 Thank You Revolution Archive |
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When I started my blog last year, I had to make a decision:Be 100% transparent or Don’t do this thing at all. Obviously, I chose the former. Part of transparency is giving away secrets. Secrets that I previously guarded like Fort Knox. I guarded some secrets because I didn’t want others to benefit. I wanted certain things all to myself. Then I realized that your success doesn’t hinder mine at all. One secret I’ve held for years is that I write thank you notes to famous people. Not the celebrities you see on People Magazine. I can’t even name 90% of those people, nor do I particularly care about the other 10%. I’m referring to my favorite authors and speakers. I write these notes to people I’ve never met, but who have transformed my life in many ways. And I do so for two reasons: 1. They need it. Everyone needs to feel appreciated and I want them to know they are appreciated. I write them to let them know the specific impact they have made on my life and hope that it encourages them. 2. I might get something from it. Just when you thought I was totally altruistic, I burst that bubble. I just told you to do something for selfish reasons. Sue me. It’s true, though. You might get something out of it. A signed book. An invitations to share more in a testimonial. An invitation to speak. An invitation to write a blog post. The possibilities are endless. More often than not, you will get nothing. And #1 more than makes it worth it. But sometimes… You get a chance to dine with a world famous author and speaker. Or to play golf with the Majority Leader of the U.S. House on a world-famous course (the one and only time I ever played golf with Secret Service protection). Try it 10 times…and I’d love to hear the results. With Gratitude,
Matt McWilliams
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