Got Dreams?
By Robert Hopper   ©2004 All Rights Reserved

Last month my 10-year-old was signed by one of the top modeling agencies in the country. Nope, that’s not bragging. I'm just trying to make a point here. Read on. You see this has been her dream since she was four years old. She talked about it constantly. She went to bed at night talking about it and awoke in the morning thinking about it as she chose her outfit for the school day. She was determined to make it happen and she wasn't about to wait until she was an adult to see her dream fulfilled. Nor was she going to leave it up to somebody else to make it happen for her. She made me search out modeling agencies and send applications. When she was old enough she began to search them out on the Internet. She watched models on television and practiced her runway routines in front of a mirror for endless hours. If she found herself around someone who might have some influence in getting her “discovered”, she made it a point to see that that person noticed her. Understand this is normally a painfully shy little girl. As time passed, and months became years with no response, I expected her to become discouraged and move on to something else. But no, this was her dream and she wasn't going to let go of it. Time only increased her resolve. Then one day it happened. The magic letter arrived. I was stunned. A major modeling agency that we had applied to almost a year ago was conducting a nation wide search for fresh talent and she was invited to an “open call”. She was ecstatic. She couldn't believe this was really happening to her. The next half-hour or so was spent running around the house turning cartwheels and just screaming. Then she became very quiet. Her elation was suddenly tempered by the realization that the time had come to face her dream. The easy part was over, the dreaming. Now she had to make it happen. And she only had 24 hours to prepare herself. The call was the following evening. A nearly sleepless night was followed by the longest school day of her life. Then, after trying on every piece of clothing she owned the time had come for her great adventure. The city where the agency is located is an hour away. Our trip was further slowed by the rush-hour traffic and the snow and ice from a New Years day winter storm that still blanketed everything. The time was passed by going over her itinerary for the evening. And over it, and over it, and over it. She was so nervous she almost became physically ill. But she wasn't going to turn back now. As we walked through the door she tried to hide behind me. I would have none of that. This was her evening and it was “show-time”. So with a couple dozen people watching, she made her grand entrance. I won't go into all the details of everything that happened over the next few hours. But, try to imagine being 10 years old and having to endure what must have seemed endless hours of interviews with a lot of strange adults, and then having to perform in front of a room full of total strangers, including your competition, while more strangers poked cameras in your face and video taped your every move. That took courage my friend. Courage far beyond her years. Courage born of a dream and belief in herself. The evening ended with a promise that those who made the cut would be notified by phone within 24 hours and invited back for another series of interviews when the final selections would be made. She went to bed that night happy, exhausted and trying with everything in her being to keep from hoping. The disappointment would be unbearable. As I tucked her into bed she kept telling me she probably didn't make it. Even though in her heart she knew she had. I had no doubts. It’s a daddy thing. Well, the call came the next day. When I picked her up after school it was the first question out of her mouth followed by twenty minutes of screaming punctuated by the occasional “Did they really call?” After pealing her off the ceiling we were back that evening for more interviews. It turned out to be a brief interview. They already had a contract and a three- year career plan put together. Two weeks later she began an intensive training program and they expect to have her working in a couple of months. They believe she has a great future. She knows she does. I share this special time in her life - and mine - for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s always inspiring to hear about someone fulfilling their dream. And secondly because there are surprisingly few people out there who have the determination, the courage and the belief in them selves to make their dreams happen. Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear from someone agonizing over the decision to start an Internet business. All they talk about are the reasons why they can't. I understand why. That’s what they’re hearing from their family and friends whom, although they are probably well meaning, their thinking is wrong. That can be the curse of growing up. We seem to lose that child-like ability to see all the promise the world has to offer. Instead we let that world beat us down and steal our dreams. It doesn't have to be that way. Every day thousands of people are breaking free and beginning a new journey thanks to the Internet. I know of people who went from welfare to millionaire in a few short years. They dared to dream again. They rediscovered what it was like to dream like a child can dream. Watch the fashion pages in the next couple of years. When you see a beautiful young Hawaiian girl named Poma`I taking the fashion world by storm, you'll know how it all began. And, you'll understand why this is one little girl who will never stop dreaming. Oh yeah, she has one more dream. She wants to become a rock star. I don't know about you, but I'm not betting against her. Got dreams?

is the CEO of theBestOfBreed.com and the managing partner at JPR Marketing Group, LLC, a leading ecommerce software and marketing solutions provider. If you’re tired of all the hype, dead-ends and empty promises, come talk with us. You'll find real people willing to have a real conversation with you, and it won't cost you a dime.
http://www.theBestOfBreed.com

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