I have friends that moan and groan about not getting handed their fair share (whatever that is). I’ve been lucky. I have no such expectations. I’ve never been handed anything. Everything I have, I’ve reached out and grabbed.
For example…
Last week, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas (Sin City, baby), there was a great little forum for small business owners. This meet up was very small, very exclusive and I very much wanted to attend.
Problem.
First crack at the less than 60 chairs went to American Express Open card holders.
Due to being Canadian (though I spend most of my shopping dollars in the States), I didn’t qualify. Heck, I couldn’t even apply as I didn’t have a social security number (someone suggested that I use his but I didn’t want the seat bad enough to stoop to identity theft).
I hung out at the NBC booth, chatting with all the employees there. Sad shakes of heads as they told me that they couldn’t land me (and my hubby) a spot. I emailed the moderator and got a “ohhh that’ll be a tough one” sentiment. No luck there either.
But I did find out when and where the event was.
So at that time, dressed up in business casual attire, the hubby and I show up. I ask the Queen Organizer if there are any last minute cancellations. She looks us up and down. We seem to pass her “these are not nutjobs” smell test. She leans close, and tells me “look, I can get you into the cocktail party but there are no guarantees you’ll get a seat for the event.”
Score! The cocktail party, for me, WAS the event. Head honchos, other entrepreneurs, media folk were there. We mixed. We mingled. We collected business cards and connections.
Then… show time and guess what? There was yours truly sitting in one of those coveted seats!
Why am I telling you all this (other than still being on a nice little high from it)? Because if you truly, truly want something, there are ways of getting it. Especially in the business world.
Oh, and freebie tix go first to the shameless.
Comments (2)
So you're saying that a lowly menial minimum wage worker could have gotten a seat at this "great little forum" if they had really wanted one? That surely would have been quite a feat!
Posted by Minimum Wage | January 15, 2008 6:18 AM
Posted on January 15, 2008 06:18
Absolutely.
No one asked me for my pay slip.
It didn't cost anything to attend (either the CES or the forum).
I wasn't even dressed in a suit, simply a shirt and pants.
I showed up, put some effort into it, and got in.
I've been reading your comments and am seeing a trend.
Minimum Wage, everyone reading this post has worked at a minimum wage job before. Most of us have had student debt (I certainly did). However, those that have "made" it, also have something extra. A healthy and positive attitude.
You've shown that you have internet access. And you have the ability to write. That's all you need to build your fortune (actually the internet access is all you need, the writing bit is bonus). The only thing holding you back is you.
Posted by Kimber Chin | January 15, 2008 3:32 PM
Posted on January 15, 2008 15:32