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Christine's Post to the official site

What I Learned on The Next Internet Millionaire Thursday, September 20th, 2007 by Christine Schaap If you are reading this thinking you’re going to hear who won, you won’t hear it from me. I don’t want to ruin the show for you by taking away the suspense. No spoilers in this blog! But I did learn a few things that I can share with you: 1. You are capable of doing more than you thought you could. When the challenges were presented, my first reaction was, “What? How can we do that in the time allotted?” How often do we procrastinate in our business thinking that we couldn’t possibly accomplish the kinds of tasks that we face day to day? What opportunities are we missing by our self-defeating attitudes? Hey, as Mike Litman says, “You don’t have to get it right; you just have to get it going!” 2. You can’t do everything by yourself. For instance, I’m a reasonably good copywriter. I have vision and can see the “big picture.” But I’m lacking in many of the technical skills necessary to succeed in internet marketing. Does that destine me to be a failure? No! It just means that I need to have a skilled and talented “team” around me that knows how to do the things that I’m not as well-versed in. You can accomplish this through out-sourcing or through identifying a joint venture partner on a particular project. There’s no room for the lone ranger in business. The successful entrepreneur establishes a team. 3. Don’t judge people by your first impression of them. Take Charles Trippy for instance. After watching his audition and acceptance videos, I was less than impressed. What were Joel and Eric thinking by having him on the show?!! Well, what I discovered upon meeting and working with this 23 year old young man is that he’s a creative genius…a bit crude at times…but one of the nicest, caring people you’ll meet. [Sorry if I am ruining your image, Charles.] 4. Life isn’t always fair. Sometimes decisions are made that are beyond your control. Sometimes you will disagree with decisions that other people make. It’s up to you, however, how you handle it. Are you flexible? Are you teachable? Do you roll with the punches and look to see what new lessons life is providing for you? You can go around acting like a victim, or you can take a presumably negative situation and turn it around in your favor. What kind of player are you? 5. You always have to be “game on.” Life doesn’t stop while you take a little break. You may be in a different setting, but you still need to stay alert and be aware of the people and opportunities around you. It’s tempting to let down your guard and lose focus, but you can’t afford to think that “this little behavior” and “that little comment” don’t matter. It all matters! 6. You need people in your life that you can trust. I met Alisande and Thor at the Denver airport. Alisande and I were assigned as roommates and we quickly became close friends. We enjoyed many late night talks, strategizing and analyzing the other players. Alisande is bright, quick-witted and also an amazing poker player! Thor too became a close friend and confidant almost immediately. Not only could the guy make me laugh, but he’s also very sharp and innovative. (Maybe that’s why his business is named Shrock Innovations?) Identify the people in your life that will “cover your back.” Whatever situations come your way, you want to know who will be there for you. 7. It’s important to dream BIG!! I almost didn’t have the opportunity to participate in the show because I initially couldn’t believe that an ordinary person like me would be chosen. Micah, the cameraman (and Eric’s brother-in-law), was the one that successfully convinced me to get in front of a video camera for the first time in my life. When you consistently force yourself to step outside of your comfort zone, neat things happen. Don’t let the big opportunities pass you by because you’re not willing to try. 8. To be successful, you need mentors. For the past six or seven years, I have used coaches to help me get to the next level in my business and personal life. On the show, we had teachers come in and instruct us in specific aspects of marketing. In life, you need mentors and coaches to guide you and hold you accountable. A common thread among successful entrepreneurs I’ve met is their commitment to growth and receptivity to new ideas. They never tire of learning, whether pursuing classes, reading or attending seminars. Maybe you won’t always know your mentors first-hand, but you can learn a lot by reading the biographies of influential people. Learn from them. Emulate them. Adapt their successful habits into your own life. 9. Sometimes in life you get second chances, but more often than not, you don’t. After watching the first episode of the Next Internet Millionaire, you’ve discovered that they used an idea inspired by Google called “the sandbox.” Contestants targeted for elimination were sent here to wait and promised a second chance to redeem themselves. In life, we sometimes narrowly escape death during a car accident or we narrowly avoid an unplanned pregnancy. More often than not, however, our actions and words have lasting consequences. We wish we could take back something we said or undo something we’ve done. But that’s not how life works. You are responsible for the actions you take. For most situations, you have one shot at life! Don’t waste it. 10. Don’t lose site of your values. Watching Jason Marshall, you will quickly see that he is a man of integrity with a deep, abiding faith in Jesus Christ. It’s important to know what you stand for – and to stand for something! Don’t compromise. If you start making exceptions, you’ll water down your values until they become meaningless. Stick to the standards that you’ve set for yourself and be true to your personal convictions. Others may not agree with you, but they will respect you. More importantly, you’ll respect yourself. 11. Sometimes you have to do “whatever it takes.” For the contestants on the show, that meant being faced with whether or not to eat a night crawler to reduce the impossibility of a particular immunity challenge. How far will a person go? How committed are they to winning? These are the same questions that entrepreneurs have to ask themselves every single day. How about you? Will you do “whatever it takes” to accomplish your goals? Do you procrastinate and make excuses? Force yourself to distinguish between “I can’t” and “I won’t.” Focus on what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it. If your motivation is strong enough, you’ll rise to the challenge. 12. It’s not in the winning, but in how you play the game that matters. Mr. Renaissance Man, Nico, was often heard saying that life is in the journey, not the destination. You have to live in the moment. Yes, you’ll want to reflect on where you’ve been so that you can learn from past experiences. And you’ll want to have an idea where you’re going so that you don’t wander aimlessly through life. But just as a space shuttle is off course ninety percent of the time, don’t worry about perfection as much as enjoying each relationship and event along the way. Strive to stay flexible so that you can continually correct your course and you’ll eventually reach your destination. Participating in the Next Internet Millionaire was truly a privilege and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience it. The show is over for me, but the knowledge I gained and the relationships I established are something I will forever take with me.