There is an annual trade show for the tabletop game industry. By virtue of attending for eight years running and having been lucky enough to host a few presentations for my former employer, I recognize and get recognized by a lot of people in the industry. That’s despite my lackluster networking skills, and even the sometimes-tepid reception my former employer and department would get at these shows.
I have the status of belonging among that group of “tabletop industry people,” and I help grant that status to others. In some disciplines, I probably also have the status of “industry expert” due to my length of membership and positions held. And all I had to do was show up and be seen among them.
But not really, right?
I showed up only after purchasing membership in the trade organization.
I was seen with credentials from a company and position that I achieved after dedicating a decade of work and passion to the industry.
I formed relationships with many colleagues and fellow experts over phone calls, meals, discussions, and debates.
I spent many hours beyond a 40-hour week in that position, and plenty of time before that, working to craft and implement ways to bring value to customers and retailers in the industry.
I did favors, I advocated to superiors, I promoted friends’ initiatives, I invited guests, I rewarded hard work, I formed communities, and I shook things up.
As you can see, I earned that status through these efforts.
And yet, I also earned it by showing up.
Because I could have done a lot of those things in private. I could have been laboring in secret, behind the scenes, bringing value to one member of this group at a time.
Instead, I showed up. I made sure my fellow members knew about the value I wanted to bring them, because I knew they would be better for it.
Showing up is an effort, too, just like that list above.
And not just showing up to a trade show. You have to show up to the places that the people you want to bring value to are: their town hall or their community center, their social media feed or video subscription, their game night or local bar.
I believed in the change I wanted to make, and I believed that it was worth the effort I would have to make to make it known.
So I showed up, and I gained the status I needed to bring my change.
And now, I’m leveraging that status to build a new way to show up in the tabletop industry. Not an easier way, but a better way. If you want to show up and are willing to make the effort to do it, I have a change I want to show you over at TableTopolis.
Whatever your passion is, I hope you show up and bring your change. Let me know if I can help you earn the status you need to do it.
[Entry #2 in the Status is the True Currency blog series.]
