Last year I raced my way through one of Harry Houdini’s biographies.

As I read, I clocked an intriguing and very practical lesson which anyone can use to make a name for themselves or bring home more bacon.

Here goes:

Early in his career, Houdini would trudge across America with travelling carnivals, trying out his act.

On the way, he'd mix with other performers.

“Freaks” as they were called back then.

Or "misfits" as I'll call them.  

Misfits whose very names conjure up tantalising glimpses of their acts.

Characters like John Rauth, The Man With the Longest Head...

Thardo, Defier of Snakes...

And Count Orloff, The Human Window Pane. 

Houdini didn’t see any of these misfits as beneath him.  Quite the opposite in fact.  He saw them as a treasure trove of information and expertise.

So Houdini befriended them and started to learn their talents.

An acrobat taught Houdini how to swallow an ivory ball and regurgitate it on demand...

A man named Joe Keaton (soon to be Buster Keaton) showed Houdini the basics of slapstick comedy…

And a carnival promo-man first taught Houdini how to escape from a set of ropes.  

Houdini went on to become a household name.  Even today he’s one of the most recognisable performers of all time.  And no doubt the knowledge gained from these mavericks & outsiders was a key factor in Houdini’s success.

In fact, Houdini’s approach reminds me of this passage from Rolf Dobelli’s book The Art of The Good Life:

Outsiders enjoy a tactical advantage.  They don’t have to adhere to establishment protocols which could slow them down.  They don’t have to dumb down their ideas with visually snazzy but ridiculous PowerPoint slides. 

They can happily ignore convention and are under no pressure to accept invitations or take part in events simply to “show face”.  They don’t have to be politically correct for fear of expulsion, because they’re already on the outside.

What’s more, their position off the intellectual track sharpens their perception of the shortcomings of the prevailing system, to which members of the club are blind.

To sum up:  

Sometimes you can see more clearly and learn new tricks by stepping away from what you know instead of stepping closer.

One way to do this? 

Like Houdini did.

By looking to the outsiders.  The groups of people on the fringes or dabbling in areas which aren’t mainstream.  

In case you're thinking this idea only applies to up-and-coming magicians, think again.

No less than Steve Jobs and Bill Gates saw the benefit of this idea too.

As both whizz-kids built their companies in the conventional, corporate world of Silicon Valley, they continued to use their links with the underground tech nerd community and soaked up everything they could from the hackers, programmers & enthusiasts who were free from the thinking inside the Silicon Valley bubble.

These were the people who were willing to push the boundaries of what was possible.   

And part & parcel of why Bill Gates and Steve Jobs went on to the success they did.

So how can you use this idea yourself?

(if it's not already obvious where this email is headed)

Simple.  By working with a coach.

I'm under no illusion that the coaching world is shrouded in mystery and ambiguity.  It can be hard to understand what exactly is going on and what coaching is all about.

I suspect that a few years from now, having a coach will be as common as having a personal trainer or a therapist.

But until then, coaching will be firmly plonked left of centre.

Which means those who hire a coach are the pioneers & trendsetters who realise that being off the beaten track isn’t a reason to avoid coaching.

Instead, it's a trump card.  It’s a reason to embrace coaching and even an advantage when it comes to getting ahead.

If you'd like your very own ace up your sleeve:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

That’s all for today. 

 - Tom