One of my all-time favorite movies is “Boiler Room”. If you haven’t seen it, buy it now! (that’s right, I said buy it, not rent it…it’s THAT good) The movie is about a stock brokerage firm that pushes phony stocks on unsuspecting victims. One of the most classic scenes in the movie (and in my opinion, in cinematic history) is a scene where Ben Affleck’s character is breaking it down for some wide-eyed, newbie recruits. Laying the law, if you will. One thing he says to these guys that sticks out is the phrase“Act as if”. “Acting as if” is a personal development trick where you imagine how someone who’s in a position you aspire to would act, and then do those things yourself. Watch this clip: (or the full scene here)
“Fake it till you make it” is a common catchphrase that means to imitate confidence so that as the confidence produces success, it will generate REAL confidence. It means trying a new role on for size, embracing a new mindset, and acting on your intention “to become” with reinforcing behaviors. You bypass the “what if’s” and go straight to the “what for’s!” And the payoff for this intentional role play comes when you realize your acting is no longer acting and you’ve rightly grown into the new role, becoming what you wanted to become.
Ted Murphy's famous avatar
At the end of January I had the amazing opportunity to hear Ted Murphy, the CEO of IZEA, speak at the launch of Blu Frog Energy Drink in Ft. Worth, TX and WHAM! I immediately knew. What did I know? Well, I knew several things. For one, I knew I wanted to figure out a way to harness, bottle, and physically consume his infectious enthusiasm and passion. I also knew that I wanted to do exactly what he was doing. I wanted to embrace his passion for viral marketing and social networking and I wanted to empower others to think outside the box and explore the benefits of e-commerce and the power of building relationships through social media outlets, just as he does.
Ted is literally building an empire and he has barely cracked his thirties. Not only is he the Founder and CEO of IZEA, but he is the mastermind behind payperpost, CloudShout, SocialSpark, and Sponsored Tweets. He understands branding, marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, and innovation. He is humble while confident and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s quite a package and a tremendous person to emulate.
I had the seed of desire already planted in me and all I had to do was water it and make it grow. How did I go about doing that? By acting as if. First, I decided it was okay for me to try this new “social media expert” role on for size and play with it for awhile. Then I began thinking and acting like a blogger; I came up with title, tagline, image, and brand that I wanted to build around myself. I began exploring what i would write about and how I would tailor my message. Since I identified with Ted Murphy, it was essential for me to learn from what he was doing and how he was doing it. Moreover, it was imperative to duplicate what he was doing and make it work for me. I learned how to tweet literally just by watching Ted, Mr. Twitter, himself. I even modeled my blog after his. Act as if. Fake it till you make it.
When I was 12 years old I set a goal to earn a college golf scholarship and play on the PGA Tour. I knew that I was going to accomplish my dream. I didn’t initially have the tools or skill set, but I immersed myself in the world of golf. I observed my favorite players. I dressed like the guys I wanted to be like. I mimicked certain nuances in my favorite player’s swings. I walked like them, talked like them. I bought the same clubs and balls as them. I copied their pre-shot routines. Eventually, I subconsciously started to mirror their gestures, body language, and poses. And, after a lot of training and practice I began to grow and develop into a pretty talented golfer.
I accomplished one of my goals and I am on my way to achieving the second. I acted as if until I became what I saw for myself. The same applies now. In order to develop and build my personal brand and lock into the power of social media, I look to people like Ted who are blazing a trail and setting the pace. I like the fact that I walk to the beat of my own drum and I want to be a trailblazer and do things differently. I want to develop an audience/following before I get to the big show aka The PGA Tour. I want to control my brand and my message and flip the script on the traditional means of attracting sponsors and generating money or sponsor dollars.
In a sense, it’s about changing your identity and/or outlook. Doing this can greatly affect your earning power. You have to imagine what it would be like to achieve the things you want to achieve; to be like the people you admire or envy. And start becoming the person that has already reached your biggest goal. By doing this, it will help shift your mindset and help you start thinking of ways that will actually help you reach your goal faster.
You will be a different person. A better person. There will be so many different unique qualities to love about yourself when you complete your journey. But, don’t wait that long to see those changes unfold. Start imagining what those things are and apply them in your life today.
Fake it by becoming whatever goal you may have. Do this until one day you don’t have to fake it anymore. It will actually become part of your reality!
Tags: act as if, ben affleck, blog, blogging, Blu Frog, boiler room, branding, energy drink, fake it till you make it, izea, jim rohn, networking, personal brand, social media, Ted Murphy, The Limu Company, twitter
