This past weekend was a revelatory one for me. I spent it in Atlantic City with my daughter’s basketball team. Despite not winning any of their games, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the incredible behind-the-scenes work these young athletes put in. It was a poignant reminder of the relevance of unseen efforts, not just in sports, but in our professional lives as well.

It’s easy to draw a parallel between what these girls do off the court and what we do in our businesses and careers. The daily grind might not be visible to the outside world, but it’s these moments of unseen effort that prepare us for greatness. Today, I want to explore this concept deeper and how it applies to achieving business success.

The Invisible Work Behind Success

Often, people see the result but rarely the hard work and discipline behind it. Whether it’s my podcast, my upcoming book, or my social media presence, there’s a mountain of work behind the scenes that remains unseen. There’s the morning routine, grounding techniques, regular learning, and more that play a crucial role.

Think of professional athletes. Some might coast by on raw talent, but those who put in foundational work consistently—revisiting techniques, staying disciplined, and continually improving—often surpass even the most talented but complacent peers. The same principle applies in our professional lives. The unseen work is what equips us to handle public successes and performance with grace and efficiency.

Preparing for the Stage: The Behind-the-Scenes Work

Speaking on stage might seem like a natural gift or a charismatic spectacle, but what the audience doesn’t see is the preparation. Before hitting the stage, there are evening preparations, morning routines, and continuous mental rehearsals. Just as athletes have their pre-game rituals, think of your own pre-stage or pre-presentation routine. Fuel yourself properly, get enough rest, and mentally envision your success. These elements contribute to building the confidence and energy necessary for public engagements.

Back in my corporate days, the principles were the same. Whether preparing a presentation or conducting interviews as a recruiter, the success of these tasks relied heavily on the thoughtful groundwork laid before the actual event.

Building a Solid Foundation: What Are Your Goals?

What are your goals in business, career, or personal life? Identifying these objectives is crucial. Then ask yourself, what are you doing when no one’s looking to achieve these goals? Your success depends not just on large visible efforts but on the consistent, small, behind-the-scenes actions that create a solid foundation for achievement.

For instance, my immediate goal is to launch my book, *Own Your Awesome on LinkedIn*. It wasn’t just about writing the book; it was about years of trial and error on LinkedIn, learning, applying, and refining my strategies. All this unseen work has finally equipped me with the confidence to launch a book I believe will impact many.

The Importance of Constant, Invisible Effort

Often, we downplay those small behind-the-scenes actions, but they are the very things that pave the way for larger victories. These efforts determine how quickly and efficiently you achieve your goals. Whether it’s consistent learning, self-reflection, or proper time management, these are the building blocks leading to where you want to be.

Take a hard look at your daily routine. Are you spending too much time on distractions like Netflix or TikTok? Or are you laying down bricks on the path to your next big achievement? When you do the work that matters, even when no one is watching, it is bound to show up when it counts the most.

Conclusion: The Unseen Path to Success

In the end, success is not about one grand event but a series of persistent, focused efforts. As you set out on your journey, remember, the work you do behind closed doors inevitably showcases itself when the spotlight is on you. Reflect on what steps you’re taking when no one’s looking and how they’re aligning with your larger goals.

Remember, the path to greatness is laid one brick at a time, and it’s the unseen, often overlooked work that builds the foundation for your success. So, embrace your journey, cherish your efforts, and continue to own your awesome.

Until next week, keep pushing forward and stay awesome!

Transcript:

Miranda [00:00:00]:
Hello. Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Own Your Awesome podcast. I’m your host, Miranda Von Frickin. I’m so excited to talk today. I had a tremendous weekend in Atlantic City with my daughter’s basketball team. They did not win any of their games, but let me tell you. Some of the work they put in behind the scenes is is showing up, and I’m really proud of that. And it reminded me of, you know, me always trying to relate anything in life to business.

Miranda [00:00:36]:
And so having a conversation with my daughter on the way home about doing the work outside of practice, doing the work outside of the games. That’s that work is what shows up when you need it. And relating it to business because that’s how I roll, I started to realize that some of the work I do behind the scenes that you don’t see, of course, like, I’ve got the podcast. The book’s gonna be out any second. You see me on LinkedIn and Instagram posting all the things. But it’s the work I do that y’all don’t see that actually got me to where I am today. And the work that, you know, I talk a lot about what I do in my morning routine and, you know, grounding and prayer and all the things I study, And that is, like, the behind the scenes stuff that I often will share with you. But I didn’t realize, like, how valuable it was until you see it play out in a sports game.

Miranda [00:01:36]:
Right? So, there are some girls who will just show up because they’re really good and do what they do. But it makes you wonder, if they did the foundational stuff consistently, how much better could they be? And it really made me think of the details, You know, like, some of the girls, you know, making some of the mistakes. Who cares? Right? They’re all they’re kids. They’re gonna make mistakes. This is how they learn. And it’s not even about the game at this point. It’s about business. Right? So we’re making some mistakes, or we’re not where we wanna be in business, or we’re not at that level we wanna be professionally.

