Road Map to Becoming the Next Big Thing

 

Written by Chris Payne

“I want to take my fishing to the next level.”

I read this and hear this every day from kayak anglers. Every. Single.Day.

“Next level” is really a cliché that has come to mean “I want you to give me free stuff”. It means “I am tired of paying out of pocket for every hook, weight, worm and reel I buy”. It can also mean, “I wish I could quit my job and just fish” or better yet, “I wish someone would pay me to fish for a living”.

It’s lazy. Don’t tell me what you want to do. First, show me your work. Show me what you have done. Then tell me how you plan to get to the next level. Spoiler alert: Winning local bass tournaments won’t get you there. I won’t apologize for being blunt about it. You probably don’t know any better. It’s good to want to be the next big thing. The problem is very few people know how to get there.  In about three minutes you will.

This is your road map to becoming the next big thing.

Step 1: Know Your Identity

Who are you? Not your name and where you are from but your identity to the fishing world. Chad Hoover is the larger than life jokester who is passionate about big fish, kayak fishing and having a good time while doing it. Jim Sammons is a go anywhere and fish for the biggest, baddest fish he can find type of guy. Drew Gregory is the river rat turned professional who wants everyone to know the joys of river fishing. So who are you? Have you started forming your identity? What you are about?

As a guy who looks at tons of applications, emails and takes a lot of inquiring phone calls, I am more interested in finding individuals to partner with than I am in finding another jersey clone. It’s advertising when you wear the jersey and no one knows who you are as a person. It’s growth of the sport and when a person with their own fishing identity shares about our company. Growth is the more desirable outcome.

Step 2: Build a Following

Saying “Build a Following” is easy. Actually doing it takes time, effort and consistency. Each week on social media and forums a post pops up about checking out someone’s new blog or a request to follow me on Instagram. As friends and curious onlookers we go and look. Maybe we follow the feed. Maybe we subscribe.

For the first few days it is pretty hot and heavy. Lots of good content. About three weeks in life happens and the purveyor of the site or feed doesn’t have time. Something has come up. Usually what comes up is laziness. It is hard work to keep a feed, much less a website, full of content that people are interested in. The attention in the beginning is fun but the work, the HUSTLE, soon outweighs the fun and everything stops. In a sheer fit of boredom the feed may regain some life once or twice a year but for the most part, it’s dead.

Don’t do that.

Treat this process like a job because it will sure feel like one at times. Set a schedule of how often you will post. Do some research and find what days are best. Make time in your day, every single day, weekends included to work on your platform. Consistency and quality will take you a long way. Be willing to put in more than you ever hope to get back from this. It makes the rewards so much sweeter.

Step 3: Follow Through on Commitments

Once you have a following, a platform, and identity you may start getting emails and phone calls. Pro staff managers and directors might start calling. Companies might ask you to write about their product or to try out some things. If you are a video guy, they may ask you to contribute. You may also start responding to calls for contributors to different publications, websites or YouTube channels.

IF you agree to do something for someone, follow through, on time, without babysitting. Editors, webmasters and photo departments are waiting on YOU to follow through. If they have to make constant phone calls, send emails and prompt you to do what you said you would do, you won’t last very long. Especially if you are a new guy. Leniency with deadlines is earned over time. Lots of time.

Step 4: Be Available and Be Nice

As you are gaining influence, meeting with people, working shows and of course fishing, you will run across more and more people who know you. At least they know of you. Anytime someone approaches you, take time to talk to them, get to know them. Don’t talk about yourself unless asked. A humble, approachable person in public is a white hat hero. People will see your willingness to spend some time to chat. It’s important.

Always say thank you. If someone compliments you in anyway, say thank you. Smile, be cordial, be available for people and try to help if you can. If you can’t help, try to refer people to someone who can.

Realize anytime you are in public that you are “on”. People are watching you, how you act and they are listening to what you say. If you make comments that are overtly offensive, if you smoke a blunt in the parking lot, if you get hammered out of your skull and then hit on another man’s wife, it could destroy all your hard work. Be on point.

Step 5: Mentor Others

Once you have made the journey, be willing to help others. So many people have taken the time to chat with me about navigating the fishing industry. I have sought and received advice too many times to count. The fishing industry is full of good guys. If you have the good fortune of becoming one, please take the time to mentor others so that they can then do the same. A perpetual cycle of good mentors for the next generations is important.

Step 6: Give Back

Expectations of those who have reached the higher levels grow as their fan base grows. Understanding that will help you to deliver. It doesn’t mean you will have time to rig boats for everyone who asks. It doesn’t mean you can do free guided fishing trips for anyone and everyone. It also doesn’t mean you are writing checks and giving away kayaks. What it does mean is that you make a concerted effort to show the industry that growing the community and helping others is important.

Step 7: Remember This

Above everything else, when someone trolls you, when someone defames you, when someone questions your integrity, at the end of the day, this is just fishing. Haters are going to hate, obvious troll is obvious and the world is better when people choose to take the high road. You can lose everything you have built very quickly. This is the true aim of a troll. Trolls only feel accomplished when you come down to their level and play dirty. You are above that. Go out and do good things.