Paris Hilton was released today. Phew! I’m relieved. Now I can go on living. I’m so glad that Michael Moore was bumped from CNN so that she could speak to America about her ordeal. I mean, the rapidly collapsing health care system can wait. I need to hear Paris.
In all seriousness, the last 24 days the heiress has been in jail have truly changed how I do business.
Last night I got an email from a business associate asking me about a press release I sent out awhile back. I used to have regular releases sent out putting an interesting spin on every move my business made. My goal was to get press, and it worked. Every now and then a magazine or online publication emails me asking for a quote and of course I happily comply.
The highest form of press right now is Oprah. Oooh! Now if I go on Oprah, that will really mean I’m big, right? Wrong.
It wasn’t after Ms. Hilton began to appear regularly on the nightly news (right in between war updates and fire warnings) that I began to ask myself, “When did being famous become a reason for being famous?” which led to “Why do I want press?”
I sat and thought. I couldn’t come up with a reason so I reviewed my one-year, five-year, and ten-year plans. No dice. I went over my business and personal purpose statements to find clues. Still nada.
Nothing in my plans are dependent or even helped by media coverage. My real estate portfolio, my business financials…neither of those seem to care how many people know about them. I recently leased out two of my ventures, but even when I still operated them I noticed that press coverage led to a large wave of new people. The people only stuck around whenI had something truly of value to offer them.
I came to the conclusion that I’ve been indoctrinated into thinking that being noticed equals success. It has been easy for me to “play business” because journalists never know what questions to really ask. Revenue? Sure I can tell you that and you’ll be impressed by what a 24-year old can do. Accolades? I’ll tell you that too. But what would a serious, seasoned entrepreneur ask of me to really know where my business stood. They’d want to see my assets, my debt, my liabilities, my future projections, my payroll, my financial records…yikes.
I’ve been too easily flattered. It’s easy to get applause when you’re in front of the wrong audience.
This week I made a decision to not play around anymore. My goals have changed. My audience has really changed. When I want to know if I’m doing a good job in my business I’m not going to comfort myself with an empty list of press mentions. I now imagine showing the core of my ventures to a panel who could ask me the hard questions. What Would Michael Gerber say? or WWMGS?
While meeting Oprah personally would be great, being on her show is no longer on my list right now. When I’m 35, retired (that’s the plan folks) and have benefitted the world through my endeavors…then I’ll go. I’ll go to inspire someone to do the same.
While I don’t think there is anything wrong with press mentions regarding my biz, I’m not going to use them to gage my success. The Paris in me has left the building.
PS. In response to emails from readers who think it is impossible for someone to invest in California, New York, or anyone other relatively high priced market….then start somewhere else! Long before my husband and I could buy a house in California we were able to find real estate in more reasonable markets. Plus, investing doesn’t always mean outright buying of a property. You can “bird dog” (find properties for investors and get paid a fee) or look into assignments (getting a property under contract and finding a buyer). Find someone in your area who is on the path you want to be on and ask for help. Go to the library. Talk to agents, brokers, and loan officers.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 26th, 2007 at 1:13 pm and is filed under Focus, Business Decisions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.5 Responses to “Why I’m Saying No to Paris (and Oprah).”
Leave a Reply
June 27th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Paris used Barbara Walters as a PR messenger and made a fool of her. It is time the media stops giving her air time. The majority of the polls from 84 to 92% of the public keeps telling the media we are sick of Paris and you keep shoving her down our throats. She is poison. US who is 100% Paris free this week will have a BOOST in sales just wait and see.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
MPW, I totally agree with you, however the news outlets are a business, and they need viewers to make money. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans are not smart, and simple news attracts them.
June 28th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I love this and it’s so true. Paris being in jail shouldn’t be the highlight of media coverage.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Thanks for the comments, the duologue is interesting. In terms of media, I think we will always be drawn to controversy first, even over legitimate useful news. Maybe it is the same reason kids have to be told to eat their vegetables (which are good for them), cotton candy, while lacking in any nutritional value, is just so much sweeter.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:47 am
Hello Bunmi,
first let me applaud you as a fellow female entrepreneur and then for having such a clear head on this issue!
I am an entertainer and this question has been on my mind for some time, as well. In what measure is publicity good for my business? Before whom should I put my results, and how would they help further my progress? I definitely feel you hit the nail right on the head.
Thanks for helping to clarify this!