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In his new MasterMind column, Peter Mols, founder of Mastermind9, is back to tell you that the treasure you seek is hiding in the cave you’re afraid to enter…
Recently, I arrived at the B2B Expo in Reading, ready to deliver my talk, Network Like a Pro. I’d visualised success all morning, and as the former UK Networker of the Year, I was pumped, prepared, and ready to share my insights.
When I arrived, there was a problem. A long queue of people snaked outside unable to enter, as a flustered team struggled with tech. My heart sank. The seminar room was empty. Well, almost. One of the other speakers was there witha technician trying to get her laptop working, my friend David Perry had set up his equipment to record me, and one solitary punter who’d seen my plea on LinkedIn had arrived early. Other than that, just rows of chairs. S***!
I had a choice. I could stand there, waiting and hoping, or I could do something. I hit the main expo floor, which was full of exhibitors. I went stall to stall, sparked conversations, and invited people to my talk. A trickle of people arrived. Once I had half the seats filled, I asked everyone to stand up, go find a friend, and bring them back. They did. And just like that, an empty room turned into a packed-out, standing-room-only session.
It would have been easy to accept failure before I even started. But the treasure I was seeking (an engaged audience), was hidden behind my fear of rejection, of embarrassment, of failing publicly. And I think that’s a beautiful metaphor for a life in business!
I recently fell in love with a quote by Joseph Campbell: “The cave you fear to enter, holds the treasure you seek.” I think it perfectly describes the reality of growing a business. For entrepreneurs, business owners, and just about every other human, fear is often the one thing standing between us and the results we want. What’s the cave you’re afraid to enter? You can stay where it’s safe, or push through the fear and claim the treasure!
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