Success Advice

3 Strategies Houdini, Walt Disney, and Frank Sinatra Used To Create Celebrity Buzz

Published

7 years ago

Jul 2, 2016

Z Pasha

What in god’s name is Houdini, Disney, and Sinatra’s names doing in the same sentence? As a social coach and entrepreneur, I’ve discovered that one of the most powerful accelerators for each of these areas is your ability to create “Celebrity Buzz” about yourself.

Each of these great men achieved legendary success in their fields by deploying strategies to raise their “Celebrity” status. These are the same strategies used in order to create that magical “fairy dust” that compels people to assume that they should be listened to.

And while some of these strategies may inspire, shock, and even upset you; using any one of these could take your business, branding, or venture to the next level.

Here are three famous strategies that can change your life:

1. Harry Houdini’s strategy to create “buzz”

Houdini was one of history’s greatest escape artists. No one could match his ability to dazzle an audience with just a pair of handcuffs. However, it wasn’t just about the actual feat of getting out of the contraptions that made Houdini so successful. The man was an entertainer and master of suspense. Take for example, his reputation for accepting the most challenging handcuffs that anyone could come up with.

Imagine the excitement around this. He’d be on stage, rustling around with the cuffs out of plain sight. Imagination would be the audiences only guide. So they waited. And waited. And with every second that passed, it would feel as if time began to slow down completely.

All of a sudden a slight panic would spread across the audience..What if he’s stuck? What will that do to his career? He’s supposed to be unstoppable and yet..maybe he’s met his match..

Held in total suspense, the curtains would suddenly burst open! He’d snap the cuffs off, and thunderous applause would echo across the stadium. Houdini understood how to command attention using the colorful palette of people’s emotions.

“My brain is the key that sets my mind free.” – Harry Houdini

So how do you apply this in your business and life? People are drawn to the narrative of a worthy hero who overcomes difficulty. It’s inspiring and it moves them on a deep, emotional level.

Let’s say you’re running a seminar, or some kind of live event. As a speaker of your brand it’s so important to command people’s attention. If you’re well-practiced in your acting skills, you could easily create a similar pattern interrupt as if something were going wrong in your speech.

Although the small “mistake” may seem like a minor detail, it’s those details that linger in people’s heads. Make 100% sure you have this well-practiced. One of Houdini’s biggest lessons that he learned early on in life was to never practice in public.

2. Walt Disney’s strategy to create “buzz”

If you’ve ever read “When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead” by Jerry Weintraub you may recall a story he shares about Disney. (In case you don’t know who Jerry Weintraub is: he brought back Sinatra’s career, took Elvis on tour, and virtually dominated the entertainment industry as a producer and agent single-handedly).

Weintraub had a meeting set up with Walt Disney in his early years as an agent where he was flown out to meet Disney in Los Angeles.

He arrives at Disney’s office and ends up waiting not 3 or 4 or even 5 hours. He waits 5 days until he is finally called in. Flustered and a bit intimidated by this point, Weintraub is sent through a long hallway, where all of Disney’s oscars are put up on display.

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” – Walt Disney

He opens the door, enters Disney’s massive and spacious office to find a focused Walt drawing at his desk. The “negotiation” doesn’t last too long. Weintraub listens to Disney’s request, agrees, and he’s out the door.

In retrospect, Jerry couldn’t help but respect Disney for creating that reputation and placing hoops in front of him to jump through.

So what does that mean for you and your social life, business, and relationships? No one who is easy to access is valued highly.

While I don’t think you should “fake” it, I do think it’s important to put a premium on your time and your attention. When you become more ruthless about your time and attention, this one strategy will make them, like Disney, seriously valuable commodities.

3. Frank Sinatra’s strategy to create “buzz”

Frank Sinatra’s life story is marked by a lot of drinking, socializing, and overall debauchery. At the same time, the man was able to fit in time to have one of the most successful music, movie, and business careers in history. The question on everyone’s mind: How?

Sinatra had a reputation throughout Hollywood for being extremely ruthless about his inner circle. He would bring in people of extremely high status who he wanted to learn from, and he’d subtly and not so-subtly adopt their behaviors.

He’d pick up little nuances, character traits, idiosyncrasies, down to the phraseology; molding them together to create his own character.

“I think my greatest ambition of life is to share with others what I know.” – Frank Sinatra

Just as he did that, you’ve got to do this in your business, social life, and even in your relationships. Get around these successful people in your life and adopt those little behaviors here and there to mold into your own personality and your branding.

Whether you know it or not, you’re constantly changing every second and every minute. Nothing is static. The people who I’ve seen become successful are the ones who continuously surround themselves with men who are far above they are.

George Clooney modeled Cary Grant; Sinatra modeled Humphrey Bogart; Julius Caesar modeled Alexander the Great. Modeling extraordinary people can help you figure out who you want to be and what you want to look like.

Which of these three is your favorite strategy and why? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Z Pasha

Z Pasha is a speaker, social dynamics coach and founder of ZpashaSocial.com and is known by many as "America's First Class Social Coach", where he exclusively trains men on how to build a purposeful social life, influence, and create powerful networking connections. You can find more entertaining and powerful articles, videos, and content on his website.

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

Published

3 weeks ago

Nov 16, 2023

Jamelle Sanders

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.