Sunday, May 8, 2011

Kiwis are such shy birds

Are we victims of the symbols we live by? I rather think so. Language is a powerful tool to keep us entrenched in the position we find ourselves. Think about the Kiwi. We call our sports people kiwis, and then we use a by-line that says “Kiwis CAN fly”. That implies we have been told that we can’t but we will show them. Can you imagine a citizen of USA protesting: “Eagles can fly”. They wouldn’t ever think they had to prove it. Eagles fly and they fly above everything else, while kiwis shuffle around in the undergrowth. How deeply does that unspoken language take root in our souls?

I am attending the World Internet Summit in Auckland next week. I’m attending because I have a pressing need to learn the best methods of marketing eBrainz. Marketing it involves making sure that heaps of people learn about the amazing courses we are creating on eBrainz, and ensuring the course tutors benefit from a stream of participants.

As a result of registering, I have received a steady stream of videos and audios from the World Summit Team giving lots of hints and other benefits. I keep thinking: why haven’t I told the course tutors about this opportunity? It’s such value for money - $197NZ and you can bring a friend for free (sorry I am already bringing a friend). It’s four full days of training for creating and marketing an online business. FOUR DAYS! Of course you do have to stay in Auckland for the four days ... and you have to get there. But if you’re creating your eBrainz course with the intention of benefiting from online markets then it’s a no-brainer.

Why my reluctance to tell you all about it? I think it is related to my shade of Kiwi culture. I felt shy about telling you because if you spent your money and came away unsatisfied, how would I feel? Apologetic, of course. So my natural inclination is not to share this opportunity, just in case. I’ll just shuffle away in the undergrowth and hope no one sees me.

But imagine if you came along and benefited so much your small business took off! If I don’t tell you about the Summit, you might never uncover the opportunity. Well here I am getting over my shyness and telling you. If you want to know more, email or phone me. It’s on May 19th to 22nd – not far off so you need to make decisions fast.

And about the shy Kiwi? Is it only coincidence that we took as our national symbol a bird who only comes out under cover of darkness and hunts alone? Why didn’t our nation assume the melodic Tui who sings out his heart at the beginning of every day, or the elegant white heron, or the cheeky kea? Although, come to think of it, even the kea hides his colours under his wing. Did we assume the self-effacing kiwi symbol because it best represented who we saw ourselves as – hard-working, get-on-with our lot and don’t expect too much? Or has the symbol of our nation somehow limited our thinking? Think about the mighty eagle and the national self-belief of many Americans.

Happy course creation
From the Team at eBrainz
Phone 64-3-525-7073
Phone 64-3-337-0234

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