About a month ago, I received an invitation to attend the launch event for a new book called Kickstart: How Successful Canadians Got Started. This book included brief accounts of how 70 high-profile Canadians got their start – people like Jim Pattison, June Callwood, Karen Kain and Brian Mulroney. I am an entrepreneur, having run two of my own businesses amidst stints in corporate life, so the title intrigued me. I can’t recall ever having been to a book launch before so I had no idea what to expect. From somewhere in the depths of my consciousness, I presumed that this kind of an event would be structured and so I decided to go alone. I actually never made a decision to go alone, I simply never considered inviting someone to join me. I just figured that since I received an invite, others received similar invites and might be in the same situation as me, independently interested and just deciding to go… alone.
Learning: Since I received Kickstart’s communication as an individual and there was no suggestion to “please bring a guest” or any indication that colleagues or acquaintances of mine would be in attendance, it seems reasonable that I would assume the event would in some way cater to attendees with a similar profile to mine.
Moving right along, the event was held at Casa Loma and was hosted by the three authors: Alexander Herman, Paul Matthews, and Andrew Feindel. Upon arrival, it became instantly clear to me that many, actually most, of the audience knew the authors, or the persons interviewed in the book, or others in attendance. After enquiring, I was told the structured part of the evening would begin in approximately one hour and was expected to run for about 30 minutes. My immediate thought was: “I have to mingle for an hour? Alone?” But I sucked it up, grabbed a glass of wine and started circulating. As it turns out, I met a number of very interesting people and enjoyed the 30 minutes of the structured part of the evening. Then again, I am a good conversationalist and new social settings don’t intimidate me.
But on to the point of this post. When I left the evening, I was pleased with the experience. The wine had settled nicely, the people were interesting, and I even made a new friend. I had bought the book, and I was looking forward to reading it. But the biggest observation I had of the evening was the sheer impressiveness in the accomplishment of three young men. I’m referring to the authors, who I would estimate are each in the 25–27 years old range. I’m impressed not because it’s an award-winning book (I don’t know, I haven’t read it yet, though maybe it is), and not because the topic was overly ingenious, or even because the sales were achieving record rates, but because I experienced first-hand the power of the capability of this generation.
A Just Do It Generation: These three guys graduated university, from diverse programs, and were unclear about what to do with their lives. They must’ve determined that ‘successful’ was a key criteria in developing their careers, so they decided to reach out to others they deemed successful and find out how they ‘got it off the ground’. And they wrote a book about it. That’s all… just interviewed 70 high-profile successful Canadians, wrote a book about it and got it published.
A Generation with Backing: These three young men were supported by an extensive peer network (some of whom I met), the encouragement of their parents, and perhaps most importantly the web of connections, influential at that, that extended from this group of backers. Using this web, they managed to fill a ballroom at Casa Loma for their launch party, featuring a diverse group of well-presented Canadians, including speakers Eddie Greenspan and Bruce Poon Tip.
The Smarts to Make It So: As I mentioned earlier, I haven’t read the book yet, and I’m not a respected copywriter, so I can’t attest to the quality of the language in the book, but the content of this book represents such a host of important people that I can only assume the quality is there. The launch event was well run which at least indicates smart selection in a publisher or promotion partner. I was greeted at the front door by a handshake and a personal hello from one of the authors. The authors each stood up and addressed the crowd with intelligent words and wit.
INSIGHT: In summary, my observation is that the ‘Just Do It’ chutzpah and the network of backers is bolstered by some solid credentials of capability as well… rounding out a triple threat that may be more common than we think in young people today.
Posted by Heidi M
