Cup of Joe: My Birthday Wish For You

One day, Craig Rowin asked for a million dollars. Days later, he asked again, and again, and one last time. And then, the unthinkable happened.

Someone gave him one million dollars.

Well, not yet, but he’s met with a millionaire that has given him a notarized letter confirming that he will present Craig with a check on February 2nd on stage at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. Where Rowin performs on a regular basis as a comedian.

Its not surprising to find out that Rowin is a comedian. His videos are funny and he obviously did them for the comedic value. It would also be safe to assume that he never expected to actually get a million dollars.

Which brings us to the question of Why would a complete stranger give some kid on Youtube a million dollars? Maybe he is super generous and wants to spread his wealth. Maybe he wants to use it as an opportunity to gain publicity for himself. Or maybe he needs to hide it from the mob! (Gasp!)

Either way, this mysterious millionaire wouldn’t even think of giving Rowin a dime, if he didn’t ask for it. Craig Rowin will soon be a millionaire, and he owes a great deal of his new found fortune to the fact that he put him self out there and asked for it.

As marketers we are in the business of asking for things. Its our job to ask for things. We ask for folks to read our blogs, buy our books, try our service and believe in our ideas. Asking for things is at the forefront of everything we do. If you are not comfortable asking for things then you need to tackle this insecurity now.

I know that its awkward to ask for things. I know that it doesn’t seem polite, and can come off as pushy and obnoxious. I am not saying that you need to be a jerk about the things you ask for. And it’s also easier if you have something awesome to offer.

If you are having a problem getting to a point to ask for things then maybe you need to quit worrying about what people think of you, and start asking for what you and your business needs. Otherwise no one will ever give you the things you need and care about most.

Today is my birthday. For my birthday wish I am going to ask that you understand your full potential and start asking for the things that will help you reach that potential. Because no one knows what you need, and they certainly aren’t going to ask without a little nudge.