When my book first came out, I was hoping to get on some of the biggest podcasts and guest post on some of the most heavily trafficked sites on the web. I did get to do that to an extent, but there were bigger fish I didn’t get to fry. Now, months out from that, I am glad. I wasn’t ready.

I know you’re ready to make your break with your product or podcast or blog or new business. You want big guests or big endorsements or you want to land your post on big sites. You have a message. I get it, believe me. But let me explain it this way.

Let’s say Sally is a mindfulness writer and just launched a podcast. A few weeks in, Oprah agrees to come on as a guest.

Can you imagine!? First, I want to note that she’s at least asking the right people. It wouldn’t make as much sense for her to go after mega-guest Richard Branson, right? So remember that when you’re reaching out to influencers for whatever reason.

Sally tries to get ready as fast as possible, but it ends up being a hot mess. Her servers crash because she’s not set up for that kind of traffic. Next, the people who DO get to her site don’t stay and engage because the site is poorly designed and Sally has no clear position statement. She forgot to tailor her opt in on her home page for Oprah lovers, so she hardly got any opt ins. (But hey at least she put one up!) Sally looks back six months later and wishes she’d waited a little bit longer to have Oprah on.

To further the Oprah example, maybe she pitched to Oprah at the beginning and Oprah said no because of all the aforementioned issues. How much better to have worked away on the podcast for a whole year and then pitch to Oprah and THEN get a yes! Or if Oprah agreed to have Sally on as a guest on an OWN show, how much better to go on and get so much exposure when you’re locked and loaded – site ready, answers polished, everything perfect for her viewers to find you and fall in love with you and read/subscribe/purchase from you!

I don’t want to discourage you, because I believe there is a lot of power in simply asking. That’s how I got the amazing Barbara Corcoran to review my book! So many are too chicken to go for the big ask. So I’m not saying don’t shoot for the stars, but if you can be patient, and be laser focused on your goals, and work work work, how much better to shoot for the stars and actually HIT them rather than just get those pesky tree tops? 😉

Have you gotten a big win before you were ready? Or received a no because you asked too soon?

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