Imagine you are an actor and your first movie has just released and it is a blockbuster. This is your moment. You are elated and over the moon.

Movie directors and producers are lining up at your doorstep with scripts. You have to seize the opportunity. You are afraid that this euphoria may not last long or a new actor will overtake you next Friday. So, what do you do? Well, most people would sign at least 4–5 movies and a few brand endorsements right away. Aamir Khan is known to have signed more than 12 films immediately after the success of his first movie, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.

Now consider this. The first movie that A.R. Rahman composed music for was Roja. This was not only his first movie but also his first ever collaboration with the ace director Mani Ratnam. Rahman’s new sound, fresh voices and innovative orchestration instantly connected with the listeners making Roja’s music the highest selling music album that year. Rahman had truly arrived on the scene. He had movie producers and music directors lining up outside his door. So, what did he do?

Rahman went to Mani Ratnam and told him that he enjoyed working with him so much that he would not like to work with any other Director, ever. Not just that, he also told Mani Ratnam that he had made enough money and he did not want to sign movies for money, or work with anyone else. For him, the joy of making music, a deep connection with the film director and the creative process of composing was far more important. Let this sink in. He told Mani Ratnam that he had made enough money!!!

Rahman was just 25 years and one movie old. He came from a family of limited means and had to quit school to start earning. Before Roja, his only source of income was the music jingles he composed for advertisements and his work as a session musician with other music directors. In Showbiz, you make money after you become popular. And here he was, refusing to cash in on his success.

What is interesting here is that A.R. Rahmah had figured out after just one movie what took Aamir Khan more than 15 years and five big flops to understand — that success is an external measure but joy is internal. When you chase joy, success can be a by-product. But when you chase success there is no guarantee that you will succeed or joy will follow.

It is Ratnam who convinced Rahman to work with other directors. He apparently told Rahman that his music was a gift to the world and should not be restricted to just movies or one director.

Rahman has fearlessly chased joy. Success has followed. But had it not, he would have still been happy. He said that in so many words to Mani Ratnam. Sachin Tendulkar was all of 16 years old when he chose to make a career in cricket — the game did not offer players the kind of money it does today. He was chasing his joy. When an eight-year-old Saina Nehwal was waking up at four thirty a.m. every morning and going for practice to a badminton court one hour away from home, there was hardly any money in Badminton. She was chasing her joy.

What are you chasing, success or joy?

Author — Ameen Haque Ameen Haque is a Story Coach, Communications Consultant and Diversity champion. Here’s a link to his profile.

Originally published at https://storywallahs.com on May 25, 2020.

All entrepreneurs need to be storytellers. For once you are in business, no matter what business it is, you are also in the storytelling business.

When one starts out, there is nothing but a dream. That dream needs to be backed by belief, action, great talent and investment for it to turn into reality. And some luck. Each of these is a scarce commodity, not to be found easily — however a good story can play a big role in attracting investment, talent even the first customer. Here are three stories all entrepreneurs must practice and be ready with at all times:

The Vision Story: When you start, all you have is an idea. Just like a General cannot win a war alone and needs an army — an idea needs believers: investor, talent, buyers, vendors, and partners. What is the vision you are showing them? What is the station that lies at the end of this journey — the Promised Land? An entrepreneur has to tell the vision story again and again so it is worth the effort to spend some time crafting it. A good way to craft the vision story is to paint a picture of the kind of world you are building. Or to let people know clearly how your idea is going to impact the world and make it a better. Use a metaphor to bring live the impact your idea will make on people, the magnitude or size of it. It is not easy describing a new idea to people and this is where metaphors come in handy. Keep it inspirational. And keep it short and crisp.

The Team Story: Investors don’t put money on an idea alone, they look for a team that inspires confidence. Do they have what it takes to scale up a hundred times? A thousand times? Do they complement each other? The key question investors are asking themselves is — can this team be trusted? What stuff are they made of? What have they learned from their previous failures and successes? What are they motivated by and what are their strengths and weaknesses. What are their individual stories and how do they fold into a collective story that is aligned to the story of the Startup. Spend some time thinking about the story of the founders.

The Sales Story: Why should anyone do business with you? What is in it for them? A new idea often requires a customer to take a risk or change behavior — why should anyone do that? The first sale may be the most difficult one but that does not make the second or third one any easier. The sales story must highlight the key benefit of your product or service but it must go further and inspire confidence in your brand. Spend some time crafting the sales story — the more you tell it the more it gets refined.

Spend some time thinking through your stories. Keep them authentic and tell them well. Like someone said, ‘Great stories happen to those who can tell them’.

Author — Ameen Haque