The Weekly Legend

Everyone hates a bully…but we all have that one. That one bully that knows our biggest worries, fears, and weaknesses.

On top of all of that, this particular bully is the ultimate killer of our dreams. It’s like they must have some secret access to our heads and can hear our deepest worries. Like they have some special spell or mind-reading gift that provides full access to every thought, dream, fear, and worry that crosses our mind.

Well, no special gifts are needed here. Your biggest bully, well frankly, is YOU. 

We are our biggest enemy.

We are the one that stops action toward dreams. We are the ones creating excuses why we can’t do this or that, and ultimately quit. We are the little voice repeating our biggest worries over and over to ourselves. 

So how do we overcome it? You gotta put your dreams above your fear. 

As Dave shared this week…You gotta show up and glow up! Show up for yourself and keep growing into greatness.

A perfect example of this came from the comedian Jo Koy. 

Just this week I was watching his most recent special. This guy always leaves me absolutely rolling in laughter! Like full-on tears streaming down my face. He was absolutely hilarious and then a small switch happened in the middle of the show…

He shared a piece of his story with the audience that I didn’t realize. 

This man was turned down by Netflix 8 times. 

His ultimate dream for himself was to one day have a Netflix special. And they kept telling him no. He wasn’t going to stop. He finally decided, maybe they need to see it first? 

He was going to fund the entire project upfront, do all the production, all the editing required, and use pretty much all of his savings to create it. 

It was going to be risky. 

It was scary as hell. 

At this point, he had already been turned down 7 times.

Jo Koy kept going after his dream because he couldn’t bear to show his son what it looked like to give up on a dream. 

That was his “WHY.”

He didn't want his son to learn that quitting on a dream was an option.

2 days before they filmed Jokoy’s first special, Netflix called again…

He got excited…

Maybe it’s all finally coming together. 

The rep shared…We heard you are producing your own show, we just need you to know…

We really DON’T want it so if there’s time to cut your losses, do it. 

Jo was crushed.

The bully's voice in his head got really loud. He could listen to the voice inside his head telling him to quit, or he could listen to his heart knowing he needed to keep going after his dream. He needed to show his son, no one determines your destiny. He filmed that special. His team then shopped it around to different networks. 

Netflix called again…”We want it.” 

Fast forward to today, Jo Koy now has 4 specials on this network. His journey to a Netflix special is a powerful example of the importance of believing in oneself. To turn off the bully voice, and listen to the cheerleader instead. Even when faced with repeated rejection, Jo Koy never gave up on his dream. His perseverance and determination ultimately paid off.

Could you imagine where he would be right now if he walked away and quit after the first no…

Or the 3rd

Or the 5th

Or the 7th…

Or the 8th…when he took on so much risk with no guarantee of success? He believed in himself and his abilities. I think today is a great day to tell the bully in your own head to shut it and let that cheerleader have a bit more voice. 

One way to start, listen to success stories, tips, and mindset advice that’s shared in each episode of Wake Up Legendary. Be sure to check out the recordings from last week and check out the guests below for this week. 

As always…

Stay Legendary!
– JoAnn