Reputation Evangelist's blog

Take A Breath Before Flying & Driving Your Reputation Into The Ground

Two recent news stories reaffirmed my belief that in an age of instant communication we need to re-engage the old 'count to 10' rule.  Remember, sometimes (a delayed) silence is golden - especially in this Reputation Economy! 

Below is a post I wrote last year and I felt it timely to repost in the wake of Alec Baldwin being 'escorted' off of an American Airlines flight for not complying with FAA rules to power down his phone (and his ensuing Tweets) and NASCAR driver Kurt Busch being released from Penske Racing for a number of public/media outbursts culminating with a foul-language laced tirade at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

Enjoy ...

NASCAR, The Instant Replay & Your Reputation

There are many attractions to NASCAR racing, but none more powerful than the raw emotion from the drivers when they get out of their race cars after a good accident. What is a good accident?

Usually, those are the ones that involve multiple cars spinning around the race track with tires smoking, sheet metal ripping from the roll cage AND when the cars come to a rest, the drivers lowering their window nets and safely getting out of their cars. That is typically what fans consider a good accident.

What’s also great about NASCAR is the media access during the race itself. There is no other sport where cameras and microphones are shoved in an athlete’s face immediately after something has happened to them. Could you imagine a microphone put in Shaq’s face after missing free throw after free throw? How about a reporter asking Favre as soon as he gets to the sideline why he got sacked on his own two yard line? Is age slowing you down, Brett?

This is what has made NASCAR so interesting over the years – the question of what is going to come out of the driver’s mouth after his bid for the checkered flag ends because of someone else’s mistake. Watching the driver interviews from Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Phoenix International Raceway got me thinking about how the instant replay can save and even help manage reputations – Let me explain.

I worked with a NASCAR driver (not to be named at this time as he’s still active!) some years back before the broadcast TV crews would bring along a small TV monitor to show the driver what happened on track as he was asked, “what happened on the track?”

So, after a wreck that took him and three other drivers out of the race, the swarms of cameras and microphones surrounded him as he exited his car and surveyed the damage. The traditional question was asked, “hey, what happened out there?” And the response was pretty straightforward, “I don’t know. They’re runnin’ ‘round like a bunch of retards and one of ‘em took me out.”

Some might have given him the benefit of the doubt because this was said in the heat of the moment – one minute you are racing for position at 180 mph and the next you are looking at a steaming heap of sheet metal and gears.

However, there was one wrinkle in the driver’s sound bite that cause a huge issue for him and ultimately his sponsor. While he was emotional at the time and just said what was on his mind, he wasn’t mindful (although he knew) that his sponsor was one of the largest corporate donors to the Special Olympics.

It’s somewhat ironic that I’m writing this around the holidays as the corporate call center’s hot lines lit up like a Christmas tree on Sunday night and all day Monday.

So, how could this have been different if the instant replay monitor was available? It would have given this driver time to:

1. Cool down and gather his thoughts.

2. See what happened from an objective perspective. 

3. Comment on what he saw versus what he thought happened.

Take this lesson and use it in your own life when you are responding to someone during an emotional moment in time and understand how your answer could impact your reputation.

1. You don’t have to respond right away.

2. Imagine having your own ‘instant replay monitor’ and take the time to review what happened – write it down if necessary.

3. Take the emotion out of the situation by trying to understand/view how the situation came about from an objective standpoint.

4. Take ownership of the areas of the situation for which you are responsible. 

5. Hold the other person responsible for their actions that led to the situation as well.

My grandmother used to call this the ‘take a deep breath and count to 10’ approach, but that was before we had the instant replay!

Put A Personal Reputation Audit On Your Holiday Wish List

 As we enter the Winter season, it’s time to spend some time reflecting on the year’s experiences - the joys, the pains as well as the things we must do differently next year. 

While that sounds like our annual holiday season, introspective, self-improvement ritual, I am actually speaking about brand planning for the upcoming year.  Stop for a moment and think about the amount of time you spend preparing for and working through planning and strategy sessions, creating PowerPoint decks or forecast spreadsheets for your business or clients. 

