"When Did I Know I Made It"

This past Friday night I was asked to be the featured presenter at The E! Club. The E! Club is a great organization designed to help bring a entrepreneurs, pre-entrepreneurs and independent thinkers together in a fun, supportive environment centered around a monthly speaker. More information on the E! Club can be found at http://www.maverickcenter.com/e_club.asp If you are in Austin, I highly encourage you check out this great organization!

The neat thing about this presentation was I didn't have to prepare a prepared speech. This group is hungry for the "real story" and the speakers are asked to tell how they got to where they are and openly discuss the pitfalls they found along the way. For me, I have had an interesting journey being an entrepreneur and my story was fraught with many a pitfall. I am not sure it made for compelling story telling but it was fun to share.

Part of the format is the question and answer period. This is where the audience is given permission to ask any question they want of the speaker. There are no rules and no question is considered out of bounds which is pretty cool.

One of the questions that I was asked was "how did I know when I had made it?" This question really threw me for a loop. I had never considered myself making it, in fact not even close. True, I successfully sold my company back in 2004 and have since published my book which in my opinion were great successes but hardly qualifies as making it.

I answered the question as openly and honestly as I as could. "I don't think of myself as making it. I still wake up each day scared shitless. I have no idea what life has in store for me and what my next challenge might be but I don't believe I have made anything yet." It is true too! I don't think that I have done 1/5 of what I am supposed to do in this world and honestly, I have no idea what it will take to do what I need to do. Each new day presents a whole brand new set of challenges and for me, I guess that is part of why I am having so much fun but still wake each morning scared out of my wits.

I know for me, making it will be when I have people picking up the concepts of The Ripple Effect and putting it to major use in their businesses and communities. I will know that the ideas and concepts are taking hold when I have opportunities coming to me to share my vision outside of Austin. I guess I will have made it when someone comes up to me and says, your book and your vision have inspired me to live a better a life.

It was fun pretending to be the guy with all of the answers for a little while Friday night. I know it appears that I have achieved so much in such a little window of time but in my heart of hearts, I am barely getting started.