Tristan is a customer of mine. He’s a former engineer who, inspired by my books and courses, started a marketing consulting firm.
He’s making a respectable if not exceptional income in that business. He’s an excellent student. He has a university education from a world-class institution.
He redeemed a consulting coupon the other day and used it to ask me a most interesting question:
“I?ve got loads of ideas and ways of how I can improve all that and take things onto a level I?d be happier with.
But I guess I?ve come to a point where I?ve got to face the facts and look at what I?ve really achieved (or not) over the last few years and whether I really want to keep pounding away like this.
Allow me to make a confession: I have got a very serious addiction! It?s not drugs or alcohol or anything like that but it?s an addiction nonetheless.
You might not believe it?s possible to get addicted to something this, but every since I discovered it, I got completely and utterly hooked on…
 Tristan and his dance partner electrify audiences... |
 ...burn up the dance floor... |
 ...and deliver ENERGY to enthralled onlookers every weekend! |
…Latin American dancing!
After I turned 20, someone showed me proper competitive latin dancing and I was hooked pretty much from that day forward. It feels like my whole life has been about becoming a better dancer ever since.
When my dance partner (now my fianc?) and I stopped competing in the middle of last year (2009) we were ranked 8th on the Amateur latin dance chart.
We also competed internationally regularly and had worked our way inside the top 100 amateur dance couples in the world.
But then we had to stop. Why? Because we realised we were spending insane amounts of money on lessons, kit/costumes and transport and even more insane amount of time travelling to competitions, training, competing etc.
There just came a point when we realised, ?wait a minute? this isn?t our job!
But it?s taking more time then our job (and not making any money). As you know, I run my own business (hardly an easy career option) and my fianc? is a doctor (GP).
We really had our work cut out competing with these guys for whom (though Amateur) dancing really was their LIFE, and always had been since they were kids.
I think we both realised that if we wanted to stay competing, to keep improving, then this really had to become our life, not just something we did in the evenings.
Work was suffering, family was suffering and our relationship was suffering. So we had to quit, at least temporarily.
He asks me:
“What should I do???”
I gave him some rather unusual advice, about blending his technical and artistic skills. Which I will share with you next week.
Meanwhile…
What would YOU tell this guy? Post your comments below.
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About the Author
Perry Marshall has launched two revolutions in sales and marketing. In Pay-Per-Click advertising, he pioneered best practices and wrote the world's best selling book on Google advertising. And he's driven the 80/20 Principle deeper than any other author, creating a new movement in business.
He is referenced across the Internet and by Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, INC and Forbes Magazine.
61 Comments on “Nursing an Addiction, and Chasing a Dream”
do you still have the response to this guy?
Perry’s brilliant on-the-nail response is appended above the point where the email link directed me.
I am on Twitter as MJGeek, the MJ stands for “Modern Jive” and geek as in “When he’s feeling social he looks at your shoes”. Modern jive has grown worldwide mostly by personal recommendation and dancers living their dream. The marketing is, in my lay opinion, abysmal. I have tried as best I can to bring my left-brain database & analytical skills to the dance I love, and also to impart the marketing & SEO wisdom I have learned from Perry and others, to no avail. With the right product and marketing the opportunities are immense. http://www.popdance.co.uk (@popdanceuk) in less than a year has a rapidly expanding dance franchise operation which is worth learning marketing lessons from, though their style of dance classes will probably not appeal.
Good luck, and great advice Perry.
David
Interesting … I switched careers from English teacher (bored silly) to technical writer for a software company. turns out I had the brainpower to understand what the programmers were doing & translate it for the clients. That was one of the best changes I made. The other wonderful change was to start selling on the Web. My tech writing skills empowered me to learn & write HTML, CSS, and I studied marketing and selling with various gurus, so my web site comes up #1 on organic search for some keywords, and on the first page of google for most of my keywords, and it is competitive. So I am very happy with this career because I get such a charge out of helping people solve their problems. Now I soigned up for Bobsled Run Spring 10 and am already trying to pick from many of the creative ideas resulting from Perry’s knowledge.
Hi Perry
That’s so liberating…
My aptitude test at my Tech were I went showed the same result. I’m neither a brilliant technician or artist, and I’ve always struggled with that.
I think the best thing that he could do, is give his talents away. Maybe do a group dance training for kids or young adults. Find a way to share his passion with others.
It is a hard thing to turn your passion into a job, and keep the passion for the endeavour. Be blessed, and may great things come your way, Tristan.
Perry, you said you’d add your two cents! What do you think?
Thanks for reminding me about this – just posted on 4/12!
There is an interesting new dance franchise operating in the UK, might be an idea worth learning from. Use the desire of others to earn a living from dance.
http://www.popdance.co.uk @popdanceuk
Superb responses, I will tweet them to some of the thousands that love dancing and want to monetize the passion.
Search Learn ballroom dancing on youtube, over 10,000 hits. Too many people in online biz already (though most are very bad at it).
You do not get to be a doctor without being passionate about being a doctor. A child’s life saved will be a better memory than a gold cup anyday.
If you love competing it is because you love winning. Old Father Time always beats you in the end. If you love dancing that will last your entire active life. (I’m 68. three times a week)
If you love teaching that will last your entire life too (My wife is older than me, teaches 1 day a week Pro Bono)
Good luck in your choice and in all your endeavours.
organize your own shows from time to time