Unknown, unassuming, unlikely and unstoppable is how I would describe Lisa. But, my curiosity was at an all time high wondering how one of her homemade videos got viewed more than 400,000 times. Oh, and it wasn’t her bathtub video.
Ok, so here’s the scoop on Lisa Murray, a 36-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona who moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream. She’s the ultimate Weekend Entrepreneur with a heart of gold. Her day job helps fund the production of a documentary film called, “I Have Dreams Dammit!� What’s fascinating is that on a whim she entered 2 different contests and it created the most unlikely success story I have ever heard.
I’ll get to the bathtub story in a minute but first I want to give you a snapshot of what Lisa has been up to. She shot a little 5 minutes video called “Free Hugs in Hollywood” and it was a huge success. Lisa said, “This video was featured on Yahoo’s home page for about 3 hours. To date, it has been viewed over 400,000 times. That same video was posted simultaneously on my YouTube channel. Without any promotion, without it being featured on YouTube’s home page, it has generated close to 160,000 views.â€? Click here to see Lisa’s video and you will understand why it has been so popular.
What kind of business do you have and what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
LISA: I have a film production company called SkyLife Productions. I do all of my own marketing and PR. I created it as a concept for a company in 1990. And it really started to take off when I launched my website in 2004.
I have two websites, an international email list with a monthly e-newsletter for Dreamers, a small line of products for dreamers (t-shirts, mugs, etc.) and a popular channel on YouTube.
I produce projects that call to my heart whether it is a documentary, a short video for the internet, or a feature-length film. Eventually, I would like to partner up with other companies to organize large fundraiser events for animal and environmental causes. SkyLife Productions is about creating MY “SkyLife� and then helping others do the same.
“SkyLife� came out of a book I read when I was little called “Sky Dog.� A little boy is at the beach with his mother for the summer and he is very lonely. He sees a dog in the sky made out of clouds that befriends him. He is no longer lonely. On the last day of the vacation, the little boy goes out to the beach to say goodbye to his Sky Dog but it is nowhere to be found. Sad, the boy turns and heads to the car that is already packed and ready to go when all of a sudden a little white dog runs up to him on the beach barking and jumping and wagging his tail. This dog seems to know the boy. Nobody has seen this dog before and he really did just come out of the clear blue sky just for the boy.
That story touched me when I was younger because I remember feeling like that concept was possible in real life. Anything that we imagine can become real. If we imagine it then it is for us. And so I began my journey of creating my SkyLIFE.
I never really “became� an entrepreneur; I think I was born one. I have always had the entrepreneur mind-set and I didn’t know that’s what it was until one of my employers said, “Lisa, you don’t belong here, you are an entrepreneur. Period.�
Have you always been interested in contests? And how did you discover the Caress “Confident Woman,” Entertainment Tonight contest?
I NEVER enter contests. I entered the first one (Yahoo! Job-Shadowing contest) to get rid of the pop-up window that interrupted my late-night resume posting session in between jobs.
I found out about the second contest (Caress Confidante/Entertainment Tonight) right after I got back in town from the first contest’s prize trip to LA. So contests were on my mind! I was flipping through the channels and heard Jan Carlson on Entertainment Tonight talking about “a dream trip to the Emmys…to live like a star for a week.” It sounded like fun to make a video and so I did it with my friend, Ed Sweet in Phoenix. (He was a blast to work with!) I didn’t think I’d win; I just did it to have fun making a video. Boy was I surprised when Kevin Frazier came to my work with the ET camera crews to tell me that I won! Click here to see winning video.
What did you think your chances were of winning these contests?
LISA: The first contest was a sweepstakes so it was total luck winning that one. I had even forgotten about it until I received the Fed-Ex with the winning letter. It felt really cool to win something. I honestly can’t ever remember winning anything - not like this anyway.
