It’s a word we’ve all grown to hate…right?

Opportunist…

Yet, we all do it from time to time and some even say it’s the way to be in business. To get right to the nitty gritty of it here’s the definition from Oxford dictionary:

Opportunist: a person who exploits circumstances to gain immediate advantage rather than being guided by consistent principles or plans.

However, another phrase has been pegged by Kare Anderson, Ted Talk speaker, author and Emmy winner. That phrase is Opportunity-Maker (click here and check out her Ted Talk where she goes into details about it).

Kare talks about being an opportunity-maker in a way that is all about leveraging your skills as a person, to communicate in a way that entices connection, and to seek patterns outside your normal circle (innovation at it’s finest).

And the more I’m in the online space, and the more industries I step into, the more I see the first being the go-to choice when it comes to opportunities.

You may know what I mean.

People talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

Or those who act out the, “You go first, I’ll go later,” scenario.

And here’s the thing. We’ve all done it from time to time. We’ve all been the opportunist.

We’ve all waited to see before we believe.

Here’s the other thing. It’s really not a way of being. I’ve tried it and it never feels good. In fact, it feels the opposite of what others say it’s supposed to feel like. It feels disempowering, rather than empowering.

Not to say that having people do things that serve you is a bad thing. In fact, it’s a great thing.

But you know what’s more empowering? Creating the opportunities so that those who choose to play and participate, come in and participate.

And the other part? The opportunist expose themselves (and they expose themselves not just to the individual who started the opportunity, but they expose themselves to all the other opportunity-makers who participated).

So being an Opportunity-Maker attracts in those who are like-minded, and repells (or exposes) those who are opportunistic. And there are only so many chances to be opportunistic before those who are putting in the effort catch on and move along.

A good example is a summit I ran called, Micro Your Business. There’s 5 speakers, all who are Opportunity-Makers. I had them come in, add massive value, invite their following, and they receive more leads, more eyeballs on their offerings and platforms, and strategic partnerships. (for those who want to sign up and get some of the replays: https://influencebuilder.com/myb-summit-danielle-fitzpatrick-clark).

Being the host isn’t easy for sure. You have to come up with the concept that serves as a triple win for you, your speakers and all the combined audience members, invite, set up systems, set up landing pages and funnels, do the marketing assets, materials, and then the customer service pieces that are constant. It’s not an easy gig.

But with the right Opportunity-Makers…many hands makes light work (or at least fun work for those of us who love hosting)!

And again, it’s all about the triple win. So for those of you who haven’t signed up yet, I highly, highly recommend you do! You’ll get tons of great information and here’s a snippet of the awesomeness you’ll be receiving:

1. ER Wolf & Guy Tuell from Elify talk about – How To Micro Your Networking to Accelerate and Simplify Sales
2. Brooke Elder from Social Tenacity talks about – How To Micro Your Systems And Strategy So You Can Work On Your Business And Not In Your Business
3. Chris Baden from FlowChat talks about – How To Micro Your Social Marketing For Stellar Social Selling On Social Media
4. Josh Steimle from Canvas PR talks about – How To Shorten The Authority Build With Faster Media Attention and PR Strategy
5. And last, but certainly not least, Hani Mourra from Repurpose.io talks about – How To Micro The Time It Takes To Create And Repurpose Content On Multiple Online Platforms

Amazing human beings with amazing companies doing impactful things in the world! Come on in and check them out! We’ve started, but the replay event starts Friday night. Click here and register for a free ticket!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Danielle Fitzpatrick Clark is lovingly referred to as America’s Favorite Digital Disruptor. She doesn’t just live, breath, and sleep digital marketing, she embodies the constant shifts and pivots needed to create long-lasting businesses in the online space.

Her company Influence Builder is all about bringing the human element to the online tech and digital space. Specifically focused on helping the lesser-known experts and thought leaders, Influence Builder shows them how to break out of the noise, create powerful platforms, and thriving businesses so they can spread their mission and message to the world. This is the bridge where disruptors disrupt and build with authentic influence.