Miranda [00:02:15]:
What are you doing when no one’s looking? It’s such an important conversation, and it made me look in myself. Right? Because I don’t think we’re here to live through our kids. I think the kids are here to teach us something, and my daughter specifically is here to teach me something. And it’s always been about the work we do when no one’s watching. You know, she’s got 2 practices a week officially and then 2 strength and conditioning workouts, and then she’s got Fridays off and then games on the weekends. And I often often will see her doing, you know, stuff in the driveway or working out at our home gym, and it just makes me so proud because I know it’s gonna translate eventually on the court. And I think about that for myself. What am I doing when no one’s looking? Like, if I’m speaking on the stage and I’m feeling super confident or even I want to feel confident.

Miranda [00:03:15]:
Right? So what are what are my goals in business? Well, it’s to write more books, speak on more stages. And stages can be defined as, you know, corporate experiences, workshops. It could be virtual workshops, training on LinkedIn, personal branding. A stage can be defined in so many different ways in the work that I do. And if I wanna be more confident or get more results when I’m on it, it’s not just what I do when I step on the stage. It’s not just the wearing the tutu or being high energy or, you know, selling my next offer or introducing my next opportunity to the audience. It’s really about the work I do before I even get on there. I mean, if we’re gonna rewind the tape, if you will, for me speaking on stage, it’s what do I do right before I get on stage? What do I do that morning? What do I do the night before? All that stuff builds my confidence and gets me prepared to be my best self on stage.

Miranda [00:04:14]:
Even back when I was in corporate America, it wasn’t just the presentation I gave or, you know, I was a recruiter at one point. It wasn’t just about the interviews and calling in the right people. It’s about the content I wrote. It’s about sitting and reflecting about my work experience and what I can say about it to draw someone in. It’s just keep rewinding back and go back and go back and go back, and it really does stem from the work we do when no one’s looking. And so that’s something I’ll ask you. What are your goals for business, for career, for life, for home, for your physical appearance, for anything, whatever you’re working towards? It’s not just about that one thing. It’s about all the things that are gonna lead up to that thing that’s gonna get you there, and it also determines how quickly you get there.

Miranda [00:05:07]:
So my goal immediate goal is to put this book out into the world, own your awesome on LinkedIn. I’m literally about to upload it to Amazon today, so that’ll be exciting. What I had to do to get this book was more than just sit at the computer and write it. I had years years of experience learning LinkedIn, trial and error LinkedIn for myself, for my clients, for companies that I I’ve taught, and refining all the work that I did every single day in order to feel confident enough to put this book out and to know it’s gonna impact anyone who touches it. For me, getting on stage, it’s not just about, you know, wearing the cutest outfit or having the best PowerPoint presentation. It’s about fueling myself properly that morning. It’s about getting enough sleep the night before. It’s about doing my workouts so I have the endurance to go high energy for the entire hour or 90 minutes or 4 hours if I’m doing a half day thing.

Miranda [00:06:07]:
Like, it’s all the stuff we’re doing behind the scenes that actually gets us to where we’re going. So for my 9 to 5 er friends, if you’re in a role that no longer serves you or you’re in a role where you feel you’re ready for the next step, what are you doing behind the scenes? What are you doing outside of your office that’s going to get you to where you wanna be? If you’re not sure what that looks like, I’m happy to have a conversation. DM me on Insta or LinkedIn and say, you know, foundations. I wanna have a conversation about behind the scenes stuff. And it really is about how you’re feeling your mind, how you’re feeling your body, how you’re feeling your spirit, how are you acting energetically, what are you putting out into the world, you know. Are you doing those little things you need to do so it translates to the court, to the stage, to the office, to the boardroom? It’s such an important foundational conversation. So I’ll ask you, what are you doing when no one’s looking? Are you sitting on the couch and watching Netflix? Are you on TikTok for 3 hours a day? Are you constantly being distracted? Do you not even know what you should be doing when no one’s looking? Do you not even know that that’s the thing that’s gonna get you to where you wanna be? Spoiler, it is. So what are you doing when no one’s looking that’s gonna get you to where everyone’s looking, to where they’re looking at you, to where there’s no doubt.

Miranda [00:07:40]:
It’s so obvious that you’re the person for the promotion. You deserve the raise. You’re the one that’s gonna get hired over everyone else. You’re the one that’s gonna get the clients. You’re the one that’s gonna get the book deal. All of things. It’s time we start to figure out where we wanna go, how we’re gonna get there, who we need to support us, and what we’re doing when nobody else is watching, because that’s the thing that’s gonna get you to where you wanna be. Alright, friends.

Miranda [00:08:07]:
Short episode today, but I was feeling it and I had to get it out. So until next week, continue to be awesome. I’ll see you soon.