Imagine six university guys in the backyard of their house — tossing basketballs and challenging each other to “go forward” or daring, “you’ll never make that shot” — turned into a physically powerful and inspirational force equipped with a web page, an online game app, and group presentations.
Collectively, these guys call themselves “Dude Perfect,” and if you spend a lot of time on YouTube, you may have encountered them as the group who do trick basketball shots, documented in several viral videos over the last five years.
Since its YouTube debut, Dude Perfect has garnered more than 90 million views of its communal online content and has been tagged as one of the online site’s Top 10 most hard-working brands. Advertising Age listed it as YouTube’s hottest brand, using its crazy hoop shots to reach and motivate hundreds of millions with a viral “go big” mantra.
Dude Perfect’s story was likewise captured in the book Go Big, written by Cory Cotton — one of the dudes himself. He not only talked about the story of the group and how it flourished, but also shared tips on how to make your shot count in the connected world, and how to employ what they picked up as they went along fulfilling their passions, dreams and visions. The tome urges you to “get excited” about what you do — to fully hold in your arms your vision and “own it!” To “blink later,” since your window of opportunity may often be too short to afford you to blink; to “inspire others” and to keep lasting momentum; and “give back” or shift your perspective from inward to outward. Cotton’s major “go big” thrusts are encapsulated in these principles:
• You have something to offer, and you better believe it. Doing something you love may be your best opportunity to proffer. In the connected world, you can go big with your own passion. Make your shot count and pursue what you love — a shot that’s realistic and easy to attain if you set your mind to it.
• The money is in the niche you can fill. Embrace the thought that you can make big bucks chasing your passion. Look for areas where excellence is lacking, and see if you can use your natural skills to offer a solution. You can also zero in on a dream that not only sounds fun but has the potential for profit.
• If you’ve got an exciting dream, others will jump into it with you. People love to have their gifts and skills affirmed, and there’s no better way to do that than to invite them to help you fill a certain gap. It’s great for you, great for them, and it’s a win-win affair. The key is to actually ask. So take your dream and all the excitement that surrounds it and build your team.
• The easiest way to talk about your own dream is to first ask others about theirs. Once you’ve done that, begin to share your vision in everyday situations. If you travel often, strike up conversations with the people beside you on the bus, train or plane. If you don’t travel, use your lunch breaks as a good time to ask colleagues about their dreams. Use those open doors to discuss your “go big” dream. You’ll be amazed at other’s dreams, as well as the positive affirmation you’ll receive.
• To get your content noticed, package it in a “go big” wrapper. First, dial your compelling idea up 10 notches. If you sell cupcakes, think about a way that you can really blow a certain cupcake project out of water, or do something out of the box. For example, make a hysterically large cupcake and deliver it to someone in the public spotlight. This action essentially packages your already compelling idea in a way that is much more likely to get noticed by the often-bored world around you. To top it, distribute the project to the connected world — take pictures and video of the process and unleash them online. The goal is simple: convey the bigness of your idea and give it a better chance of standing out in the crowd.
• Your “go big” dream is far too important for you to let lack of integrity bring you down. Stick to your promises. Over-deliver on work you’re hired to do, and give everyone you work with the respect they deserve. Guard your dream and your character by relentlessly pursing integrity. You’ll separate yourself from the pack and keep your name out of the tabloids, blind items and online bashing.
• The key to landing truly big opportunities is to shift mindset. The human brain lets you come up with incredible “go big” dreams, and even lets you imagine what life might be like if they came true. But then, out of nowhere, it turns on you and talks you out of the very idea it came up with only moments before. You can talk yourself out of anything, but it’s tragic when it’s a legit “go big” dream. Resist the urge to overthink it or to blink. Not overthinking is not the same as “don’t think.” Don’t sit on perfectly good ideas for too long. Don’t blink your way through life and regret it later. Do what you have to do and blink later.
• Blinking later means taking advantage of opportunities, not people. As you confidently pursue your “go big” vision, your interactions with those around you will set you on one of two roads. The first is the “I’m so caught up in my own story I can’t even see you standing there” road. This path is a disaster waiting to happen. Actors who freak out on set and athletes who cheat in order to win are examples of people whose goals and viewpoints involve only their own glory. Don’t choose this path. The second is the “grateful road.” The person on this road is the award winner whose acceptance speech is so self-deflecting and honors other people that those in the crowd realize the truth: it’s not all about the person in the spotlight. By spreading credit where it is rightly due, a grateful speech builds into relationships.
• The best way to capitalize on an opportunity is to knock it out of the park. This principle goes whether you’re working on one project or juggling a few at a time. There are too many people out there selling mediocre products and services. Don’t be one of them. If you strive for excellence in everything you do, people will notice. Be the best of the best and capture the hearts and wallets of the world.
• One of the best ways to gain and sustain lasting momentum is to inspire others. For starters, give your audience something to rally around — an iconic figure, a contest, a charity, a theme song, an event, or even a secret handshake — it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It just needs to be something likable, something people will want to identify with, something that will form your audience into an energy-filled group that is pointed in your brand’s direction.
• Racehorses wear blinders over their eyes to keep their focus. By shielding out the action to the left and right of the horses’ view, jockeys are able to keep their horses completely focused on the path ahead. Just like racehorses, you should wear blinders, too. Listen to the opinions that matter, and zone out the rest. If you are going to chase your “go big” dreams, you have to train your sights on what you now you have to do and not get distracted by others. Your drive and the future of your “go big” visions are at stake.
• Exercising your creativity and fun muscle is key to remaining relevant, likable, sane, energized and excited about your dream. Remember to have fun again and again — it is refreshing. Google is a company that fully understands the weight of this concept. In order to spark and maintain an atmosphere of extreme creativity, Google allows its employees what they call “20 percent time.” Four days out of the week, Google employees do what most other employees do — assignments. But on their fifth day, their “20 percent time,” they are free to work on company-related projects that are of personal interest to them. By allowing this practice, employees who are already passionate are given the opportunity to pursue projects that are fun or feel most exciting to them.
• In order to best give to others, you have to first realize what has been given to you. Thankfulness is the starting point; you are encouraged to move forward with a grateful attitude. It can go a long way, both in your talk and your walk. Giving back is by far the most fulfilling part of your journey, particularly if you have a platform for a cause much greater than yourself.
• God put the idea of epic perfection inside you. That’s why people who don’t know God constantly strive for more and still feel empty. Following God’s “go big” plan for your life is certainly worthwhile. The truth is, even though living by God’s design is difficult, God has filled you with a peace that, at the end of the day, even in the midst of your struggles and missed shots, is the reason you smile.
Dude Perfect wanted to be the “Ambassadors of Fun,” but, clearly, they had more going for them than that. They dreamed big and went big. They heeded the advice of H. Jackson Brown Jr., who said: “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.”
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