“Fear of failure plagued me since I was a kid… but I learned to feel the fear and do it anyway!” Explains Aaron Brown as he and Laura kick off this episode. “I’ve learned to move into it – whatever ‘it’ may be – knowing there is possibility and presence within the fear.”
In this specific case, Aaron was describing the fear he felt when he had an opportunity in 2018 to participate in a small, private “Shark Tank” experience during a John. C. Maxwell Leadership event. His intention, upon registering for the event, was to simply relax and enjoy the experience, soak up some wisdom, and enjoy spending time with interesting people. That, however, isn’t exactly what happened!
When the opportunity came up, he asked himself, “is it worth the effort?” The opportunity was to pitch an idea for a business endeavor in a ‘shark-tank’ format in front of Leadership Expert, John Maxwell; Shark Tank Entrepreneur and Investor, Barbara Corcoran; and the 100+ attendees at the event.
Deciding the answer was ‘yes,’ as he would have an opportunity to bless the Ascent Recovery Center (opening in September 2019), a drop-in support center for people unable to commit to a resident-based full-time recovery program that would provide community, support, education, etc. He assumed he’d be competing against a large group, but when he got that call that his idea was accepted, he discovered he was one of only three people whose ideas had been selected. The other two ideas were a 3D Modeling System used to diagnose health issues in the hearts of babies, and the other was an Activity Center for mentally disabled persons.
He knew the competition was going to be tough, as his perception is that raising funds for addiction recovery is often difficult. He prepared and practiced; he knew he had to really grab their attention and make a meaningful impression in just two minutes. He was more nervous than he remembers being before, as well as excited by the opportunity and the audience.
He dove in, did his best, and got through it – doing it afraid!
Then the moment of truth… John and Barbara deliberated and then Barbara was to announce the winner. It was Scott Tolar, who had pitched the Activity Center. What happened next will surprise and inspire you!
Scott was in a position to be generous, and so he was. His generosity inspired John and Barbara to join in and share some of their wealth, as well. You’ll have to listen to hear the outcome of this, but let’s just say a few seeds of kindness, generosity, compassion… have more power than you imagine and can spread much farther, too!
At Laura’s urging, Aaron dives more deeply into how he “did it afraid” and what works for him in these kinds of situations – Defining Moments, as he calls them.
Listen in as Aaron shares his tips for doing it afraid and how being willing to step into vulnerability opens doors, creates opportunities, and allows us to be more fully who we were meant to be.
The learn more about Aaron and his work, look here:
Aaron Brown Bio
Aaron has been a pastor for 28 years and led Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church in Joplin for 25 of those years. Saint Paul’s is a church with three locations and a staff of 60. His skills include communication, team building, leadership development, vision casting, systems, community involvement and media usage. He led his church through 5 capital campaigns and 5 building projects including reconstruction after the 2011 tornado. Aaron brings a sense of humor and practical wisdom to leadership, believing that the role of a leader is in large part looking ahead and identifying obstacles and opportunities. His personal mission is “To do God will with people I love.” Aaron serves on the boards of Ascent Recovery Residences, The Ozark Center, and JOMO Adventures. His hobbies include cycling, card magic, and fixing broken stuff. He is married to Janet and they have two daughters and one dog.
