!”
You might be able to function in other universes without much passion, but in the business of Show, it’s an ingredient, without which, your career will likely fall flat (just like a soufflé). So stand in front of your mirror and practice smiling. It’s a great start.
