Episode 043 – Ask no questions, get no answers!

I am sure that you all have heard this term “ask no questions and you will get no answers” and I will tell you firsthand and foremost is that it’s true. If you want to know something, don’t expect people to read your mind.

If you want to accomplish something you go out and you do it.

I will tell you based on my experience that none of the things that I have accomplished have come to me by way of a silver platter. Nope. Zip zero. Does not happen. Nope. Not ever.

if you want to know something you go out can you grab it by the “you know what: and you make it happen. You need to be tenacious.

For example, I wanted to do a fundraiser years ago with a specific film director in Hollywoo, so what did I do?  Did I mess around and tap dance around the idea adn wait for it to happen? No, I picked up the phone, I made the phone call, I established the connection and asked for the meeting. Not only did we have the meeting but it was a successful meeting. And the project was scheduled and completed.

Another sample is back in the mid 90s I wanted to do an art exhibit of Lucille Ball and I located the perfect photograph of  Lucille Ball that I wanted to use the artwork. Off  I went to work researching who to call to get the permission to use the image. I ended up calling up the publisher of the book and I got some very stuffy guy in Manhattan who listened to my request. Needless to say I was quickly down, he proceeded to tell me that these type of request go through many steps and processes and it may require hundreds or thousands of dollars  and lots of letters back-and-forth to acheive the permission. I will tell you that based on that feedback most people would have just drop the idea and never gone through with the project.

But I am tenacious. I thought about it and then I realized why don’t I just go straight to the source of who photographed the image, the publishing company had to get permission from somebody, so why don’t I just go there.
Now I will remind you that this was back in 1996-1997 there was not the Internet that you are familiar with today, large there were no big large containers full of data with bottomless pits that you can dig out just about any information.

I did a little research on the photographer and found out that he was from the Hollywood area so I picked up the phone and dial directory services, asked for the photographers name and they gave me a phone number. I made the phone call I reached his widow, I told her all about my art project. She was gracious and eloquent. She said that if I would write her a letter and mail it to her with what my requests were she would respond to me by mailing me a letter with back with her decision.

About three weeks later I received a letter stating that she was going to allow me the permission to use the photograph, but she was not going to charge me because she believed in my project and she liked me as a person. The only thing she asked is that I would give her husband applicable credit for my exhibition somewhere in the acknowledgments. Bingo!

These are couple of examples of how asking a simple question and taking that leap just a little bit further toward your goal, may bring you a surprising result. There has been dozens and probably hundreds of other examples I could have pointed out, but I wanted to provide a couple that were really important to me that I feel have helped shape me to be assertive and tenacious and not to mention, fearless.

I am not typically intimidated by too much and I’m not very timid and if I want to know something I will ask a question. What’s the worst thing that can happen? The worst thing that can happen is that someone tells you “no” however… does the conversation really end there, do you push yourself a little bit and ask why not or what is the reason for that answer? What is the apprehension or reservation. Go beyond the question. I’m not saying to get into a debate on argument but simply ask for your own information. Ask the question.

I will say that I know that a large majority of folks won’t push that extra question, they won’t step outside the comfort zone for just a little bit. But if you want to make things happen you need to take the leap.

I have said this time and time again, building relationships are the key factor to stand out of the crowd. Be the difference, make the difference. Add value.

What have you got to lose?

So that brings me up to my question to you, I’m asking you the question will is if you find that you are getting value from these podcast and you like to give a great review check us out on iTunes, Stitcher radio or Google play. There’s always a appreciation factor when giving a great review.

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