Not many people like speaking to a crowd, especially at an airport! Dave talks about when he was invited to present a session on Google Ads at SXSW in Austin, Texas and how a twist of fate almost prevented him from going (and the generosity of a kind old woman!).
Video Transcriptions
Dave Martin (00:00):
I was talking to one of our employees recently about the time that we got to speak at South by Southwest. They invited us to be featured presenters on the Google Advertising platform. And I had said, "Well, actually, that almost didn't happen." And what I had learned is if you don't ask for it, you're not gonna get it. So, one of our business models early on was helping nonprofits leverage the Google Grant, and that's a $10,000 a month credit within the Google AdWords platform. And we would help nonprofits spend a lot more of that money pushing traffic to their websites, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, we got a email from South by Southwest saying something to the effect of, "We've heard about what you guys have been doing, and would you consider submitting a session on your strategies with the Google Grant and how you leverage it," and things like that.
(01:01):
So I looked at it, thought about it, thought it's something like 4,000 companies apply for this and like 10% are chosen, or something like that. But I decided what the heck? They're reaching out to us. And so, I submitted everything they were asking for and really kind of forgot about it because I think a month and a half or two months went by. And then just out of the blue I get an email that says, "Hey Dave, we're here at South by Southwest. We have elected to have you one of the presenters for Google Advertising, specifically for the Google Grant. So, we'd like to invite you to present at the next South by Southwest." And I couldn't believe it. I mean, this is something that has been on my bucket list of wanting to do for a long, long time. And I finally, not just to go to it like attend it, but to actually speak at it.
(02:00):
So it was awesome. Just was fired up about it, social media. I think even the business journal wrote a article about how we were invited to the South by Southwest. Anyway, we planned everything out. Of course, the plane ride, we got the hotel, the whole thing. So we show up, my partner and I, we show up at the airport and what happened was that airline that will go unnamed, Alaska Air, they overbooked the flight somehow.
(02:38):
And when we got there, they said, "Hey, you and your coworker can't go on the plane, Only one of you can go." And I was just like, "This is crazy." Just this opportunity in front of us and we're getting denied. Not by South by Southwest. I mean there was a 90% chance they'd deny us, but they didn't. It was American Airlines. And so, I was just like this, it can't end like this. And so, I was just trying to think of what to do and just desperation took hold of me.
(03:11):
And so, there was probably about 80 or 90 people waiting in that hanger waiting to board the plane. And so, I just stood up and said, "Excuse me, can I have your attention?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Now that I have your attention...
Speaker 3 (03:25):
You don't have our attention.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Money!
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I'm listening.
Dave Martin (03:30):
And I kind of explained that we're about to go to South by Southwest, and it's a great opportunity. And is there anybody that could potentially miss this flight, and let me take your ticket and I'd pay for your hotel to stay in Fresno an extra day and all this kind of stuff?
(03:50):
Well, I laid it all out and nobody said anything. And I was just crushed. What's going to happen? And then about 10 seconds later, I hear a little voice, "You can have my ticket." And it was this older lady who, she was there on business or something like that. And she said, "You know, I kind of enjoy my time here. No problem, I'd be happy to stay here one more day. You could take my ticket." And I just couldn't believe it. I mean, if it weren't for her generosity, I wouldn't have been able to go to South by Southwest, wouldn't have been able to make that presentation and meet a lot of people that we still keep in touch with to this day. And we actually ended up landing one of our biggest clients at South by Southwest.
(04:43):
So, the key lesson here is if you don't ask for it, you're not gonna get it. And sometimes I didn't want to raise my voice in the airport, but I just felt man, desperate times call for desperate measures. But I'm very glad that I did.
