Let’s Talk About Luck, Good and Bad
Photo by Nick Fewings
Have you ever noticed how people talk about luck?
“He’s so lucky in business.”
“That was an unlucky break.”
What does luck mean? Dictionary.com defines luck this way:
The force that seems to operate for good or ill in a person’s life
Good fortune, advantage, or success, considered as the result of chance
A combination of circumstances, events, etc., operating by chance to bring good or ill to a person
Notice the words. Luck seems to be a “force”. It comes “by chance”.
In other words, luck is out of your control. You don’t control forces, and you certainly don’t control chance.
What’s Good Luck?
Some examples of good luck:
Finding a $20 bill by the side of the road
Looking for a rare book and seeing it in a random bookstore
Wanting to meet a person and bumping into them unexpectedly
These are all lucky. You had no control over critical elements.
But Often, It’s Not Luck
You’ve heard:
“He’s lucky to have such wonderful clients.”
“She’s lucky to be working with a talented team.”
“They won that account by luck.”
If you dug into these stories, you’d realize that none of them were luck.
Wonderful clients come from relationships, talented teams are recruited, and accounts are generally won by superior candidates.
Some people call the success of others “luck” because it makes them feel better.
They believe their unhappy circumstances are the result of “bad luck”. That some people are naturally lucky, while they’re not. When bad things happen, they’re unlucky. There was nothing they could do about it.
This is not a winning mindset.
How to “Prepare for Good Luck”
Let’s say you’re running a communications business. One day, out of the blue, you get an email from a prospect. They think they’d like to work with you. They have a substantial account and need help.
Could you make time for an exploratory meeting, and assuming all goes well, give them an estimate on a project?
You do a bit of research on them. Wow, they look like a dream client that would fit in perfectly with your business!
How lucky is that, right? You’re looking forward to the meeting.
In your meeting with them, you learn that:
You were recommended by an ex-client. These two played tennis together. That’s how they got your name.
Before they sent the email, they had been to your website. They read your “About” page and quickly found your contact information.
They studied your portfolio. Interesting work with captivating stories to explain the projects.
They read your testimonials, all of them.
They followed up by getting in touch with some of your testimonials on LinkedIn to ask about you (everyone said great things)
They crawled your Twitter and LinkedIn profiles
Just in case, they did a general search on your name and company to see whether there was any bad news about you (Nope!)
In this whole list, there’s only one bit of luck. Your ex-client played tennis with someone who needs your services, and they had this discussion.
Everything else, you had some control over.
Let’s start at the top with your ex-client. You obviously did good work together for him to remember and recommend you. You parted on good terms (he left for another job).
You follow each other on social media. You’re not best friends, but good “business friends”.
Your website is professional, up-to-date, and makes a strong impression. The site includes a portfolio that demonstrates the range of your services.
You have meaningful testimonials with names that can be easily found if someone wants to follow up.
You’re active on social media in a positive, helpful way. A prospect won’t find you engaged in political rants, disinformation, or other hateful messages.
If you searched your name, you’d be happy with the results.
The “Basic How to Attract Good Luck” List
If you want to attract “luck”, the basics are:
A website with a portfolio, testimonials, information about you, contact info
A well-curated social media presence that includes LinkedIn (because that’s where business people look, like it or not)
No negative information if anyone searches for your name or company
The “Expanded Good Luck” List
You could add to the basic list by:
Writing a blog
Creating videos for YouTube (the world’s second-largest search engine) where people can see, hear, and follow you
Starting a podcast that shows your range
Being an in-demand guest on other blogs, videos, and podcasts
Public speaking so you’ll be included on various business sites
Writing a book to show your expertise and be found on bookstore sites
“Good Luck” Often Hinges on a Meeting
Luck is a change in circumstance. Something happens that will make tomorrow different from today.
Sometimes this depends on a meeting. You run into someone at an opportune moment. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. I was just thinking about you…”
Or it’s a meeting where you’re not present, but they’re talking about you in a positive way.
Whatever happens in that meeting changes your situation, and opens up new opportunities.
In some cases, the initial meeting seems inconsequential. Only when you look back on it do you realize how important it was. Nothing would have happened without that meeting.
One Lucky Meeting Changed Everything for Me
Short story. I was a copywriter at an agency, doing some freelance on the side. A printing rep came in to see my art director partner. I knew the rep. We had chatted before.
After his meeting, he asked whether I was interested in a potential new freelance client. His client was unhappy with the writer they were using.
“Sure, I’d be glad to meet them, thanks…”
Cut to the end. This client was the biggest electrical utility in my province. They had enough work to allow me to go 100% freelance. After six years, I launched my first agency with them as a key client.
Within five years, we sold that agency and started a second one. We still had them as a client. Also, that client led to other major clients in the industry.
All based on that one meeting with the rep.
The two pieces of good luck? I was there that day. He thought of asking me.
The rest of it?
I had told him about my freelance work, so I was a likely person to ask. I had an up-to-date portfolio and résumé ready to see the client.
I then worked hard to create and maintain that relationship. I took the bit of luck I was given and built on it.
Make Your Own Luck
You have to be prepared so that when luck happens, you’re ready. These days that means having a website, being visible on social media, etc.
It also helps to be outgoing, to talk to people, and to let them know what you’re doing. If that rep hadn’t known I was freelancing, he wouldn’t have spoken to me about it.
Quite simply, you have to be out there where luck can find you.
It’s your lucky day because you can learn much more about running a creative business in my book, How to Start a Successful Creative Agency. It’s the essential business guide for graphic designers, copywriters, filmmakers, photographers, and programmers.
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The book is packed with useful information to help creatives start and grow their business.
Learned More From Andy Than Anyone else
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Simon Burn, simonburncreative.com
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