Ordinary Words Newsletter - What It Takes?

Hey Everyone!!

I was surprised when an audience member from our show I DECIDE recently asked me a question at our after-party. He said, "Does Stuart [the writer/director] also have a full-time job?"

I was surprised because I am very conscious of what it takes to make I DECIDE happen every Saturday night. We are headed towards a great vision. Sometimes when we listen to what it takes for someone else to achieve their vision, it helps us to understand what it takes to achieve our own.

Stuart Knight works full-time on the creative aspects of the business. Besides writing and directing, this includes casting, music composition/arrangement, and choreography. On the business side, he manages a property, develops plans for television shows and other productions, and manages a team of fifteen people. He also runs our high-school show, does corporate keynotes across the country, and deals with people who put graffiti on our front door. :)

Michelle Uy works about half-time managing all of the logistical, administrative, and design components of the business. This includes overseeing set design/sound/lighting, handling weekly sales, designing our visual promotions, working with the volunteers, sourcing vendors, running the bar, and cleaning the theatre space regularly.

Danish Ahmed - Producer of Inspirational Entertainment

I work about half-time on I DECIDE, on the marketing and technical aspects of the business. I make use of my technical skills including web development, e-commerce, site administration, viral marketing campaigns, newsletter design/administration, and search engine optimization. On the customer service side, I implemented the credit card fulfillment system, and developed marketing strategies offering group sales and promoting through large networks.

For the three of us, what it takes is meeting once a week to discuss generating 100 people to another I DECIDE show. What it takes is about $250,000 of investment over many years, and countless hours from family and friends, to help make the show fly every week.

What it takes are volunteers who work the door every week and fans like you who continue to tell people about what we are up to.

Some people think, "It takes so much. Is it all really worth it?"

That depends on what is worth it to you.

Every week, we get dozens of e-mails of people telling us how much of a difference what we do makes for them.

Every week, we run into people on the streets who tell us about a new life decision they made as a result of seeing I DECIDE.

Every week, we learn, we grow, we challenge ourselves, and we live life to the fullest.

What does it take? It takes everything we've got.

And it's going to take everything you've got to have your dreams become a reality.

Actually, it's probably going to take more than what you've got (right now). Doing "your best" doesn't work when it comes to your dreams. You've got to do better than "your best" -- you've got to do whatever it takes.

Here's a little slam poem I found on one of my old motivational music CD's:

You got to do whatever it takes.
You don't do your best.
You do what it takes.

And you know what,
Some of you are going to be like I was.
You're going to say "I'll do my best."

No you won't.
Because that's not good enough.
You got to do better than your best.
You got to do whatever it takes.

Because whatever it takes
Is always a little bit better
than what you think your best is.

And if you do whatever it takes,
That's a little bit better than your best,
Then you'll look back and say

"Hey, I did more than I thought I could,
So I guess my best is a whole lot better
Than what I thought my best was."

"All I did was,
I did whatever it takes."
And that's what you call stretching.

And you can do it.

Do whatever it takes to get your dreams, because your dreams are worth it.
You deserve them.

Love,

[)anish /|hmed
have fun creating your life

I DECIDE.
A Real Saturday Night Out.
www.DECIDEshow.com