Estimated read time: 2 minutes
The official production studio for the Corporate Rebel Series (note the requisite Nerf blasters and penguin audience)
The Corporate Rebel Series is finally on its way! Alleluia, praise baby Buddha, thank you, universe!
The truth is I feel so vulnerable having this series out there that I can hardly breathe.
Today, I want to pull back the curtain to show you what it's been like on the inside so you can see that:
- I struggle with the same things you do.
- You can see what's possible when you face your fear, make a commitment to something big, and keep moving.
Sound like a plan?
First, the Corporate Rebel Series required me to face my fears.
In order to create this series, I had reach out to people I didn't know and ask them to be part of it. (Even for an extrovert like me, this was terrifying.)
I spent 2 weeks hitting send on email after email (139 to be exact). There were people who seemed so big and so important, I couldn't bring myself to contact them. With the encouragement of my friends, I finally did. Many of them said yes! (Amazing people like Ann Betz, Dr. Ron Friedman, and Henry Kimsey-House are part of the series.)
After 39 emails and 5 live conversations, the next hundred got easier.
Second, this project has required me to stretch beyond what I thought I was capable of.
I had to figure out ethernet, learn to edit videos, conquer YouTube, and handle Skype glitches. (I'm no tech wizard.) I had to stay focused so my children continued to get to school and our dog got walked. I even managed one tea date with a friend and talked to my husband on occasion.
Then there was the &%#@$* opt-in video (the one on the sign up page. You can see it here). I've never done anything with video and certainly, nothing that was going to be public. I recorded about 100 takes, took the feedback from my coach, and did 100 more.
And then as soon as the #$&%*$ video was live, one of my best friends called to say it "sucked." After wondering for an hour if I should get a new best friend, my BFF and I re-recorded the video and now it feels like me.
Know what I discovered? I can handle the technology. I can put a video into the world. I can plunk a huge project into an already full life and still keep the wheels mostly on the bus.
Third, working on this series has forced me to let go of any illusion of perfection.
There are a couple of glitchy interviews. A broken link in an email? Yep, have that. Hair sticking out - got it. Dog whining at the door during an interview? Yes, that, too. Sucky opt-in video? Check!
Action over perfection is the mantra that got me through. (Feel free to steal that one.)
Fourth, I had to face rejection.
People declined to participate. I survived.
Fifth, the Corporate Rebel Series has reinforced that the world is a good place, people are generous, and all you have to do is ask.
Putting together this series has been like a giant scavenger hunt. Even the most famous experts, the ones I was afraid to contact, are lovely, normal people. They are thrilled to help and to be part of something that supports our mutual mission to make the world of work better for the people who go there everyday.
I have been surrounded by guardian angels who share their feedback honestly and love me enough to tell me the truth.
Their generosity has been inspiring.
The Corporate Rebel Series has grown legs. With each speaker, an ecosystem has developed of people who care deeply about the work we do and how we can bring heart and sanity to our workplaces. Now, the series is running on its own and the audience is gathering.
A number of people have asked me where this is headed. The truth is, I have no idea. At this point, I'm along for the ride and having a blast.
And I'm ready for a few more tea dates.
Christina
P.S. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can sign-up for The Corporate Rebel Video Podcast and Newsletter HERE.