How many hours would you estimate you spend in these planning endeavors?

A 2003 study performed by FEI Research Foundation to determine the cost and amount of time companies spend to develop annual plans estimated that  employees, on average, focus 10.5 days on annual business planning.  That timeframe does not take into account quarterly updates, other business planning revisions or, having to start over because market conditions have changed!  The easy math would suggest we spend at least 84 hours on this process.

But what often gets lost in the throes of corporate brand planning is your personal brand planning. Your product is your reputation.  Remember that the sum of your behavior, your decisions, your values, the quality of what you deliver all add up to your reputation.  

So now I ask, how many hours would estimate you invest in critically thinking about your reputation?  I’ll make a leap and assume it’s less than the time you spend in business planning – safe bet, right?

There’s no question it’s tough to think about yourself, or your personal brand for that matter, when a Center for American Progress study found that 85.8% of males and 66.5% of females work more than 40 hours per week.

As humans, we have blind spots – those areas of self awareness that just aren’t recognized, but are on display for others to see.  If left in the dark, those blind spots can have a significant and negative impact on our personal reputations.

Blind spots can be fatal in the Reputation Economy in which we all live - where word of mouth can make or break brands as well as your personal or professional opportunities.

A Personal Reputation Audit is your opportunity to get hands on and invest in yourself and your future.  It may sound overwhelming, scary, boring, even ridiculous or some combination of those.  Remember though, not many things grow in the dark! 

Be daring and take this first step in planning, honing and owning your personal brand.  

Tis the season!

Below are six steps to approaching a Personal Reputation Audit.

1. Identify a core group of people who you know and trust.  These can be colleagues, clients, friends or family. A mix of these groups is ideal to gain better Reputational Awareness.

2. Explain the value of this exercise and that you need honest, objective answers about what they see and hear as it relates to your reputation.

3. Don’t react or try to defend the observations they share or feedback they give (be mindful of your body language, too).  Remember, you are asking for honesty in order to get a true sense of your reputation.

4. Take notes so you can reflect on the feedback later and see if there are any ‘themes’ or ‘trends’ that begin to surface.

5. Thank them for their honesty since there is some inherent risk in this type of exercise, but remember this is an investment in you and your future and by them being honest, they are also investing in you and your relationship with them (who knows, maybe they will ask you to return the favor?). 

6. Digest the feedback and develop an action plan based on specific areas of your reputation that you want to correct OR enhance (remember, it’s not all about the negative!).

 

 

Tornado Doesn’t Twist Lowe’s Reputation

 

A reputation can be established, bolstered or damaged in a matter of seconds and that’s all Lowe’s Home Improvement store manager, Mike Hollowell, in Sanford, N.C., had when one of the many tornados that ripped through the Southeast barreled towards his store.

If you follow my blog, you know that I believe your reputation is one of, if not, the most important asset you possess.  Why? Simple.  Your reputation is what presents new opportunities for you – it opens doors … it’s a resource that will build your brand (personal or corporate)  … it’s currency that does have real-world financial implications on your business … your reputation speaks for you when you are not there to speak for yourself.

There are many ways to proactively manage your personal and corporate reputations, but one that comes to mind after reading the Lowe’s story is preparedness.

Hollowell shuns any description of being a hero.  He credits the safety exercises and planning that Lowe’s has established for ensuring his team knew what to do in case of an emergency.

You may say, “of course Lowe’s has a list of emergency scenarios for which they plan.  Lowe’s is a billion-dollar corporation, they have to.”  And you are correct. 

But you may be surprised at how many companies (and individuals) don’t have a plan!

So, here’s what it comes down to: If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

In this situation, because Lowe’s had prepared its employees, it continued to build its reputation for being alert, customer focused, prepared and trustworthy.

Kudos to Lowe’s for having trained its staff well enough that they instinctively acted and ultimately saved customers’ lives.

