As we are presently in the throes of the Zombie Apocalypse, I desperately seek ways to keep baseball front and center in my life. Even in the best of times, baseball brings relief from reality. If ever there was a time that we needed the distraction of the Grand Old Game, it is now.
Itâs no secret: Iâm a New York Mets fan. I make that statement with neither pride nor remorse. Itâs a simple statement of fact. Fans who root for the Angels, the White Sox, the AthleticsâŠI believe they can relate to this. In our home market, we are considered second class citizens. Thereâs another team in the area that garners far more attention from the media and the fan base as well. However, we donât consider ourselves to be second class. We simply prefer to root for the underdog.
Does that make us underdogs too? Is this even a positive quality?
Letâs face it: we all love to tell our war stories. Like how we turned âNo thank youâ into âYes pleaseâ. How we overcame obstacles to win that big contract, or get the girl/guy/other. You knowâŠthe before-to-after that wouldnât have happened had it not been for the genius we provided.
Success stories are great, but we also need an underdog story, too.
Remember that time your PowerPoint deck didnât load for your presentation? When the airline lost your sample bag? When some mutant virus kept you from making sales?
Those arenât the stories you share on Facebook, and especially not on LinkedIn. We all have our failures and missteps. We just donât always share those.
What we fail to recognize is that these (mis)adventures happen to us all. By sharing those, you show yourself as genuine. Real. Warts and all.
Iâve been writing this column for about 25 years (no, not this one in particular, but in general!) and I have certainly shared the highs and lows with my readers. Iâve also readily admitted to being a Mets fan. While I, personally, may not be endearing, almost everyone does enjoy a good underdog story. These are what make us relatable.
Get back onto social media and you wonât have to scroll very far before you find a âHow I overcame adversity, cured my acne, and saved the planetâ story. I read those and roll my eyes. They tend to be a bit over the top for my liking. Instead, I like to read about peopleâs realities.
What is your story? Is it relatable? Can others see themselves in it, or at least some comparisons? What are the parts of your life that make you seemâŠI donât knowâŠnormal?
LookâŠwe all know that I donât write this column as a feel-good remedy for what ails you. âPhysician, heal thyselfâ and all that. If I want to continue to write this column (perhaps more importantly: if I want you to continue to read this column), I have to be genuine. I donât want to be a role model. I like being someone like you.
Years ago, before Iâd given any thought to being a writer or a speaker, I used to joke about how unqualified Iâd be as a motivator because the worst story I could share was about getting a very bad haircut from my Uncle Joe. If youâve been following my story over the last few years, you know that Uncle Joe is way back in my rear-view mirror. Iâve now got real stories to tell.
What about you? Do your associates and/or customers see you as someone to whom they can relate? Those low points in your life or careerâŠwhat do you think you might have gained from them? What made the change? Did you have help? Can I see myself in what youâre telling me?
Loss, tragedy, failuresâŠyou know, those things youâd rather not get intoâŠcan they somehow be worked into your story? Not in a gratuitous way (like, âOh yeahâŠyou think youâve had it bad? Let me tell you about this haircut I once gotâ), but in ways that will help your associates connect with you on a more personal level
SureâŠmaybe Iâve been guilty of oversharing at times. I know that itâs a delicate balance between sharing your humanity while also showing that you have talents and skills that make you appear attractive as an associate.
So what if you sprayed lobster all over the president of your trade association (oh waitâŠthat was me)? Did it define you, or did you overcome that embarrassment? I promise you: someone elseâŠeven meâŠwould love to hear your underdog story. Share.
P.S. If youâre trying to find the connection to a song in the title of this column, look no further than the title itself. âUnderdog Victoriousâ is the title track from an album by Jill Sobule. Find it and give a listen. It tells a good story, too!
Mike Schenker, MAS, is âall thatâ at Mike Schenker, Consulting, where he assists businesses entering the promotional products industry, mentors professionals, and offers association management. He is a promotional industry veteran and member of the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) Hall of Fame. He can be reached at mike@mikeschenker.com.