?? Olympic Insider Stories (STIMY #42)
???? STIMIES,
Is it just me or is everyone obsessing over those cardboard beds & AC-less rooms in Paris right now? ??
The Olympic Opening Ceremony is starting in a couple hours so it's only right to talk about the Olympics?but?since this is the STIMY Newsletter, we'll talk about it from a personal brand angle!
ICYMI:?Many Olympians are sharing snippets of their life online & it's been?fascinating. I've learned about:?
You can feel their joy and excitement, and also the interesting disparity in terms of content between different nations. Some countries like the USA, GB, Canada and Australia have a?huge?social media presence - some have clearly brought their publicity team along!! - and some have far less.?
And that's important because social media has made these athletes so much more approachable than before.
It matters for their careers.?
These athletes only have so many years to 'make it' after giving everything up for this life. They need to start planning for life after sports right now.?
(Ex-Olympians like Apolo Ohno - the most decorated US Winter Olympian &?past STIMY guest?- call this transition the Great Divorce).?
It's tough to figure out what their Second Act is and to build something meaningful thereafter. Very few succeed!
But with the advent of social media, their chances of building something now for their future - alongside their sports career - increases exponentially.
Because now, they have a chance for the general public to get to know?them. To?root?for them,?care?about what they're up to and?support?them even after their sporting life ends.
A personal brand is something that you'll carry with you?for life; everything else, you probably can't.
It doesn't mean that you have to figure out what you want to do in your Second and Third Act?now?(most don't), but that shouldn't stop you from taking action?now.
This principle applies to all of us non-athletes too.
So what if you've the top of your industry/company for the past 30 years?
Once you leave, that's it.
You leave with nothing but yourself.
And your personal brand / reputation / network.?
So stop sleeping on the greatest investment of all - Yourself.?
Go out and build your Tribe! ??
That said, in case you want to follow some Olympians to gain an insight into their lives, you could start with these:?
Special Feature: Annice Lyn from the Olympic Village!
Next week, we'll have a short interview with?Annice Lyn?- a photojournalist who transitioned from being a national figure skater to becoming the first Malaysian female photographer accredited for the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang 2018.?
She's currently in Paris with?ANOC?(Association of National Olympic Committees), which represents all National Olympic Committees ("NOCs").
Her role is to provide studio access & good quality photography for the NOCs e.g. Botswana & Tunisia with 5-8 athletes and no resources to good photos or no press coverage whatsoever.?
She's busy prepping for the Opening Ceremony right now but will be sharing her experience over the next few days for STIMY newsletter subscribers.?
So keep your eyes peeled!?
P/S: Do you know any parents of competing Olympians? I'd love to do a small feature on the sacrifices & journeys that the?family?of the world's best athletes have gone through to get to this stage!?
If you do or have suggestions on who to approach, just REPLY to this email.
Throwback: Apolo Ohno
We've covered Olympians in past episodes on the So This Is My Why Podcast , including Apolo Ohno - one of the most well-recognised faces in the?world. He won 8 Olympic medals & 21 World Championship medal and at one point, graced the cover of every Wheaties cereal box being sold!
Background:?Apolo was always athletically gifted and a shoo-in for the 1998 Winter Olympics.?
But he grew complacent.
Sabotaged himself and ended up finishing last in the Olympic trials.
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His father was upset and sent him to an isolated cabin at Copalis Beach with these words:
You’ll stay here for as long as it takes for you to figure out what you want to do with your life!
Apolo was 16 years old.
Thereafter, Apolo decided to give short speed skating a real shot. He became known for his?psychotic obsession. In the 4 years leading up to his final Olympics, he ate the exact same meal every day and had the exact same training schedule too.
Because he lived only for the Olympics.
As you can imagine, we talked about the nature of psychotic obsession, getting into the FLOW, how he went through the Great Divorce and what he's up to now.
Want to hear his story? Check out the YouTube interview with him:
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Interesting Discoveries
I spend?hours?stalking people on LinkedIn & love finding interesting posts that inspire thought and teach me how to be a better creator on the platform. Here are some posts that caught my eye this week:
Quick Thoughts on This week's LinkedIn Posts:
We are our own worst enemy.
We look at our life and think:?This is so boring. Who would want to hear me talk about it?!
But as this week's posts clearly show - plenty do want to hear from you.
You don't have to be an expert?(although these particular examples happen to show people who've been in their field for a while). But that's ok.
The takeaway I want you to have is this: Even a simple "day in my life" post could work because it's?different.?
People will be thinking:?"I don't want to be a full-time marketer but I'd be interested to know what it's like from you."
The same way these Olympians are showing a day in their life at the Olympic Village - doing grocery shopping, getting their (free) manicures and testing out their cardboard beds!
Your life?is?interesting. It?is?different to other people.
So don't discredit yourself.
Start putting yourself out there.
You might be surprised by the reaction that you get.?
And the friends that you make.??
xx
Ling Yah
It takes 60+ hours to produce 1 STIMY episode.
If you'd like to help keep STIMY going, you can become a Patreon member for as little as $0.10/day!
P/S: Don't forget to check out the Build Your Why course HERE!
I write really good LinkedIn comments ?? | Currently looking for a new Customer Success Associate role (DM me)
4 个月Investing in yourself is the best gift you can give for yourself. 1. You can take online courses or read books or take people out to coffee. 2. Your personal brand is what people think of you online and offline. Protect it. 3. Learn from people. Ask how you can help. Every day is an opportunity to improve your circle and your circle's lives. P.S. Thank you for the newsletter, Ling! #STIMY #SoThisIsMyWhy
Surfer / Business Services / CPA / Tax Agent / Property Investor / CNC (Chief Nappy Changer). MAD (Making a Difference). No Crypto
4 个月What a great idea with the cardboard beds for temporary accommodation ????