Seven lessons from starting a live show

FRANCOIS DU TOIT, CFP® Founder and Director: PROpulsion

When we got hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the entire country was shut down, I became anxious not knowing what to expect or what the impact would be – both on my clients and eventually on me. It drove me crazy.

Then the idea came to do a live webinar. Every day. For as long as the lockdown would be in place. Twenty-one days turned into thirty-five. And we are still in the lockdown.

What started as something to keep me and my mind busy, and something to give me purpose, quickly evolved into something much more. This experience taught me valuable lessons.

Lesson 1: Just start

I had no idea if anyone would even watch the show.

The first episode led to the second. The second to the third. One person quickly became several people. I interviewed my first guest in episode five. The rest is now, so to speak, history. The show evolved. People started talking and sharing. Suddenly I had more and more guests on the show – phenomenal guests from South Africa and countries like the US, the UK, Australia and Canada. You don’t need all the answers or a detailed plan. Just start. Then keep going and learn along the way. Nothing will be perfect. But it will be great.

Lesson 2: Intent and purpose trumps everything else

We always look for opportunities – golden moments that offer exposure for our businesses, our products or ourselves. You can never hide your true intent in the long run. It always surfaces for the world to see. Being sincere and genuine right from day one, stating that I am doing the show as much for me as for the audience I wanted to serve, has truly resonated with everyone. It was the start of an audience evolving into a community.

SUDDENLY I HAD MORE AND MORE GUESTS ON THE SHOW

Lesson 3: Consistency is the currency

Starting this show, doing it daily, having to show up every day and preparing for every episode have resulted in 93 hours of content, countless new relationships, a caring and supportive community and a show that was watched for 254 326 minutes to date. Consistency creates momentum. Momentum drives us forward. As momentum builds, it makes things easier.

Lesson 4: Relationships are what it is all about

When others resonate with what we do and why we do it, they jump in and they help, without one even asking. People are door-openers. They are connectors. They do it because they want to, and they do not expect anything in return. I realised through this that it is not always what we can do for others. We help because we want to. Someone’s help enables me to pay it forward to others.

Lesson 5: Passion attracts

Passion comes from deeply loving something and often being good at it. Enthusiasm is like a honey pot. We are attracted by excitement, energy and like-minded communities. Passion inspires confidence.

Lesson 6: It does not have to take that long

When you are at the start of something, it feels like you will never get there. It seems like it will take forever to achieve anything.

In the first 50 days, we created 50 hours of content. And it felt like it happened overnight. Doing a little every day translates into the exponential aggregation of progress. It accelerates. It delivers.

Lesson 7: Giving and serving will save you

Giving and serving without expecting anything in return is what it is all about. If you want to give, give. When you want to serve, serve. Do not expect or want recognition for it. You will build solid relationships. You will experience a level of satisfaction, gratitude and significance that no level of praise or recognition can bring you.

Virtual Coffee with Francois

VCF is a live show for financial professionals that airs Tuesdays at 8am and Fridays at 3pm on LinkedIn and YouTube. You can check it out at https:// www.francoisdutoit.co.za/vcf. These seven lessons are discussed in-depth in episode 51.

PROpulsion focuses on delivering impactful learning content, training and technology solutions for financial professionals