Since the first day I made a speech in public, I’ve done everything I can think of to become better. My obsession started with my first talk — I was so nervous about presenting to a live audience that I wanted whatever help I could get before I made a fool of myself. Since then I’ve attended classes and seminars, watched every good speaker I can find, and read every single book on speaking I can get my hands on.
One of the apocryphal presentation tips that you hear from almost every authority is to never follow children or puppies. But unless your speech is going to be on The Ed Sullivan Show, I’m not sure where you’d find speakers that fit that bill. Still, the old adage is repeated over and over. So to help all my fellow speakers, and any of you who may find yourself on a dais one day, let me add that along with kids and pets, you should never follow Dan Jansen.
I’m lucky enough to know Dan because we share a client. Dan is their director of health and fitness and I’m responsible for their branding. So Dan and I have traveled together, making presentations to our client’s potential partners and sponsors.
Dan is a speed skater, Olympic gold medal winner, world record holder, and was NBC’s winter sportscaster. Maybe you remember Dan doing his victory lap in Lillehammer holding his daughter, Jane, in his arms. If you do, I’m sure you’re getting goose bumps just thinking about it. Today Dan is a successful businessman, great parent, and incredibly handsome to boot. Dan’s beautiful wife Karen is no slouch either. Besides being sweet as honey, Karen runs a successful cardio-fitness business and is a nationally ranked LPGA golf pro.
So you can imagine my dismay at our last client presentation when I was scheduled to introduce myself directly after Dan.
Besides everything I’ve already told you about Dan, he’s also very humble. Still, Dan’s accomplishments speak for themselves and his introduction sounds something like this: “Hi. I’m Dan Jansen. I’m a four-time Olympiad and gold medal winner. I’m also the winter sports commentator for NBC.”
Then it’s my turn. “Hi, I’m Bruce Turkel. I run a brand management firm and write books and speak on creativity and branding. But next to Dan, I got nothin’.”
I was never a big Seinfeld fan but someone described it to me as a show about nothing. The characters would meet and talk, and everyone would get worked up, but ultimately nothing would happen. And yet Seinfeld was one of the most popular shows on TV.
So speaking of nothin’, that’s how I feel about this week’s blog post. While this blog has been up for about six years, it was only in the last two years that I found my voice and started the discipline of writing something meaningful every single week. I try to write about my observations of what’s going on in marketing and advertising and what’s going on in my head. And I’m pretty proud of the fact that I haven’t missed a deadline yet.
But when I pulled my laptop out on American Airlines flight #1841 to write this blog post, the well was dry. It’s not as if there wasn’t anything happening over the past few weeks to write about, mind you. Steve Jobs died. Netflix screwed the pooch and destroyed their business model and stock price. We introduced a fantastic new Norman Rockwell-inspired ad campaign for our client MetCare. My daughter got her first college acceptance letter. The Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s about to celebrate its 25th anniversary with incredible results. My son announced that he’ll graduate with two degrees. I’ve got speaking gigs in Tucson, Houston, Toronto, and Mallorca. Both Chris Christie and Sarah Palin announced that they would not be running for president. My wife planted her organic vegetable garden. All grist for the mill.
But I still got nothin’.
Sometimes I think that like Seinfeld, nothing is what my blog is actually about. My thoughts and opinions about what’s going on are just another part of the ongoing conversation of current events, digital technology, marketing, branding, and life that mostly slip by unnoticed.
Maybe that’s the way it should be. Because if the 24-hour news cycle and always-on digital technology has turned all of us into instant gratification, ADD media junkies, feverishly mainlining data 24/7, then making some sense of all this stuff swirling around us is a valuable endeavor. So if you’ll keep reading, I’ll keep watching and thinking and speaking and writing. And I’ll keep presenting with Dan Jansen. Even if I got nothin’.
Tags: Branding, Branding Speaker, Dan Jansen, Karen Jansen, LPGA, Seinfeld, The Ed Sullivan Show
Nothing is not only something; it’s everything. It’s knowing what really matters like friends and a great sense of humor. Most of all, it’s not taking life too seriously and at the same time being as serious as a heart attack.
The essence of meditation in the yoga tradition is emptying
The mind of all the clutter that accumulates from everyday life. The goal is to end up with nothing–very difficult to achieve, but an obtainable skill with lots of practice. What you get as a result is everything, all the space in the universe for what really matters.
When you really got nothin’, nothin speaks for you. I mean really, how many times can you turn left on skates?
Too me a long time to read “nothing.” Enjoyed it anyhow.
Two comments:
1. Maybe there’s something in the Seinfeld concept to speak about. As speakers, we are edutainers. Seinfeld was just entertainment…one was it? Maybe it was expert storytelling with the message embedded in a way that people didn’t “mind” being educated.
2. A good friend is also a close friend of Dan’s. You’ve probably all spent time together. You and I met at the Vegas Speaker Lab last winter. Six degrees…
Life is simpler than that, I’ve just read that your daughter got her first college acceptance letter, your son announced that he’ll graduate with two degrees and that your wife planted her organic vegetable garden.
Bruce, I think you have everything.
Everything else is secondary.
