Add Enthusiasm and Passion to Generate Powerful Marketing Campaigns

When Angus King was governor of Maine, he told me that he thought he and I were among the most enthusiastic residents of the state.

He said, “You don’t have to be the smartest person, but if you are the most enthusiastic person, it will carry you a long way.”

Hmm…now that I think of it, I am not sure that was such a compliment since he might have meant I had more enthusiasm than intelligence. But knowing Angus, I think he meant that he valued my sense of enthusiasm about public relations and marketing.

I am currently reading a new book by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer called “Excuses Begone!” about how to hyper-charge your life to give it meaning and fulfillment. Dyer describes passion as the secret sauce, which, when added to your work, can take ordinary projects and turn them into fabulously successful projects.

He’s not talking about the kind of passion you feel when you fall in love for the first time, although I believe the same chemistry may be involved. He’s talking about connecting deeply and intensely with the people, the purpose and the messages you are communicating.  It’s like falling in love with your work and infusing it with the same kind of adulation you feel for the people you love most in this world.

I’ve always felt that enthusiasm and passion are necessary for success in any marketing campaign or program.

For example, if you’re pitching a story to a journalist, you have to tell it in such a compelling way that he or she will want to retell it to their audience.

If you’re creating an ad or a brochure for a client, you need to embrace the essence of what you’re communicating to make sure it connects in a laser-like way with the intended audience.

If you’re hosting a special event, you need to convince people that this event will be the most fun, the most interesting, or transform their lives or careers in a powerful way.

I hope you find the same kind of passion and enthusiasm for your work that I do for marketing.  Not long ago, my husband Jay was talking to my sons Craig and Jamie. He said, “You know, your mother gets really excited about marketing.”

I believe that passion, enthusiasm, and an added dose of work ethic add up to an unbeatable combination in marketing and most any career path.

I hope you have it, and if not, I hope you can find it. I feel blessed to have found a career that makes me feel passionate and enthusiastic every day.