Now I ask you, have you gone through your own scenarios of risk for your reputation? From where would the attacks come? Are you prepared to act? What are you doing today to ensure you are prepared for an opportunity to build or defend your reputation?

Here are three ways to prepare either personally, or for your business:

1. Fine Tune Your Radar – create a list of threat/risk scenarios in order to best prepare, or proactively head them off.   Be creative, yet realistic in this exercise since many issues can come out of left field – who at Motrin would have imagined that Mommy Bloggers would have risen up to rail against the brand for an online commercial, which essentially shut the campaign down … along with sales!

 

1. Create A “Says Who?” Sheet – once you identify the areas of reputation threats/risks, create a sheet of proof points that can refute potential allegations.  Say, for example, someone questions your commitment to employee development.  Your “Says Who?” sheet would outline the financial investment, number of employees who participate as well as the breadth of program options that are made available to your employees.   

 

1. Build Reputation Credits – this can only be done through deliberate, proactive, consistent and thoughtful action that will build reputation credits to help you through many situations.  These ‘Reputation Credits’ can give you the necessary second chance to correct your missteps.

 

These are three easy steps to ensuring you are prepared, because with social media’s instantaneous ‘judgment’ we aren’t in Kansas anymore! 

 

‘Throwin’ Some Ass’ Into Reputation Management

Lenny Kravitz was named the celebrity Grand Marshal for the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The All-Star event is a no-holds-barred, winner-take-all race among drivers – this race is about the money and bragging rights!

 

I was running Sprint’s marketing communications team for the NASCAR program at the time and was ‘on point’ with Lenny for various media interviews as well as to get him down to the stage where he’d give the most famous command in motorsports, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

 

After spending most of the day with him, we began to joke around a bit as he got ready for his ‘moment.’  We stood on the infield grass as the drivers were introduced and took in the amazing fly-over and watched the fans go crazy at the sight and sound of the F-15s as they lit up the summer evening sky.

 

A few minutes later, Lenny leans over to me and says, “hey Mike, let me ask you something. You’ve been around this for a while. How do you think I should do this? What do you think they’d like?”

 

It took me a second to realize what he was asking and then realize that this was a Grammy Award-winning artist/performer asking me my opinion about how to say, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

 

It was all very bizarre at the time and I didn’t give it much, or perhaps I would have answered differently, but in that moment, standing face to face with Lenny Kravitz, this was the professional advice I gave him.

 

“Lenny, you saw how crazy the fans got with the fly-over, right?” He nodded his head, saying, “yeah.” “OK, then, you’ve got to throw some ass into it and just give it to them.”

 

My parents would have been proud.  A decade and a half spent in motorsports PR and my advice to Lenny is to ‘throw some ass into it’.  Brilliant, but it worked.  He laughed, put his arm on my shoulder and said, “I got that.”

 

Reputation Lesson: There will be times in your life when people are honestly looking for your advice.  They are seeking this from you, more than likely, because they value what you will tell them based on your professional position or a personal relationship or recommendation.

 

Regardless, it’s imperative that you understand your impact (positive or negative) on the person that is seeking your counsel as well as the impact (positive or negative) it will have on your reputation.

 

Four Tips To Give Solid Advice And Build Your Reputation:

 1. Slow down and be in the moment :: this is tough in our society these days, but it’s a clear sign of respect to the other person.

 2. Don’t talk, just listen to what is being asked :: your time to talk will come, but actively listen to what the person is asking of you; otherwise your ramblings may have them asking themselves why they sought you out in the first place!

 3. Connect with them through relevant examples :: when giving direction or feedback, abstract examples rarely help.  Instead use examples of something with which they can relate.

 4. Show appreciation :: remember, it’s a privilege for someone to ask you for your thoughts, ideas and perspective.  Thank them for the opportunity and ask if it was helpful.

 

So, the next time you are asked for your opinion, don’t worry – use the steps above and, of course, throw some ass into it!

 

Why Don’t Expletives, Athletes and Values Play Well Together?

