It’s been almost a month since I launched Chime Digital. And what a month it’s been. I couldn’t wait to start talking to all my previous clients and tell them about this great new service, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support I’ve received from them. This, more than anything, makes me REALLY believe in what we are doing. Chime Digital is my passion project. I have lived, breathed and planned out our offering to ensure we are delivering the best of everything to our clients, and getting those kinds of responses makes me know that it’s working.
In the past few weeks I’ve met with 15 different clients in a wide variety of categories. And through these meetings I’ve learned one very important fact: Programmatic is still a mystery for many marketers. Over half of my clients (many of them high profile) did not know that online ads could be purchased using this new innovative technology. All of them agreed they need video. They need it for their web site, for their branding, for their social channels. Some were already working with other agencies on various projects, but I did have a number of clients that were open and excited about our offerings and am working on many proposals already!
Of course, not everything has gone perfectly. My years in business development have made me no stranger to experiencing rejection. However, being rejected when it’s your own company is an entirely different matter. Then I read that the Sun News Network went off the air Friday morning after fruitless negotiations to sell the channel. In the same article I learned that many startup companies fail. Fail? The word sounded strange to me. When I began the process of building this business I’d never considered failure as an option.
So the fear starts to set in… the anxiety. The “OMG, did I do the right thing” voice that circles in your head relentlessly.
There are lots of quotes on the subject of fear. Some people say fear is “False Evidence that Appears Real.” Others say, “You must decide if you want it, more than you are afraid of it.” My favorite one is “He (in my case She) who overcomes his fears is truly free.” In other words, what does a failing TV news station have to do with our programmatic video offering? So, I hold on to my belief that this is a great start. We believe in what we do and want our clients to believe in it too.
Because you cannot let fear rule your life. Belief beats out fear any day of the week.
