This past weekend, a pro MMA fighter named Jeremy Stephens did something dumb.
During the ceremonial pre-fight staredown, Stephens pushed the other fighter, Drakkar Klose, hard. In fact, Stephens pushed Klose so hard that Klose got whiplash. So the fight was canceled, Klose got the win by default, and Stephens lost a paycheck.
It’s not the first time Stephens did something dumb for publicity.
A few years ago, during a big press conference that featured a bunch of MMA fighters and starred Conor McGregor, Stephens was seated all the way in the back.
At one point, a journalist asked Conor, who was sitting front and center, “Who do you think would give you the toughest fight from everybody here on stage?”
Conor paused for a second to think of an appropriately cocky answer. And in that moment, Stephens saw his opportunity — and he seized it.
“Right here,” Stephens said, pointing to himself and speaking in the third person. “The hardest hitting 145-pounder in the world. This guy knocks people out.”
The whole room went silent for a second.
And then Conor looked over both of his shoulders. And he chuckled. “Who the fuck is that guy?”
My point is this:
A lot of people say you’ve got to take your shot.
They tell you stories of how they saw their opening… went for it… and how it worked out brilliantly.
Well, it didn’t work out for Jeremy Stephens. He will always be best-known as the guy who got pwned by Conor at a press conference.
So my point is that, rather than jumping at your opportunity, make sure you’re ready. Because you only get one chance at a first impression.
And if you’re clenching your fists right now because you think I’m such a downer:
I’m not saying you should be super cautious, inert, or frightened of ever making a mistake.
But as for the question whether success comes down to careful preparation… or to bold action… the answer is always yes.
As for me:
I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time. I think I’m ready.
So I’d like to invite you to join my email newsletter. It’s mostly about marketing and copywriting. Sometimes about MMA fighters, and what we can learn from them about life. If you’re curious and you want to give my newsletter a try, you can sign up here.