Did you happen to read the news clip about Detroit Lions’ Center Dominic Raiola’s post-game comment to a Miami Dolphins’ fan after being heckled coming off the field?

It was a situation that happens too often these days in professional sports where an athlete responds to a fan’s taunts and it’s caught on video and posted for the world to see. Click here to read the story and then click here  to go to the YouTube video (warning: this is not censored and contains raw language - well one uncensored word) ... you can also get to the video through a link in the story.

YouTube so kindly posts other videos that include Raiola once you finish watching the video that captures the ‘pleasantries’ being exchanged as he entered the tunnel.  The second suggested video made me raise an eyebrow because it was shot at Galesburg-Augusta High School in Galesburg, MI.

Raiola was shown signing autographs for students, posing for pictures with staff and he spoke about how he has a responsibility, as an athlete, to set an example for these kids.  Here’s the link to the team PR, I mean personal service video.

Here’s the disconnect I see all too often - athletes not living into their values.  In fact, I wonder how grounded some of these athletes are in their personal values?  Doesn’t seem like Raiola is as this isn’t the first time he’s done this, nor will it be the first time his team has fined him for such behavior as well.

Now, the truth of the matter is that this is also the case for mortal humans like you and me. 

So, the question I pose is not how often do we act in a way that doesn’t align with our values?  The question really is this – are we even grounded in our values?

One of the key points I make when I speak about Reputation Management is the importance of knowing AND consciously thinking about your values every day. 

If you like analogies, consider your values your lighthouse, GPS, compass, anchor or buoy.  I’m sure you can come up with several other analogies that might be more personal or relevant to you despite the nautical theme that I just strung out.

Remember that we will retain certain core values, but others will evolve as we mature or as external circumstances influence our lives.

Consider this time of year your time to reflect and take inventory of the values that will guide you through a prosperous 2011!   

Below are a few resources I’ve found that will help you along your way:

www.humanresources.about.com

www.chatatthecooler.com

www.itp.edu

 

 

Gay Preacher Risks Reputation For Teens. Would You?

Did you read the news today about Bishop Jim Swilley?

Reader's Digest version: He is a twice married, father of four, who founded a house of worship near Atlanta in 1985, which has grown into a 'mega-church'.  Swilley announced to his family and congregation that he is gay.

What struck me about this story is 'why' he came out and what he was, in his own words, willing to risk by doing so.

It has been startling to follow the recent stories about the growing number of suicides among bullied gay teens. This was the decision point for Swilley.  

"I know all the hateful stuff that's being written about me online, whatever," he said. "To think about saving a teenager, yeah, I'll risk my reputation for that."

What do you value enough to take a stand and risk your own reputation?

The simple truth is that we all should know.  Often, the difficult part is determining what that 'stand' is.

NASCAR champion and FOX race commentator Darrell Waltrip used to say that you don't know where you stand until you stand up.  Our values are what give us the strength to stand up.

Our values are the foundation of our beliefs and actions, if we indeed live into those values. But would you have the strength to stand and risk your friends, family and reputation?

I can't answer that for you, but the stand that Swilley made on his pulpit should make us all take a step back, take stock in our values and clearly see what we'd truly be willing to stand up for - you never know when your time will come (tic-toc). 

 

NASCAR , The Instant Replay & Your Reputation

There are many attractions to NASCAR racing, but none more powerful than the raw emotion from the drivers when they get out of their race cars after a good accident. What is a good accident?

Usually, those are the ones that involve multiple cars spinning around the race track with tires smoking, sheet metal ripping from the roll cage AND when the cars come to a rest, the drivers lowering their window nets and safely getting out of their cars. That is typically what fans consider a good accident.

What’s also great about NASCAR is the media access during the race itself. There is no other sport where cameras and microphones are shoved in an athlete’s face immediately after something has happened to them. Could you imagine a microphone put in Shaq’s face after missing free throw after free throw? How about a reporter asking Favre as soon as he gets to the sideline why he got sacked on his own two yard line? Is age slowing you down, Brett?

