Opportunities are made, not found

I told this story to my daughter the other day, she never knew this about me and she thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I thought I’d share here.

I was your typical 20 year old high school drop out loser. I was working a minimum wage job, living in a derelict trailer on my parents property, and I drove a beat up '76 Toyota Corolla. I didn’t have much going for me, but the one thing I did have, was an optimistic disposition.

It was new years eve, 1998. Me and my girlfriend got a hotel room in downtown Seattle so that we can bring in the new year in the city. After midnight, when the party was dying down, we were in our room listening to the radio. For whatever reason I thought it was a good idea to call the radio station and ask if I could come an hang out. Obviously, the DJ gave me a hard pass. Then, my girlfriend called and asked the same, this time he agreed. So around 2AM we got in the car and headed up to the studio. Security asked what we were doing, we explained and he rang the DJ. After a few minutes, the elevator door opens up and out he comes. Then my girlfriend asked, “do you mind if my boyfriend comes too”? He hesitated, but reluctantly agreed.

As we entered studio, I see a beat up couch with a hand written sign saying “Kurt Cobain slept here” and band posters plastered to the walls. It smelled like piss, doc martens and flannel. I was home!

We hung out with the DJ for a couple of hours. He let us answer the phones and showed us how everything worked. It was one the most memorable moments in my life. As we left, I asked him, how can I work here? I’d be happy to just be a janitor there. He said, swing by during business hours and fill out an application. So 3 days later I did.

As I turned in my application, I noticed an endless stream of kids doing the same. Turns out, every 6 months they hire a “street team” to work promotions and events and they were about to hire a new team. So I hand in my application which ends up on a stack a mile high.

A few days later, I got a call from the hiring manager asking if I can come in for an interview. Hell yes I can! The interview went ok. And I went on my way. As I left the studio, I see several other kids waiting to be interviewed.

Now, I was not the coolest kid on the block, in fact, I’m quite the opposite. I was not popular, I had but a few friends, I had no fashion sense at all, I was poor and came from a modest upbringing. I was a joke, a nobody. Knowing this, I thought, what can I do to stand out, to show them that I can be somebody?

A few days after the interview and nothing. So I pick up the phone and I called the station and was able to get the hiring managers number. I called him directly, asked him if they filled all the positions yet and reaffirmed my interest in the role. He said they were still interviewing and had about 200 in total. So I asked when will they be done and I’ll check back then. Another week goes by and I hear nothing, so I call again. They have narrowed down their choices, and I was still in the running. I reaffirmed my interest in the role and said I’ll check back later. Well, they didn’t give me the chance to check back, they called 2 days later to not only to offer me a spot on the 8 person street team, but to work full time in the office!

Me, a high school drop out, a joke, a nobody, beat out 200 other kids and landed a role of a lifetime!

And the craziest thing is, within 2 weeks I went from working a minimum wage job a clothing store to a crazy night hanging out with a DJ at my favorite radio station to working at said station full time.

And that’s the story of how I met Elliot Smith.

Opportunities are made, not found. If you’re waiting for something to come along to grab on to, you’re going to be waiting forever. You need to make opportunities for yourself, find what you want and go get.

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Thanks mate! It was a pretty cool time.

I can add a follow up post called ,“The quickest way to squander your opportunities: just add alcohol” - it would be the story on how I got fired from my dream job :pensive:

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Really cool story though Dan! Talk about a great idea and running with it. That takes some real cahonas!

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I want to unload my likes on this. D as in badass! Great share man

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That is an awesome story. I always ask people who tell me that can’t get a job or how they’ve filled out so many applications, did you call them and ask to speak to the manager after to check in with them and tell how interested you are. Almost always a no.
Fuck man, act like you want the job and you might get moved to the top of the list!!

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Indeed! I learned this early on and live by it. It’s paid off countless times, not just work but with everything. People want to give things to those who really want it, so if there’s something you want, show it, get it!

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This is a testament to you Dan.
I’m so glad to have met a man who met Elliott Smith!
:joy:

Who is he​:thinking::rofl::rofl::rofl:

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My coolest job was also one of those “no way I’ll get the job but I’ll push myself in there anyways!” deals. Got to work on a remote site supporting research in space exploration, of all things.

How did you build the confidence to do what you did? To overcome the fear of hearing “no” and awkward conversations? I don’t subscribe to the view that confidence is a magical thing that some people “have” and “don’t have”, but is developed and can be developed in anyone. So maybe there’s something I can learn from you here.

When I’ve done things to put myself out there, like the follow-up calls, or applying where there are no vacancies, etc. I’ve found I can push myself to do it, but only sometimes, not consistently. So I’m obviously capable of doing so, but often I just let myself talk myself out of it. Got some growing to do still, and maybe it’s all just anxiety here, maybe not.

Some thoughts for me to sit with.

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Hearing no always hurts and is never something I want to hear. I don’t think of rejection as having failed, I think of it as ‘I’m not there yet’. I was unemployed for a year in 2014. I was told no, a lot! Some of them was devastating because I was so sure, or I wanted it so much. Regardless, each time I was rejected I analyzed the situation and determined what I needed to work on. 99% of the no’s came from lack of knowledge specific to the field I was applying for. So I studied and learned everything I could. Bought books, watched youtube, joined clubs, met people, networked. I kept at it until the no became a yes. That took a year, 2014-2015 was the year of rejection, until I finally got it right.

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And dude, way to fucking go! That is so cool! Even if it doesn’t end up as a career, who cares, just to be a part of something like that, literally bigger than ourselves, awesome!

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This story is fantastic. I’m curious if you meant 1988? Or 1998?

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Another thing I’ve found gets in my way of seizing opportunity is the difficulty in acting like I value myself. The thoughts that “somebody else deserves this more than me”, “am I being greedy or presumptuous to assume I can take this?”, and being skeptical that me taking an opportunity like a job or scholarship is more “fair” or “right” than letting it pass and taking the harder path without. Pretty hard to believe an opportunity is yours to take when you think you’re worthless compared to other people.

At least this is something that I know has been improving since I got sober.

Ah good catch, it was 1998->1999. I’ll edit. :grin:

Dan!!! I love this, thanks for sharing!

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Great story Dan!!

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Awesome! Great reminder that we need to take action for results to happen. Desires without action are just wishes.

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You brilliant, sober man.

Been turning this over the last couple days and need more of it. Yesterday reading how allowing for vulnerability is a sort of courage. That putting ourselves out there is often the only way through. Trusting whatever happens, it’ll still be alright one way or the other anyway.

Sounds awesome. :rofl:

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