Don't Cheat Yourself...Treat Yourself

                                            "Don't Cheat Yourself, Treat Yourself"
That quote was on the Rock's Facebook page, and a brief sweep of his page shows me that he gains upwards of 100K likes and as many supportive comments for every sentence he posts on Facebook. What's interesting about this is that The Rock was initially totally against the idea of bringing social media into his life, until he took some advice from Amy Jo Martin; Founder and CEO of Digital Royalty and Author of Renegades Write The Rules.  Now, roughly a year and a half later, he is one of the greatest on-going success stories in the social media realm.

Do U smell What THE_ROCK is Tweeting? 
-Reprinted excerpts from Martin's Renegades Write The Rules via fastcompany.com.

So asks the petulant reader; so what?  He was already a world-wide brand, popular across a diverse range of demographics, and so ripped he could probably flex out of a full-metal jacket.  Well, based on almost everything I've ever read about strong companies and popular brands; it is innovation, not satisfaction, that is the common thread of every on-going success story. 

Fast-forward roughly 1.5 years from when Amy Jo Martin first talked Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson into social media, and from where I'm sitting, it was a pretty productive conversation.  Or rather, a productive series of conversations and exchanges, because before the Rock ever released a status update on Facebook, lot of work and research went into figuring out the best approaches.  And that's never a bad idea. Demographic research was done on his diverse fan-base, sub-groups were analyzed, and rules of thumb were expressed.  I'd like to learn a lot more about the granular aspects of this process, but I get the feeling that if I talked to someone who worked there, they'd probably say the broad strokes are enough.  Regardless, back to the present, having 7.2MM friends, 3.4MM followers, and most-impressively, a re-tweet rate of 11% has done a lot to enlarge his fanbase and engage them in a positive way.  While being the "most charismatic man in all of entertainment" probably made him a natural at this sort of thing, he also did his homework before even opening an account and has been very smart about the types of content he puts out.
                                                  
So what does that have to do with me?  I'm getting to that.  But as a preface to my larger point; this blog centered on my career transition period is probably the most personal I've ever allowed myself to be on Social Media.  While I've been on Facebook since it came out, I never shared anything too personal about myself or used it as a tool for concerns or anything that could be construed or interpreted as a negative attitude or being unhappy.  I was fine bridging my personal life into a digital realm, but not so deeply that it would reflect my problems or worries because I didn't want to be judged for those feelings in a public setting. But that's kind of avoiding getting your hair wet in a pool, and while there are certain things I will always believe are not meant to be shared in a public forum, I think having the willingness to share yourself with a self-effacing authenticity -- even in the face of judgement -- is a risk worth taking because you might just find positive engagement and help from people you wouldn't have expected would relate to you or care. A fully-completed message, no matter how imperfect, is infinitely better than a message half-made...

This harkens back to what Amy Jo Martin talks about in Renegades Write The Rules: "During my time leading Digital Royalty, I've found that the most successful people and brands resolve to make the same trade-off. They trade comfort for momentum. It's not that they embrace discomfort. Nobody likes stress, anxiety, or embarrassment. It's that they understand that avoiding stagnation in any endeavor takes an ability to get used to--to grow comfortable with--growing pains. Today's renegades are not unlike adrenaline junkies who feed off the knowledge that the highest highs can be had on the backside of our biggest fears, anxieties, and chaos." Looking back on my life, I can relate to this very easily -- and I imagine you can too.  The best gains have always started with a leap of faith or a risk, and been thrilling not just because they were new but because I was scared and uncertain.  But afterwards; I was happy for having done it, able to do it again better the next time and stronger because I overcame fear with focused effort and self-confidence.

But back to the Rock and his most-electrifying move to Facebook/Twitter.

The Subject: "Treat yourself on Cheat Meal Days." The Engagement: +300K Likes, Nearly 22K Shares and 13K Comments. The Value: Immeasurable.

                                                             The People's Handle
Martin goes on about Dwayne "the rock" Johnson's rise to (incredible) success in the digital space; "Today the amount of attention DJ gives to social media, along with his hands-on approach, is unmatched in the world of celebrity. He works at it daily, and it's always his fingers to the keyboard or iPhone. Nobody speaks on his behalf. Ever. DJ is successful with these communication channels because he's dialed in and has fully and personally committed to delivering value to his audience."

                                         Yeah, well you're not the Rock - so what's the point?      
I don't know who my audience is -- I don't even know where my career is headed right now -- but I do know that by putting out the truest possible output about myself into the world, without fear of reprisal or judgement, that is what's going to be what gets me noticed in the ways I am meant to be.  By being my unabridged self, talking about the things that drive my passions, I feel I will inevitably be giving myself the best shot at true professional success.  Even if it doesn't help me directly by getting me contacts or a job, it's helping me by letting me write what I know and express myself on subjects that I have passion for...and the more I do that, the better I will get at it and the stronger I will be able to speak about them when I am being listened to by someone who could help me in some way...in the meantime, I will keep trying to improve with every project/post/diatribe and put out the best possible output I can in all my personal/professional endeavors.

Because you never know who might be listening...