This is what has made NASCAR so interesting over the years – the question of what is going to come out of the driver’s mouth after his bid for the checkered flag ends because of someone else’s mistake. Watching the driver interviews from Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Phoenix International Raceway got me thinking about how the instant replay can save and even help manage reputations – Let me explain.

I worked with a NASCAR driver (not to be named at this time as he’s still active!) some years back before the broadcast TV crews would bring along a small TV monitor to show the driver what happened on track as he was asked, “what happened on the track?”

So, after a wreck that took him and three other drivers out of the race, the swarms of cameras and microphones surrounded him as he exited his car and surveyed the damage. The traditional question was asked, “hey, what happened out there?” And the response was pretty straightforward, “I don’t know. They’re runnin’ ‘round like a bunch of retards and one of ‘em took me out.”

Some might have given him the benefit of the doubt because this was said in the heat of the moment – one minute you are racing for position at 180 mph and the next you are looking at a steaming heap of sheet metal and gears.

However, there was one wrinkle in the driver’s sound bite that cause a huge issue for him and ultimately his sponsor. While he was emotional at the time and just said what was on his mind, he wasn’t mindful (although he knew) that his sponsor was one of the largest corporate donors to the Special Olympics.

It’s somewhat ironic that I’m writing this around the holidays as the corporate call center’s hot lines lit up like a Christmas tree on Sunday night and all day Monday.

So, how could this have been different if the instant replay monitor was available? It would have given this driver time to:

1. Cool down and gather his thoughts.

2. See what happened from an objective perspective. 

3. Comment on what he saw versus what he thought happened.

Take this lesson and use it in your own life when you are responding to someone during an emotional moment in time and understand how your answer could impact your reputation.

1. You don’t have to respond right away.

2. Imagine having your own ‘instant replay monitor’ and take the time to review what happened – write it down if necessary.

3. Take the emotion out of the situation by trying to understand/view how the situation came about from an objective standpoint.

4. Take ownership of the areas of the situation for which you are responsible. 

5. Hold the other person responsible for their actions that led to the situation as well.

My grandmother used to call this the ‘take a deep breath and count to 10’ approach, but that was before we had the instant replay!

You Aren’t From New York, Are You?

Last week I flew back home to Long Island, New York, for one of my best friend’s 40^th birthday.  But while in the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, I heard one line that reminded me of the power of a collective reputation.

My original flight was delayed by 30 minutes due to weather in the Northeast.  You can tell that all did not go as planned when I used the words ‘original flight.’  So, I grabbed a sandwich and a beer at a restaurant near my gate after checking and confirming it was still delayed.  I paid my bill and went over to the gate with what I thought was 20 minutes to spare for boarding only to find an empty gate area and two US Airways employees at the counter.

I asked them if the LaGuardia flight had changed gates.  They said, “Nope.  It left on time and we just shut the door.”  Surprise, anger and frustration were just some of the emotions that washed over me in that split second.  A key life value I try to instill in my children is personal responsibility and accountability and this was one of those moments where I needed to practice what I preach.  Now, I’ve been flying for nearly two decades and don’t recall many flights being moved back to their original departure times once they are delayed – not saying it doesn’t happen, but it never crossed my mind.

I didn’t make a scene or raise my voice because I should have checked the gate again (but it would have been nice to have heard my name being called over the loud speaker, “last call for passenger Mike Mooney.” Just saying …).  Shaking my head, I asked one of the men what my options were.  He said the next flight was in two hours and it was oversold, but not to worry, I was only fourth in line – as long as a Chairman or Platinum Preferred customer didn’t show up! Great …

I thanked him for his help as he handed me my standby ticket and as I was about to leave the other gentleman behind the counter said that I was given the wrong ticket.  I looked it over and it had my name on it, the right flight number, gate number and departure time.  I told him that it all looked in order.  He asked to see it, so I handed it over.

