The Big Uneasy: Clearing the Clouds of Guess

By W. Vito Montone
Posted Thursday, February 17, 2005

People often come to me to assist them with developing their brand because they are unable to accomplish the business success they desire. They're experiencing what we call the Big Uneasy--the state of being when things are hard. They are stuck in an idea, unable to make it happen, and dreams are unfulfilled. Life is heavy, there's a lack of flow... the Big Uneasy has taken over.

Knowledge is needed to alleviate the discomfort-- to grow your business, to make the right decisions. In our information-rich world of today there is a multitude of help available.

Multi-day, multi-speaker and multi-vendor events have become the norm. More help is coming to the rescue everyday. These essential events open people up to a greater world of possibility-- as well as something else that can be debilitating-- the clouds of guess.

Yes, you heard me right, the clouds of guess.

The breeding ground for the clouds of guess is amongst the amazing speakers sharing valuable experience and powerful tools at many multi-day events and the wonderful people seeking to grow and fully participate in success. I recently discovered this excruciating phenomenon on the speaking trail with my own company.

Like experiencing the marine layer as it gradually rolls in at dusk from the ocean, during the first day of the event the clouds were nearly undetectable--masked by the crowd's excitement and enthusiasm. But as day two and three day rolled out, the clouds of guess were swirling overhead. Hundreds of people became engulfed in these clouds. At first I thought it was simply information overload, however looking closer I found the "clouds" were really DECISION overload. "How do I decide which expert to go with?", "What tool is right for me for the money?", "What approach is best for my business right now?". These business owners were trying to decide without having a solid method to make a decision so...they were reduced to guessing.

By the end of the multi-day event they were unable to make any powerful decisions for their business. Only a skillful few were able to circumvent the clouds. What did they know, that most others didn't?

We often trip ourselves up by asking the wrong questions. The question isn't, what expert, tool or approach that can assist you best. If you are listening to someone on the stage they are most likely successful infopreneurs; and certainly has something of value to share with you. The real question is "where am I in my business, service or product at this specific point and what comes first."

We all take something for granted in our lives, myself included. A member of the Producers Guild of America with a background producing theatre, television, interactive games and the Internet, and an education in architecture, I often forget the value of the "process" perspective that I have honed.

Please know that there is an indisputable process necessary to produce anything-- especially something of value. And the process clears away the clouds of guess and prevents them from ever returning.

However, if the order of the process is altered, or if a step is skipped, something WILL go wrong. Not only will those clouds return, the new question will be... how much and how bad will it hurt?

The major milestones of a typical production process (bringing a idea into manifestation) in the language of entertainment is:

• Development (idea, concept & script)

• Pre-production (how will it be made, delivered, budgeting, casting, etc.)

• Production (making it)

• Post-production (delivering it)

Translating these major milestones to manifesting any business, service or product:

• Idea, Concept & Branding

• Productization - how will it be made or delivered, priced, where it fits in the existing product line or market, etc.

• Making it

• Marketing it

Use ALL those steps and the success you seek is yours.

The discipline and excellence you put into each step and every little thing you do is what allows success to manifest. The very process that you use directly impacts the speed of your result. Skipping a step in the process or doing it incompletely WILL delay or even prevent you from making your success happen.

Before your make any implementation decision, be clear about where you are in the manifestation process. I guarantee, operating in this place of clarity will keep away the clouds of guess and turn your Big Uneasy completely around.

Now that you know this, go out and make it happen!

About the Author
W. Vito Montone has produced over 25 stage plays including To Oz and Back, the television show Entertainment Atlanta ™ for a CBS affiliate, three multi-million dollar award winning CD-ROM projects for Disney Interactive: including MathQuest with Aladdin featuring Robin Williams” and the award winning broadband website,“Concept:Cure” for Digital Domain and General Motors. He has consulted on story structure on over 15 feature projects, and was Executive Producer at Paramount Digital Entertainment leading development of the next generation of entertainment on the web. His vast array of work experience has earned him the title of “Experience Architect.’ He is the Co-Founder and President of Why Communications where in addition to the day to day branding business, he explores next generation digital entertainment & branded virtual experiences. He co-created BrandU, the only step-by-step process of developing your business as a brand, and co-authored the BrandU Bible, and the upcoming Why BrandU: Big Business Success No Matter Your Size