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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also a voracious fan of garage sales and spends every weekend in the summer going to sales, flea markets and antique shows.<\/p>\n
John\u2019s biggest obstacle has been his reluctance to market himself. In true John style, he\u2019s named this approach his No Marketing Marketing Plan which means that he delights in work that comes to him, but seldom instigates projects.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n We met again about six weeks later and asked about his progress. \u201cI\u2019ve kind of put that on the back burner until the end of the year,\u201d he said languidly. \u201cI don\u2019t think I can get it out by the end of April.\u201d<\/p>\n Georgia and I leaped into action and argued against his procrastination.<\/p>\n The next day, John got a call from his publishing friend Shane who said, \u201cI miscalculated. If you get the manuscript done by mid-March, we\u2019ll have no trouble reaching your deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n What happened next was nothing short of astonishing. With Shane setting deadlines, John finished the manuscript ahead of time.<\/p>\n A couple of mornings later, I got a call from John\u2014about two hours earlier than I\u2019ve ever heard from him. I also had never heard such excitement in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been working on my marketing plan for Garage Sale Fever<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d he announced, \u201cand I\u2019ve come up with eighteen ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n I congratulated him and said, \u201cHere at Winning Ways, we\u2019re planning to give you a big plug, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cthat\u2019s nineteen!\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The next thing we knew, John was appearing on local radio and television shows, being interviewed in newspapers and quoted in Newsweek<\/em> magazine. He also agreed to teach classes in a community education program to show people how to have a successful garage sale.<\/p>\n John\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n John\u2019s story also illustrates how valuable it is to have entrepreneurial friends who can encourage and keep us accountable.<\/p>\n Got a neglected project that\u2019s gathering dust? Try giving it an infusion of passion and invite a couple of cheerleaders to keep you going.<\/p>\n And keep in mind this bit of encouragement from Irving Allen: No matter what your present condition, there\u2019s\u00a0 something a little better right within your reach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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…<\/p>\n