He began typing quickly on the keyboard and said, “Yup, we did give you the wrong ticket, here’s your new one.” I looked at it and I had a confirmed seat in First Class.

Turns out he was the supervisor and while he acknowledged that I had a right to be angry because of the moving target of a departure time, he thanked me for not making a scene and yelling at him or his teammate.  It’s what he said next that was my ‘ah-ha’ moment: “You aren’t from New York, are you?” I laughed and told him I actually was.  He said he didn’t believe me because a New Yorker would have ripped them up one side and down the other just for sport.  I’ve lived in North Carolina for more than 20 years, so I must be getting soft!

His question was so poignant, though.  Groups of people -whether from a state, a neighborhood, a company or a church – all have a collective reputation that is like a halo surrounding their persona.  It may or may not truly reflect who they are, but they are labeled because of where they are from or with whom they associate.

Think about this in your own life, both personally and professionally.  It’s not a new concept as we’ve all heard saying about being careful about the company we keep, right?

To unpack this further, we have to also understand that reputations are leveraged every day.  Think about it like this: When we search for a job we typically filter the opportunities by location, growth potential, alignment with our skillset and by the reputation or image of that company, right?  If hired, your reputation halo would extend a bit further by being associated with a reputable firm.  That’s common sense.   Conversely, when a company is screening applicants for leadership positions, they go to great lengths to assess the reputation and image of the prospect.  The individual’s reputation helps build that of the company.   It’s a symbiotic relationship for sure.

However, it is possible for an individual’s good reputation to be tarnished by association with a less reputable group. 

I’ve seen this happen in NASCAR when a driver with solid credentials finds himself without a ride (not with a team and sponsor).  He knows the clock is ticking once he’s out of a car.  Simple fact: drivers don’t like watching races in which they should be racing.  Often times they end up jumping in a seat for an under-funded team, who will leverage the reputation of the driver to attract more sponsors.  Talent alone won’t magically create horsepower or transform a pit crew in a choreographed team churning out 14-second pit stops.  There comes a point where the team’s reputation for less-than-competitive performance, begins to rub off on the driver and his ‘stock’ begins to drop as a result.   Some will even criticize or question his decision to join ‘that team’ in the first place.

So I’d ask you to take a look around and see what collective reputation is surrounding you – either personally or professionally.  Here are some considerations:

1.    Values: Do the people I associate with or work for/with reflect my values?  Do they keep their word? Are they trustworthy? Do they engage with honest intentions?  If not, you are going to erode from the inside and/or feel like you’re leading a double life – both are not healthy!

2.    Actions: Are the people I associate or work with acting in a way that aligns with how I act and treat others? Remember the Golden Rule (not the ‘he who has the gold makes the rule’ version!).

3.    Build ‘Em Up: Am I in a position to build others up and/or influence behavior and thereby improve the collective reputation around me? If so, then get to work and lead by example.

Answering and assessing these questions will be a difficult task since you may not find that the people or companies fall neatly into good or bad groups.  However, just walking through the exercise will raise your reputational awareness and allow you to both take stock in the reputations of the people and organizations with whom you associate and get a clearer view of the halo that surrounds you.

One final thought – don’t forget to stay in the immediate gate area when your flight is delayed! Safe travels.

What if we managed our reputations every day?

Just finished reading a great article this morning on AOL about corporate reputation and it couldn't come at a better time given the BP, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, etc., etc., etc., exploits.

For me, it was just another reminder that a brand's reputation is often only thought of while a crisis is underway.  As I've written on this blog before, the interesting thing when dissecting a reputation crisis is that, more often than not, the crisis was in some way self inflicted by the company (its executives).  While the proper response can indeed stave off potential long-term negative business implications, I've found after 17 years in the reputation business, that managing your reputation (both personally and as a brand) is a daily effort.   Reputation management should not be a 'tab' in a black binder that only sees the light of day when all hell breaks loose - it should be present in every decision we make ...

Take a few minutes to read ...

