When you ask for something, what's the worst that could happen? It's not hearing no. The worst thing? Nothing. And nothing is what WILL happen if you don't ask and if you don't take action.
At Alt Summit, Meg Keene of A Practical Wedding offered this advice: "Start small, and send out five emails to potential advertisers/sponsors." But starting is the hardest part. Taking those first, unaided baby steps when you've never walked before is hard. You could fall. Or, you could succeed. But, until you try, until you ask, something is certain: nothing will happen.
Let's say you get past your doubts. You hit send and you wait. And you wait. No response is neither failure nor success. Your email could have been lost. Filed away for action later and forgotten. You have to ask again. Chris Gardner of Man Made DIY says it's ok to be persistent: one tailored email a week regarding a specific project over a month.
When you want something you have to check your ego at the door. Do you respond to everyone who asks something of you? Or, do you mean to and life and other commitments get in the way? Same thing happens to other people.
Don't take a lack of response personally. Try for a month, then wait. In the meantime, look for another opportunity, and, later, if it makes sense, come back to the first person with another idea.
It's a myth, or an occurrence so rare as to rank up there with the sighting of a unicorn, that what you want will magically come to you. What's a given is that nothing will continue to happen if you do nothing.
Why not celebrate Chinese New Year by making something happen?
If you haven't already, send those five emails that Meg challenged us to do when she spoke to us at Alt. If you sent your five emails and haven't gotten a response, send a follow up. What have you got to lose? The only thing that is certain: nothing will happen if you don't ask.
Ciao Bella!
Eden!
