I believe it’s time that someone stood up and told the truth about one of the great problems that we face today. The truth is that we aren’t in short supply of idea makers or visionaries. The truth is that we are in short supply of idea implementers and visionmakers. Most people have a great idea. In fact, your great idea has probably been thought of by thousands of other people before you. It is not in your idea where value is created. Value is created in the extent of how far and how well you can execute on your idea. In fact, if you have that one-in-million idea or even that one-in-a-billion idea, that idea has been thought of by at least 6,700 to 6.7 other people in the world, respectively. How did I arrive at these numbers? Right now there are approximately 6.7 billion people in this world, 6.7 billion / 1 million or 1 billion is 6,700 or 6.7 people. I say this to illustrate the point on how useless ideas are, useless to the extent that you can implement that idea.
I write this in response to multiple articles that I have seen written about, “our leadership crisis.” I also recently saw The Social Network. Laugh all you want but yes, I finally saw The Social Network. Someone has to implement the great ideas that people have, I was busy implementing ideas while you were watching The Social Network or thinking of your next “big idea.” I say this in jest, simply to illustrate my point in the best way that I know how, sarcastically. In The Social Network, an idea was hatched for a social network that was based upon exclusivity; however, the idea makers/visionaries/leaders had no way to implement their idea. Their solution was to hire a programmer to write their social network. This programmer had to be creative and talented. They tried twice before but failed to find their guy, until they ran into Mark Zuckerburg.
Allegedly, Mark took their idea, turned his back on the project that he said he would do for them, and implemented a different and more robust version of their site. Mark launched the site Facebook and created a company valued at nearly $50 billion and a user base of nearly 600 million worldwide. Ideas are worthless. Value is created to the extent of how far and how well you can implement your idea.
What the world needs is not more idea makers/visionaries/leaders. What the world needs is more idea implementers/engineers/creators/gamers. Creatives who understand technology, psychology, design, and commerce. People who make things and not ideas. People who get things done by actually doing them and not by getting others to do it for them. One of America’s biggest problems is that we want to be the leader or own the project rather than do the hard work or learn the skills it requires to implement the project. We need to stop wanting to be the CEO or the next American Idol and start wanting to be the next best programmer or engineer or great designer or small business owner. If you want to create value, work and develop your skills in making the things you are passionate about. Collaborate with other doers and not thinkers. Value the creation of things rather than ideas.
Ideas are useless, useless to the extent of how far and how well you can implement your idea.
What was it that you wanted to be when you were growing up? An artist, a musician, an actor/actress, a doctor, a lawyer, or a business owner. Are you pursuing that dream? Is that dream dead? Is it too late to make yourself what you wanted to be when you were growing up?
I ask these questions as a challenge to you. Are you being true to yourself? Because, in the end, the only one you are truly responsible for is yourself. You are responsible for your life, and you should be proud of your life. Furthermore, I ask these questions of myself. I am pursuing my dreams but I am not pursuing them as hard as I should. I have taken steps in the right direction. I have also tried various professions to find out what truly makes me happy. What I have discovered is that my true love is in the creative of marketing and design and the development of designers. The love of my childhood has never gone away, yet for the better part of a decade, I have not pursued my passion.
I was lucky. Well sort of. I was laid off from a very good job with a promising corporate career. I invested much to that company but nothing to myself. When I was let go, all of my hard work went down the tubes. That company went bankrupt and dissolved and I was left with nothing. To make matters worse, I was facing the toughest economy in the past 70-years. I began to realize the true value in investing in yourself.
I began my new journey as a designer, I began my new journey as an educator, and I began my new journey following my dreams. I have reached some level of success thus far but I have much further to go. I sit down and write this story because a conversation I had with a friend of mine. Out of the blue, I texted him to grab a beer and catch up. We met up and he told me his story and his new developments. I provided a helpful ear and simply challenged him to pursue his dream. Not only to pursue his dream, but to pursue his dream with reckless abandon. I wish him well and am excited to see what comes of our conversation.
I wish him the best and say that it is never too late to be who you always wanted to be. Your dream starts today. You have all the tools that you need all you have to have now is the balls to make it happen. That is it. Pursue your dreams; pursue your dreams with reckless abandon!
Yes, that is correct, this has been a tremendous month personally and professionally. I have officially launched Defiant Interactive as a full-time business, have received some good media pub, and was just offered an Adjunct Professor position at Stevens-Henager College in Boise, ID in Graphic Arts and Marketing. The new position as an Adjunct Professor is a perfect fit for my situation and passion. I will be able to develop aspiring graphic artists/marketers/techies in the Boise Valley while developing my business/brand of Defiant Interactive. I will also maintain my roles as Brand Manager and Leadership Team member with the Boise Young Professionals (BYP) and board of directors positions at the Boise Contemporary Theater (BCT) and Idaho Habitat for Humanity. So if you see me around town with a huge grin on my face, it’s not just because it is summer and it is beautiful outside, it is because all of my hard work is finally paying off. Never stop fighting for your dreams and never let anyone tell you want you can and cannot achieve in life. Make it happen.
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This is not a commercial and it is not a short form video describing the organization. This video is what I call a “brand video.” This brand video is used to introduce the brand to a new audience and to refresh and reinforce the spirit of the organization to its current members. I think it is pretty good and hope you do as well. Let me know what you think.
Tags: Boise Young Professionals, Brand Video, BYP, Dave Quintana, Defiant Interactive
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