The second contest (Caress/ET) I didn’t even think about winning until I found out I was a finalist. At that point I thought back about how meticulous I was about following the rules of the contest when I was planning my video and how my working in PR in the past may have given me an advantage because I really thought about what Caress and Entertainment Tonight were looking to accomplish with this contest and created my video based on that assumption. And then I won!
Have there been challenges along the way that appeared to be more difficult because you are a woman?
LISA: The film industry is still very much a man’s world. It’s changing but not fast enough. I’ve seen my male filmmaker friends get funding for projects and move through that and onto the next project when my female filmmakers friends (including myself) are still on our first project for a while. I’m not sure why that is the way it is but there does seem to be a gender difference.
Have you noticed certain advantages to being a woman in business?
LISA: I think being a woman may have given me certain advantages in the way that people aren’t as intimidated by me and so they give me a chance where perhaps my male counterparts wouldn’t get that chance. (Which is sort of an insult but one that I use to my advantage!)
What tips can you give others who want to embrace their dream but, don’t have the confidence or feel they don’t have what it takes to succeed?
LISA: Knowledge is power. Find others who are doing something similar or the same thing and talk to them, send them an email, let them know what you’re trying to do and ask them if they would be willing to give you 10-15 minutes of their time by phone for a mini “mentor session�. Write down all of your questions ahead of time and keep it short. Be respectful of people’s time. Join networking organizations that pertain to your dream. Tell everyone you meet about your dream and listen to feedback, throw out the negative or limiting comments or anything that makes you feel yucky. Admit your weak areas and be willing to learn and grow. Be strong. Know your strengths. And then after all that, feel the fear and do it anyway! (Same title of a great book by Susan Jeffers.)
What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an entrepreneur but doesn’t know where to begin to get things rolling?
LISA: Just think about what makes you happy, what makes you ‘come alive’ and you will find your answer as to “what� to do. How to begin? Begin where you are! Take inventory of your life. What do you already posses in terms of physical assets or internal assets that pertain to your dream? Do you own a computer? A pickup truck? A gift for public speaking? A big kitchen? A sense of humor? Write it all down. You’d be surprised how much you have already! Do research on your dream and then, write a plan of action. There are so many books on pretty much any topic nowadays. The problem isn’t where to find the resources, it’s how to utilize the resources and still maintain a life that you feel good about over the long haul. But just get the ball rolling, you’ll learn as you go along.
What is unique or special about your business that gives it an edge over your competitors?
LISA: I believe everything comes from intention. The only true competition doesn’t live “out there� but rather, from within ourselves. There is enough room for everyone’s dream to come true and to be profitable. I think a lot of people believe in scarcity and so they think have to be unethical to beat their competition. For them I would say that my edge over them is that I focus on what I am giving out rather than taking in and I don’t treat others, as I wouldn’t want to be treated. My focus with each project is on whom or what am I connecting with and what it is that my services or goods are adding to the overall picture of life. Everything we do has an effect on the world around us.
I have more to share about Lisa’s journey in Part 2. This will be posted on my blog
weekend.entrepreneur.com this Wednesday, July 18, 2007 @5:00 AM, EST. You’ll find out How and Why YouTube has played an enormous role in anchoring Lisa’s success. The ‘Behind the Scenes’ story about what happened with Yahoo’s Sweepstakes when she won. Lisa explains what a day in the life of a reported for Star Magazine is like (it’s not what you think). Last but not least Lisa talks about her strategy for attracting the media. All of this unconventional wisdom can help you attain a higher lever of success. Proof that it’s not what you know; it’s what you do with what you know.
Peace & Abundance,
Michelle
PS-As always, your feedback and questions are important to me and the people I write about so let me know you care by giving us a “shout out!�
One Response to “Bathtub Video That Spawned Squeaky Clean Assistant onto Entertainment Tonight’s Red Carpet”
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July 16th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Lisa’s story is an an inspiring one. She seems like such a vivacious, outgoing character. She’s got some great ideas, a fantastic win/win attitude, and a unique sense of humor. Thanks for sharing her perspective.