In today’s world, celebrity isn’t just for celebrities anymore. We have celebrity political pundits, celebrity cooks, lawyers, financial experts, fitness gurus, even celebrity bail bondsmen! Professionals from a wide array of fields are now taking full advantage of this new media age – and the “New Age of Celebrity” we are living in!
For example, it might be an expert turned author like Timothy Ferriss, whose first book The 4-Hour Workweek became an instant classic and perennial bestseller, launching his status as a gold-standard consultant, speaker, expert, pundit… you name it.
Or, more recently, it could be internet sensation and media darling Susan Boyle, who stepped onto the stage of the hit show Britain’s Got Talent to low expectations, opened her mouth and sang beautifully, impressing none other than Simon Cowell and winning over the world as a bona fide YouTube sensation.
And “overnight success” Tim Ferris boasts a BA from Princeton University as well as a long list of academic, professional and personal achievements that went into the writing of his bestselling book. And while Susan Boyle may have leaped to national prominence on the strength of one widely distributed TV performance, she in fact studied theater and dance and might have pursued it earlier if she hadn’t been busy caring for her ailing mother singlehandedly.
So while the true “overnight success” may be rare, there is no denying that in this day and age celebrity is not only there for the taking – but can take you by storm if you’re unprepared. So how will you know when it’s your time to open the doorway to fame? Here are a few top signals that you’re ready for that next big step toward your own brand of celebrity:
1. You are confident in your abilities. Confidence is a skill central to all celebrities; they know their stuff and, what’s more, they “know” that they know their stuff. You can only “fake it ’til you make it” so long before being caught short in the celebrity department. True celebrities, be they household names or industry leaders like yourself, let confidence be their ticket to fame.
2. You speak success fluently. Success really is a state of mind. If you base success on your bank account, your stock price, your units shipped or your ROI, there will always be someone bigger and better at what you do. New York and LA don’t hold the patents on celebrity; wherever you are, whatever you do, whatever niche you own or expertise you enjoy, that is your ticket to celebrity anywhere in the world.
3. Your associates already see you as a celebrity. Regardless of how much money we make or our position in life, we are all capable of celebrity in our own unique ways. We may never star in a blockbuster movie, write a bestselling business book or sing on live TV, but when we find – and own – our own particular niche we can become celebrities of equal stature in our little (or not so little) corner of the world. Maybe you already are; maybe you have already wowed the local reporters, mastered the local talk show circuit and are already the go-to person for interview quotes in your neck of the woods. Or maybe you’re just the guy or gal everybody goes to with questions on finance, health, fitness, the tango or tomato growing. Don’t assume that blockbuster status comes one day to your doorstep, gift-wrapped with a card announcing itself. I meet celebrities all day long; they just don’t know it yet.
4. You can “run with the big dogs.” Celebrity requires a certain passion, enthusiasm and expertise that is impossible to fake. You can’t bluff your way through a 2-hour seminar – or even a 2-minute segment with a local reporter. If you’re sweating every answer, stumbling over every reply and desperate to run back to your office, people will see that and celebrity will elude you.
5. Celebrity is the next logical move. There comes a point in your career when you have gone as far as you can go without an injection of something special; being recognized as the celebrity expert in your field is something special – and then some!
They say “timing is everything,” but that’s only partly true; timing is a big part of the Celebritize Yourself equation but so too are talent, drive, experience, skill, motivation, energy, enthusiasm, etc.
In other words, if you’re not ready at the right time – or not confident enough or experienced enough or passionate enough, etc. – then not only is the time not right but celebrity will continue to elude you. So, when IS the right time for you to become a celebrity? When the time is right for YOU.
Let these five signs alert you to the fact that your time might just be right now!
For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMSI, a national pubilc relations firm. Her firm represents corporations and experts in a wide array of fields such as business, health, food, lifestyle, politics, finance, law, sports and entertainment. Some of the more prominent names on her client roster are Teamster’s President Jimmy Hoffa Jr., Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane and the famous Motown Group, the Temptations.
She consults individuals and businesses on a daily basis and is frequently asked to speak at conferences about how to harness the power of publicity.