Tuesday, April 3, 2018

How to Be the Best: You need to Be Specific

"We're the best Laurie and Jackie doing stand-up comedy."


So you think you can Be the Best. (I see you, Aubrey/Drake.)

Let me tell you a tale.







Last month, I was listening to an episode of The Jackie and Laurie Show podcast, in which comedians Jackie Kashian and Laurie Kilmartin discuss the career of Kyle Cease. (The discussion starts at 40:30.)

"Grip it, and rip it."

To sum up their conversation, Jackie and Laurie expressed both fascination and horror at Kyle Cease's decision to shift out of stand-up comedy and move his talent for humor into the world of motivational speaking.

Fascination because Laurie is "obsessed with how much money he makes." According to Laurie's calculations, as a motivational speaker, Kyle can now make the "more than livable wage" of $280,000 USD (before taxes) for a weekend, based on ticket sales alone.

Horror because when a stranger told Jackie, "you could be the female Kyle Cease," Jackie expressed that she would rather not continue to exist.

Apparently, Kyle is a "nice guy," a "funny guy." He was "good comic. He wasn't a great comic." But his choice to be "deliberately less funny" is "genius."

Now Kyle Cease is the best stand-up comedian doing motivational speaking.

He's not the most successful stand-up comedian.

He's not the most successful motivational speaker. (Where is Kyle Cease's Netflix documentary?)

Kyle Cease is currently the best stand-up comedian doing motivational speaking.

"It's a lot of hubris...to say, 'Um, I'm going to tell you what I think you should do.'"
"It's super arrogant. 'I'm gonna remind you of how to live your life well.'"


Laurie and Jackie, who actually made those quotes, are right.

Yes, it takes hubris to tell someone else how to live their life.

Yes, it is arrogant to think you know how someone else should live their life well.

Hubris and arrogance--or moxie and chutzpah--channelled in a positive way can change the world.


"You know that's right."


That's why I am developing myself into the best former stand-up comedian who shows professional women how to achieve their personal goals.

I don't want to be the best performer in stand-up comedy, because I don't love it.

I don't want to be the best personal development coach, because that's too broad.

I want to use my humor to help a specific group of people. Specific groups of people, actually. Women with side hustles. Professional working moms. Creative women in technology. Colorful women in media.

I don't want to be the best coach to everyone.

I want to be the best coach to people like You, specifically, whoever You are.

And you can be the Best You that you can be.


Even if you like to spoon feed your friends 
or wear a Batman mask while eating lunch.


Fellow Nerdy Girls, what is One Thing you are the Best at? How can you make your goals more specific?

Share your questions and answers in the comments, or email me at ForNerdyGirls@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading!




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