Help Me Help You: What "Jerry McGuire" Taught Me About Business.

Hello.

The first time I watched the movie Jerry McGuire, the 1996 film about a slick sports agent who “ate some bad pizza, went to bed, and grew a conscience," I thought it was…pretty good. 

Every time I've watched it since, though, I've realized just how many amazing phrases and ideas screenwriter Cameron Crowe managed to cram into it.

No, NOT the line “You complete me," which I cringe at as a therapist trying to help people come into relationships as Whole people.

And not even “Show me the money!”, though it's funny to yell as a business coach.

Rather, I love phrases like “it's an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege," and “If this [points to heart] is empty, this [points to head] doesn't matter.”

(and of course, “That's more than a dress; that's an Audrey Hepburn movie").

One part of the story line that resonates in solo business is that often, you have to start small--and give that small audience all you've got. 

By acting from his conscience, Jerry loses all but one of his clients. 

He doesn't just give football player Rod Tidwell more personal attention; he puts his heart and soul (and often his sanity) into the relationship. 

Even though most agents would have closed up shop with only one client, Jerry leaves everything on the table for Rod-- and that becomes the key to his future success. 

Sometimes, only one person will show up. -Or maybe even nobody will.

Whether it's an event, an offering, a performance, whatever…

Give the best you've got anyway. Keep showing up.

I've experienced this. The first time I offered “Get it Done Day” (now called Mighty Friday), nobody showed up. 

I decided to stay and Get it Done anyway. I worked on some writing, and showed up again the next time. This time two people showed up. The next month, five. And so on, until we'd basically take over the coffee shop, and I had a handful of new coaching clients from these events.

Now I teach my clients: Keep showing up, even if it takes a while to grow.

Before you know it, you'll have clients who adore you and say things like:

“You had me at Hello.”