Fame!

Here’s where you get to find out how much of a total nerd I am. When I was young, and it horrifies me to realise I’m talking about 40 years ago, I was obsessed. What exactly would a 10-year-old boy be obsessed with in 1982? It wasn’t BMX bikes, although I had one. It wasn’t sports. It wasn’t computer games, except maybe for Pac-man. It was a TV show famous for leg warmers and teenagers dancing on cars.

I was and still am a huge fan of the TV show Fame. I bought all the albums, I had a piano keyboard tie like Bruno, who I felt I had the most in common since I was a keyboard player too. I related well to Doris, who couldn’t dance well but was funny and I was in awe of Leroy who would always do incredible dance routines. I am still in love with the songs and the cast. At the height of their popularity, they were touring with concerts and had numerous hits and albums, all of which I?bought and sang along to in my bedroom. Sadly, I never got to see them in concert.

Nostalgia aside, I think most people (old enough) still remember one of the opening lines from the show, said by the incredible Debbie Allen, who played dance teacher Lydia Grant. “So you want fame? Well, fame costs and right here’s where you start paying… with sweat.” An iconic line if ever there was one. Whilst not everyone will pay the price for fame with sweat, there is always something that has to be traded for it.

I used to want to be famous so badly. Since my dance skills are, let’s just say unique and unappreciated, it was either going to be as a musician or an actor, or both. Those things never happened. I was not destined to follow in the footprints of Sir Ian McKellan or Rick Astley. Now, I have a little relief about that but I know my youthful longing for fame came more out of a need to feel significant and validated, rather than from a desire to entertain or share my gifts.

An older and wiser me realised that I didn’t really seek fame and that it was at best a transient state for those who achieve it which results in a loss of privacy, public gossip about your private affairs and an inability to pop out to Sainsbury’s for a pint of milk in your onesie without someone secretly filming you on their mobile. Yes, there would be money and recognition but also a loss of personal freedom. I did not want that.

Here’s where things get a little paradoxical for me. When I got into personal and professional development, I realised that I wanted to be a speaker, a coach and a trainer. These things would mean putting myself in front of groups of people, sometimes small and sometimes large, and being seen, known and recognised by them. Whilst not the same level of fame as actors and pop stars, this was still a level of fame well above bearing a resemblance to Ricky Gervais or Chris Moyles, as I have been delightfully and loudly?informed that I?do,?on several occasions.

There’s a level of discomfort to fame, no matter how low level it may be. Inevitably, you will be judged in certain ways by people. Inevitably, you will be criticised in all sorts of ways and inevitably, you will start to find people who jibe with your vibe and become raving fans of what you do.

There’s a level of responsibility that comes with fame. Famous people influence behaviours and even values of the people who follow them, whether they accept that responsibility or not. The burden of expectation is placed on your shoulders if you choose to become a public figure,?known for what you do. An influencer, and yes I cringe at the term too, but is there a better one?

There is a price to any level of?fame and it’s one that most of us would have to pay for with?the currencies of time, effort, responsibility and bearing criticism. Is that a price you are willing to pay? For many, it is not. It is far easier to turn chameleon and blend into the environment than it is to stand out and be seen.

So, why would you choose fame? Perhaps because you have a purpose and because that purpose really matters to you, you’re willing to pay the price for becoming known to whatever level is going to be most effective to your mission.

Advice you will often hear from pretty much every public speaking and presentation trainer is to deliver your material for them, not for yourself. It’s about getting out of your head and worries about yourself, your inadequacies, your failures and whether they’ll notice that you didn’t polish your shoes. It puts you into a service mindset and that is truly the mindset to aim for here.

When your mission and message are more important than whether a few people think you’re overweight or underweight, not attractive or distractingly attractive, too tall, too old, too young, too dumb… When your mission, your why becomes important enough, those things about yourself become far less important, even irrelevant. Don’t worry if you don’t have all that figured out just yet. Get started anyway and refine your message along the way.

Being seen and being known can be a little uncomfortable. We tend to judge ourselves quite harshly on how we come across but I am assuming that you’re at least a bit like me and would always encourage others to just do their best and not worry about it being perfect. I would certainly encourage you to do that, knowing full well that I am not so good at encouraging myself to do the same. I give myself full permission to go out there and do my best, even if it sucks. I know from experience that I’ll get less sucky as I go on. So will you.

You want fame? Well, fame costs and right here’s where you start paying…. With _____! (You fill in the blank)

PS. The cast of the TV show are performing several 40th-anniversary reunion concerts in Birmingham this year and my husband has bought tickets for me as my 50th birthday present! I couldn’t be happier. I finally get to see them in concert and sing along with all my favourite songs. If anyone else fancies getting their leg warmers and leotards on, I’ll maybe see you there? Tickets are still available https://www.fameukreunion.co.uk/

If you’ve enjoyed this article, I hope you’ll consider sharing it with your network? I have. A mission and a message to help more people build authority in their business and become powerfully persuasive with your own mission and message.

Part of my mission and message is my podcast Speaking Influence, which is all about understanding and mastering ethical influence and persuasion in life and business. If you’d like a taster of what the show is about, here’s a quick introduction:

I hope you’ll consider checking out some of my recent shows with style advisor to Silicon Valley Joseph Rosenfeld?

The Speaking Influence podcast is sponsored by Brand Face. Tonya and Michael are also on a mission to help people like you establish your brand and make sure it's connecting with your perfect audience in the right way. To find out more visit https://BrandFaceStar.com

Now, I encourage you to have a bit of weekend or weekday fun dancing along to this classic clip from the original movie Fame! LinkedIn doesn't allow you to see previews of YouTube vids so you'll have to click the link. (PS. I do not condone dancing on cars and choosing to do so is at your own risk, as is the wearing of leg warmers.) Have a great weekend!