See full article from DailyFinance:http://srph.it/cnPpoV

"Fire In My Belly"

I had the great honor of sitting third row at today’s grand opening ceremony for the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.  Sitting in the third row wasn’t the honor, actually, it just happened to be where there were two seats for my buddy/colleague Bruce Mosley and I to sit.  The honor was being present at and experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime event with legends, colleagues, friends and heroes. 

 

So much work went into campaigning, promoting, organizing and building this shrine to those who gave equally as much throughout their racing careers.  One word came to mind as I saw icons such as Richard Petty and Junior Johnson and saw the widows of Benny Parsons, Dale Earnhardt and Tim Flock – Passion. 

 

I was immediately taken back to a conversation I had with NASCAR great and current FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip.  I managed DW’s PR early in my career and it was one of the most memorable times of my life.  He was in the twilight of his storied career and I became more than just his ‘PR guy’.  He truly made me feel like I was part his family.  It’s not hard to when you spend 30-plus weekends with his actual family!

 

The conversation came at a time when he was struggling as a driver and frustrated as a team owner.  It was also during a time when the sport was experiencing its meteoric rise in general pop interest and new fans, tired of baseball strikes, flocked to NASCAR.

 

Wish I could tell you which track we were at, but they all seem to blur together when you are in the infield.  Regardless, we were in his motor coach and I was going through the day’s media schedule and telling him which sponsors were at track.  He was shaving.  I had wanted to ask him a question for a few weeks, but just didn’t know how, but the time and vibe seemed right.

 

“Darrell, are you worried that your performance is going to hurt your long-term ‘stock’ value?  You’ve done everything and won everything in this sport.  The old fans know that, but to these new fans, you’re just an old guy who used to win running in the back of the field.  How long are you going to do this?”

 

I have no idea why I went the financial planner route with my 'long-term stock value' image, but it seemed to make sense at the time ... and then I just held my breath to see how he would react!

 

At first, he cut me a quick look as if to say, “who in the hell are you to ask me that?”  Honestly he had every right to feel that way.  He was giving Richard Petty a run for his money when I was still running to my mommy when I skinned my knee.

 

But, he knew me and knew that the question came from my heart and I was honestly concerned for his reputation and all he had accomplished over a 25-plus year career.

 

He told me to come over to him and pointed into the mirror.  Then, as he looked at me in the mirror, he said, “I do this because every morning that I get up and get in a race car, I look in this mirror and I still believe I can win.  I still have that fire in my belly.  I’ve never lost that and never will.”

 

That’s when it hit me.  DW’s passion for racing would be what fans would come to know.  Yes, he is a three-time Series champion, he has enough wins to put him in the top four among all drivers, he has won the Most Popular Driver award, won the Daytona 500 (I could go on …), but his passion for the sport would be the underpinning of his reputation and legacy.  And now as his popularity among fans has grown because of his TV gig, his passion has a major network outlet.

 

So, on this day when NASCAR opened the doors to its Hall of Fame to recognize the best of the best from yesterday, today and tomorrow, I’ll ask you these questions: What are you passionate about? Can people tell? How are you pursuing your passion?

 

Our passions are glimpses into our souls.  Our passions are what we are wired to do, what we’ve been specially gifted to pursue.  Now, I’m not talking about being passionate about the Yankees or Steelers.  I’m talking about that ‘thing’ that you’ll stay up until the early hours of the morning to do.  I’m talking about that ‘thing’ that once you start talking about it, you don’t want to stop.  I’m talking about that ‘thing’ that if you weren’t paid to do it, you’d still do it.  So again I’ll ask, what are you passionate about?  Are you pursuing it?   

 

Whether you are living out your passion or pursuing it on a daily basis, there is no greater achievement that a person can earn during their short time on this earth.  I say that because when you live out or pursue your passion, you are living with such an incredible degree of authenticity and purpose that you can't help but shine.  Think about it, who wouldn’t want their reputation’s foundation grounded in three words – passion, authenticity and purpose?

 

Have you found the fire in your belly?