I read your blog to get a different perspective on the events of the day-week-month, etc. You write sort of like of think, which allows me to calm down and take a little break out of my day to comtemplate what I read and visualize your stories. I hope you take this as a compliment but I enjoy your blog the same as I enjoy The Daily Show. Jon Stewart can be silly and crass sometimes (and you certainly are not) but I view that as a guise to defuse his poignant commentary on the world. So, keep writing and I will keep reading even if it is about nothing. BTW…my last name recently reverted, which changed my email but, the old one redirects without issue.
Keep your nothins coming Bruce. The something I got was a good story.
And the discipline of writing regularly (never missing a deadline) is the best way to get somethin’ from nothin’.
You’ve got plenty to be thankful for…as those of us who take the time to read your musings…
I stood in a university classroom for almost 25 years and felt like “I got nothin” more times than i can remember … Dude you followed Dan Hansen, that is something!
Don’t worry about your blog topics Bruce…your stream of consciousness is always an interesting read…from one AD to another ! };-)~
While your humility expressed in your blog post precedes this comment, as a veteran South Florida corporate executive and entrepreneur, your brand, opinion and insights have always been held in high esteem by me Bruce.
Sometimes it is in those quiet times that our most brilliant ideas and insights come to light. The paragraph about what is happening in your business and in your life is reinforcement of your blessings–and, if I may say so, in my search to find role models in all walks of life to learn from and emulate in my own RaynMaker manner you are on that local list with a Gold star.
As my late father and hero Whitey used to say, “It’s amazing how much I learned ever since I thought I knew everything”. You keep me learning.
Enjoy this beautiful day in South Florida!
like the song says; ‘i got plenty of nothin and nothin’s plenty for me”……….
As always, a good read, Bruce. As an also blog-writer, I understand the discipline it takes to come up again and again with subject matter that will resonate with your readers. When I hit the send button, I always have a moment of panic. . is anybody listening????? Be assured. . we’re all listening to you, Bruce.
Bruce–”i got nothin’ is part and parcel of every writer’s life. it’s true when you write books, and, as i’ve learned even more true when you put yourself on a weekly website post. the minute i publish every monday morning the anxiety sets in about next week’s column. welcome to the writers life–though i know you’ve lived it for a lot of years.
Bruce~
I am amazed once again by your ability, consistency, and sense of humor. I love this post, as all others, since it makes me rethink how I’m thinking. By having nothing you’ve got me wondering if when I have something is it even half as good as when Bruce has nothing? NO!!!
Thank you for writing, even on a day with nothing you’ve left me with many things.
Well said, Bruce. Well said…
Hey Bruce, you have the modesty of a Midwestern gentleman farmer. This is Miami! Put on your big boy pants, strut your stuff, pin on your medals and puff out your chest. Don’t forget to drive aggressively. On second thought… stay humble, continue on your zen path. Less is more, more or less. Your words are appreciated.
I feel your pain.
“I got plenty of nuthin’ and nuthin’s plenty for me.” As several respondents have said, you, and we all, sometimes overlook our something and think its nothing. This was really one of your most broadly meaningful posts.
In my world, spending a day doing nothin is a perfectly perfect thing to do. As for following an Olympiad, I’d like to remind you as a peer that you must be one cool branding guru to be paired with Dan. So your not doing yada, yada, yada on NBC or in the record books as a champ. You are in the hearts of your family, friends, and blog followers. Now that ain’t nothin…that is something!
If you got nothin’ then I must have a negative quantity and I know that ain’t true! I don’t think you think you never have nothin’ but your nothin’ ain’t nothin’ not to be proud of. And if you can decipher this, you’ve really got sumpin’ goin’ on.
Yer fan, Peter Seiler
I hope it was clear that the “Nothin’” I got was referring to inspiration for writing a blog post, NOT about my life which is wonderfully full.
I don’t get the lacking inssiration bit you are one of the most talented and creative writers I have ever read. I love following your blog and finding depth in “nothing”.
Bruce-I’d like to add one more thing to your list of not following puppies or kids. I was at a local business and civic association meeting last week. After the program, each of the business people there are asked to stand up and say who they are and what their company does. My friend Modou who is very well liked and was sitting at my table, went just before me. He then stood up and announced he was going out of business and closing his company down. There was a collective groan in the room and then the moderator looked at me and motioned for me to go next. Needless to say it was the shortest description of what my company does I’ve ever given and I couldn’t sit back down in my chair fast enough.
Afterwards, I told Modou we should go to lunch and talk business opportunities. And that he should’ve warned me so that I could have at least switched seats with him.
Given the abundance of comments you’ve gotten, it seems that you’re not alone in facing that empty slate Bruce. The irony is that you made something out of nothing. Kudos!
Bruce, you got plenty in many departments and we all know it. You sure have a heck of a rock band. So here is my question: If you really think you got “NOTHIN”, do I get a break if I hire you to play your mouth harp at my Christmas party – including your great bunch of musicians of course? Best of everything. Mike
I was more than a little surprised to learn you are not a big Seinfeld fan. You have an excellent sense of humor and to my mind, Jerry Seinfeld made some of the most memorable comedy out of…well nothing.
Whether you think you got “nothin” or not, please keep writing. I find I look forward to your blog. And it’s true; it’s really about nothing. How wonderful!