The David Chronicles: Where The Idea For The Rise To The Top Came From

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NOTE: This is a new personal series I’m trying out to see if you like it, find it interesting, funny, helpful, whatever. It is no-punches-pulled, 100% ridiculously transparent. Based on the first installments (linked up at the bottom if you want to check them out), you want more. So, here it comes…muhahaha.

I get this question a few times a week: “David, where did you come up with the idea for The Rise To The Top?”

Here is the answer (and more importantly, hopefully, some creativity takeaways for your business).

A quick catch up: In the last couple chronicles, I discussed how after leaving pro inline hockey, I was a little lost and trying to figure out what to do. My big mistake was trying to chase money and starting an agency to get sponsors for other people…not following my passion.

The Rise To The Top idea struck me randomly at a coffee shop. I was sitting with a friend of mine, Elizabeth Erickson (side note: Elizabeth is a super talented graphic designer), and we were just talking business and life. The conversation randomly turned into a series of “what ifs” with no forced agenda. I kept saying things like:

• What if there was a TV show for entrepreneurs that was not uber-stuffy and boring?
• What if there was a more modern feeling show that resonated with the young and young-at-heart as opposed to “just” old white guys like much of business programming?
• What if I hosted it?
• What if I could bring on guests who could tell their stories and offer up some inspiration, advice, and ideas?
• What if we could make it into a local TV show? (Note: The Rise To The Top started as a local TV show in St. Louis, Missouri.)
• What if we created a cool website to post all the shows and make it really interactive?
• What if it branded off into a variety of other things like a book and speaking opportunities?
• …and the list went on.

Secret sauce side note: Worry more about the “what if” and the “why” as opposed to the how. There is always a way to make it work if you want it bad enough and have a vision plus a business model.

The funny thing is this. If I would have really analyzed everything I was talking about, I might have scared myself away from it. Or if I listened to negabots and people drinking their haterade, none of this would have happened.

But, here is the big takeaway. When I was talking about it, I got jazzed up. Excited. Turned on (ummm…not in that way…you know what I mean). I was going a mile a minute. Shouting awkwardly loudly. Scaring people (probably scaring Elizabeth).

If you can’t get jazzed up and excited in your own way about your business, you are in the wrong business. Period. You might not be doing backflips and kissing strangers, but you know what you do when you get excited. And you know what you do when you don’t.

Everything starts with an idea. What separates the successful from the pack is taking action on it.

In the next David Chronicles: Taking Action On A Crazy Idea.

In case you missed it:

• The David Chronicles: Why I Took A “Job” For $0
• The David Chronicles: Making Money From Literally Nothing Through Sponsorships
• The David Chronicles: Hunting Down Sponsors Like Rambo
• The David Chronicles: Turning One Sponsor Into Many
• The David Chronicles: Lessons Learned From Marketing Smarter, Faster, Cheaper
• The David Chronicles: Adventures In Starting A Radio Show
• The David Chronicles: Knowing When To Move On
• The David Chronicles: The Biggest Mistake

categories: David's Blog