Savage Mindset: Break Out of Your Bubble

Welcome to my newsletter. Each month, I’m sharing entrepreneurship lessons, new tech, and things that have inspired me recently. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of getting outside the company Slack channel to keep on my leadership game and improve our product. 

Meet Your Customers Where They Are

Last month I was at our booth at INBOUND when I started chatting with an attendee.

"You are rocking," he said. "It felt like you were dark for a little while and came roaring back."

That person was right on the money. This year has been all about finding our momentum at Wistia, figuring out what's been working, and shipping things bigger and faster.

In that instance, it was validating to hear he was able to independently perceive what we’ve been working so hard to accomplish. He could feel the same energy I could looking around the booth — our recent creative risks were paying off.

Getting face time with customers works both ways. A similar moment to that one could have quickly revealed that something wasn’t working for a customer. Human-to-human conversations could be the only way you spot an issue hiding in plain sight before it becomes a real problem.

If you’re “too busy” to attend conferences or talk directly to your customers, you are missing the most direct lifeline to understanding you’ll ever get about your own business. 

Quality time with your customers can help you get a temperature check on where you are, gain the confidence that what you’re doing is working, or raise a flag or that something that needs to change.

Scare The Crap Out of Yourself

The thought of public speaking can make anyone sweat.

I’ll never forget when I had to give my first talk about Wistia . I was stressed for months over getting everything just right. Then when it came time to give the talk, I felt like a disaster. I was stressed, my mouth was dry, and I talked at 100 miles a minute. 

I came off the stage into the hallway and tried to regain my composure. A friend who I didn’t know was at my talk came out after me. I’ll never forget what he said, “You have the right material, you just need to get comfortable up there and you’ll be really great.” 

I honestly forgot I was even giving any material that might matter. I was so focused on the performance I didn’t realize that it’s possible to give good material while you are nervous.

It took some trial and error. Asking lots of questions of other speakers. And ultimately getting up there a lot to realize that there are tools you can use that can help you focus on delivering a great message rather than focusing on the performance itself. The irony is that of course if you are comfortable, confident, and clear, you will end up giving a better performance. 

Here’s what I’ve learned on my speaking journey: 

• Remember that the audience is rooting for you – People don’t go to talks hoping to be bored, they go hoping to learn something or to be entertained. If someone looks disengaged, it usually has more to do with their life than it does yours.

• Anxiety means you care – It’s normal to feel some nerves before a talk. It signals that you care about the audience and how the message will be received. Harness that anxiety to get your head in the game. If you have no anxiety at all, do you really care? I’ve learned that sometimes I’m most at risk to screw up if I have no nerves.

• Pick topics you genuinely care about – People will instantly know if you’re not comfortable speaking on a topic or if you’re in your element. Do you Talk Loudly 😉 like me when you’re excited? Pay attention to your own response in conversations to find the bits that might play well on stage.

• Focus on the emotional journey – Humans want to connect with other humans. Craft your story to bring your audience on an emotional journey. It will pay off.

• Be specific - It is easier to relate to specific details and experiences that we all have as humans.

Better Your Personal Life, Better Your Business

Lately, I've been trying a new way of parenting when my kids are upset.

Instead of trying to solve their problem, I try to understand and acknowledge their feelings so they feel understood. Asking questions helps me get to the root cause. Once we get there, I try to empathize with that foundational feeling.

I cannot explain how much of a difference this has made, and it’s a good lesson for leading a team and in business – children and adults usually know the difference between right and wrong, so telling them to refrain from doing something isn't a novel or helpful thing, especially when they’re upset. 

Above all else, people want to be understood. When you make the effort to empathize and truly understand, that is a very rare thing.

How are you getting out of your bubble to perform at your best? I’d love to hear in the comments.