I'm Listening
Mary O'Donohue
Oprah Show Veteran & Media Coach for Disruptive Women Nonfiction Authors | Clients Have Reached Audiences of 1 Billion So Far | #1 Bestselling Author | Book Marketing | Former Oprah Show Post Producer | Not a Publicist
My husband and I attended a concert last week, and while we were waiting for the headliner (the amazing Marc Cohn) a young singer walked on stage. That’s got to be so tough – to be the person standing between the star and the audience who paid to see him. But from the first strum of her guitar she handled the pressure with grace.
She was about :20 seconds into her first song when I started to be impressed. Okay maybe :10 seconds. She was that good. Chelsea Williams is her name if you’re curious. (You can thank me later.)
She was a few songs in when I noticed that not everyone was paying attention yet. A few latecomers were consulting with the usher, and here and there people were chatting quietly. Though 300+ people were hearing her sing, not everyone was listening. But I was. In fact, I was wondering why I’d never heard of her before. She absolutely blew me away.
Between songs she mentioned that it wasn’t long ago that she had been busking – just playing on the streets in Santa Monica for whatever donations came her way. That’s when I got a takeaway for you.
The size of your audience has nothing to do with your level of talent or worthiness.
Every megastar singer or NYT Bestselling Author or household name out there started with a small audience. Sure they’ve learned along the way. But what they had to offer was there in the beginning, before anyone was paying attention.
So if you’re at that beginning stage, fear not. Keep putting out your beautiful work. Even if your social media quotes don’t get those “likes.” Even if you don’t have a big audience for your book yet. Even if you feel like nobody is paying attention. Because some of us are. And we don’t just hear you, we are listening.
The longer and more consistently you put your wisdom into the world, the more likely it is that your true followers will find you. And they will listen. Because your message – your book – your work – all of it has value.
By the way, it wasn’t long before every single person in that concert audience was paying attention to the opening act. So give it time. And remember, if you withhold your gifts back and stay silently in the background, I can’t hear you. And neither can the people who need your message.
So put your work out there my friend. Because some of us are already listening.