I once heard a speaker’s bureau president say that there are two proven ways to become a famous, successful speaker:

1. Work really hard for a really long time.
2. Crash a plane into the Hudson River.

He was half-joking, but I think he’s right.

Sometimes lightning strikes and you get instant notoriety. But most of the time, “overnight success” comes on the heels of a lot of hard work.

I was recently listening to a creator named Chris Donnelly who’d gone from a small following to a huge one in a very short period of time. He was explaining his strategy for outreach, and he said:

“People often over-index on the idea that there are hacks, tricks, or shortcuts to growing content. That is a misunderstanding of how content and audience actually work.”

He went on to say that his own success was largely due to his habit of intentionally building relationships with lots and lots of people through direct messages.

If you think that sounds like an awful lot of work, you’re not wrong.

He said “It is hard work. It is very much a hard work hack.”

I love that phrase: “Hard Work Hack.”

His outreach system wasn’t some magic pill or silver bullet. It was just a lot of hard work.
I know firsthand, because it’s the exact same way I built my business.

When my speaking career began to take off a few years ago, I had a lot of other speakers reach out asking what my secret was. I told them “It’s pretty boring, really. I just research events that are hiring speakers, find out who the person in charge of speaker selection is, and then try to build a relationship with them.”

“Does that work?” they’d ask.

“Not really.” I’d admit. “Most of them ignore me. Of the ones that don’t, most of them tell me they’ve already booked a speaker. But I don’t need it to work every time. I just need it to work 40-60 times a year.”

Sending out hundreds of emails in the hopes of getting a few responses is tedious and demoralizing. But that’s why it works. It’s a Hard Work Hack. And because it’s hard work, it filters out the people who want an easy win.

I’ve shared my exact outreach system with dozens of speakers over the years, and I don’t know of a single one who’s implemented it. When they asked for my advice, I think they were hoping I would say something like, “I used this software / bought this tool / met this person”.

But when the answer turned out to be, “I sent out hundreds of emails in the hopes of getting a few dozen responses.” they went looking for an easier answer.

But that’s the thing: there isn’t one.

If I could push a button and have my calendar filled, I’d probably just do that. But until I find that button, the only thing I know to do is to put in the work.

The interesting thing about all of this is that talent doesn’t really come into it. Some of the speakers I’ve advised are brilliant, talented people with messages that could truly change lives. But they’re losing events to less-talented people who are willing to outwork them.

I don’t know what industry you’re in or what project you’re working on, but I can almost guarantee the same thing is true. The people who get the opportunities aren’t usually the ones who are best qualified. They’re the ones who chase the opportunities down and make the most of each one.

By all means, chase the hacks. Find the best tools, the best tactics, and the most efficient paths to your destination. But when the most efficient path goes straight up the side of a mountain, lace up your boots and start climbing.

Happy Friday, friends. Make it a good one.