Shy Man Becomes Marketing Madman

John Schroeder was one of the first people I met when I moved to Minneapolis. At the time , he was working as the editor of an in-house magazine for a large company.

He surprised everyone when he decided to go out on his own as a freelance writer. His business has covered a wide range of writing projects including books, study guides, catalog copy, newsletters and articles.

He’s also a voracious fan of garage sales and spends every weekend in the summer going to sales, flea markets and antique shows.

John’s biggest obstacle has been his reluctance to market himself. In true John style, he’s named this approach his No Marketing Marketing Plan which means that he delights in work that comes to him, but seldom instigates projects.

A few years ago, he asked if he could get together with me and our friend Georgia to discuss his goals for the coming year. A meeting was set up and John arrived with his goals neatly typed.

One item caught both Georgia and my attention. Several years earlier, John had written a booklet which he was thinking about expanding into a book called Garage Sale Fever.

We were wildly supportive of this idea and pointed out that he needed to get at it immediately if he wanted to take advantage of the spring selling season.

We met again about six weeks later and asked about his progress. “I’ve kind of put that on the back burner until the end of the year,” he said languidly. “I don’t think I can get it out by the end of April.”

Georgia and I leaped into action and argued against his procrastination.

The next day, John got a call from his publishing friend Shane who said, “I miscalculated. If you get the manuscript done by mid-March, we’ll have no trouble reaching your deadline.”

What happened next was nothing short of astonishing. With Shane setting deadlines, John finished the manuscript ahead of time.

A couple of mornings later, I got a call from John—about two hours earlier than I’ve ever heard from him. I also had never heard such excitement in his voice.

“I’ve been working on my marketing plan for Garage Sale Fever,” he announced, “and I’ve come up with eighteen ideas.”

I congratulated him and said, “Here at Winning Ways, we’re planning to give you a big plug, too.”

“Oh,” he exclaimed, “that’s nineteen!”

Even more amazing were some of the ideas on his list which involved contacting the media, talking to shopkeepers and doing workshops. My introverted friend had turned into a marketing madman.

The next thing we knew, John was appearing on local radio and television shows, being interviewed in newspapers and quoted in Newsweek magazine. He also agreed to teach classes in a community education program to show people how to have a successful garage sale.

John’s story is a great example of the power of passion. His enthusiasm for garage sales, has had him on a perpetual treasure hunt for years. Being able to share that passion pushed him past all sorts of doubts and fears.

John’s story also illustrates how valuable it is to have entrepreneurial friends who can encourage and keep us accountable.

Got a neglected project that’s gathering dust? Try giving it an infusion of passion and invite a couple of cheerleaders to keep you going.

And keep in mind this bit of encouragement from Irving Allen: No matter what your present condition, there’s  something a little better right within your reach.