Causing laughter may be your most satisfying victory, but that’s only possible when confidence empowers you to deliver stunning performances time after time. Unfortunately, confidence is often in short supply, primarily due to the fear of criticism. Maybe this will help. Here’s some inspiration from the incredible Steve Martin.
Steve Martin has been a popular entertainer since the mid-70s. As a standup comedian, he sold out arenas, leading to Saturday Night Live appearances. He even had a top 10 hit when the King Tut exhibit first came to America. Do you remember this classic?
He has seen it all, from the world of standup comedy, filling arenas, starring in movies, and becoming an accomplished writer, producer, and actor. But Steve’s path to success wasn’t smooth. His breakthrough came when he stopped letting outsiders affect his vision.
Steve Martin Gets Confident
There was a time in the early 70s when Martin was finding his feet in standup comedy. His hustle from club to club for minimal pay and applause led him to seek advice from the one person he thought he could trust—his agent—he was met with a harsh reality check:
Face it. I’ve seen a lot of guys like you, Steve. It’s time to face the facts. You’re never going to make it in standup.
Instead of crumbling, Martin got serious. He stopped trying to outperform others and found his voice by channeling his quirks and unique personality traits on stage. Suddenly, he was no longer just another comedian; he was Steve Martin, a distinctive entertainer.
Martin passes on advice for aspiring content creators and performers:
Perform from an honest place. Speak in full living color with different shades of real. Be authentic, but colored by altered perception.
That’s powerful and at the heart of building a Character Brand Profile. Here’s what it means:
- Be true to yourself, but it should be your best, most attractive version—a curated version that comes from an honest place.
- Speaking in living color means exaggerating some traits to make you more interesting. Entertainers call it the Three Es of Entertainment: Exaggerate, Enhance. Embellish. It’s like a movie based on actual events, but creative liberties are taken to make it a better story.
- Different shades of reality mean true to who you are, but understanding the public and private, you have the same characteristics but are separate.
- Be authentic but colored by altered perceptions. Perceptions drive a character brand. The audience will draw their conclusions, but you can influence them based on how you present your personality.
Three Key Lessons
What lessons, then, does Steve’s story hold for radio personalities?
Know Yourself. Much like a lighthouse guiding ships safely to shore, your character voice is your guiding beacon. It should reflect your off-air personality, a lens through which the audience gets to know you.
Get Help. Everyone needs a mentor or support team. It could be a manager, consultant, or someone you meet at a convention. Find someone that can help you through your Personality Success Path.
Disregard Some Advice. Not every piece of feedback will be a golden nugget of wisdom. Confidence comes from having a clear vision for your future. So listen attentively, but filter out input that appears misaligned.
Conclusion
The world thirsts for captivating personalities, which only emerge when performers are confident. Of course, doubts and insecurities are inevitable, but discovering your voice will unlock your potential and build confidence to carve your niche.
Finding your voice-your true colors based on your real-life personality is a process. I’ve just released an all-new online course that walks you through the process step-by-step. You will find your voice by building a fantastic 5-Star Character Brand Profile. It’s available now with all the tools, resources, and templates you need to become that confident, dynamic, authentic content creator you dream of.
The course is in beta right now and available for a limited time for just $24.95. It will change your life.
