Elvis Presley Would've Made a Poor President

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for linking the life lessons of the King back to your own future. Today we're going to talk about the other week’s American election. And by the end, even you'll be saying how Elvis, despite his popularity and royal status, could never have made a good president.

So, as most of you probably know (especially you American readers), President Barack Obama made a successful return to office, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Here comes another fours years of stability.

 

And given the hugeness of the American elections, I couldn’t help link the hype up to my favourite American. That's right - Elvis.

Elvis is an American icon. He stood for what American's pride themselves on - sexual energy, charm, fun, strength, a nice smile. He's one of the U.S.'s best beloved citizens.

 

Bu the more I think about it, the more I think he would've sucked as a President.

"But why? If he's the perfect American and the presidency is the summit for a citizen trying to shape his country, surely Elvis would've made a great President."

Well maybe, at first. But after a while it would've all turned sour. I mean, besides the bad press politicians tend to get (which just sucks in selling records and movies), Elvis would've been penne pasta in a bowl of horseshoes.

You see, Elvis was all about change. You can look at any part of his 23 year long career and it would've looked different to the rest. Sure, there are some similarities between certain years, say 1957 and 1958. But take a good look and you'll realise Elvis wasn't the same. He'd augmented his look, his hair, his music, his clothes. He was a constantly changing kaleidoscope of a person. He never did something exactly the same way twice, and that applied to just about everything in his life.

 

Who knows why he was like this. Maybe it was because he was a bit hyperactive (I mean, have you seen him dance?!) and maybe it was because his manager Colonel Parker was always there to push him in a different direction. But, he certainly never sat in the same spot too long.

From a glance, one would think that Elvis's love of change would've made him perfectly suited to the presidency. Heck, isn't change the point of being the country's CEO? Seeing what’s wrong with things and trying to change them for the better?

 

But the more I look at the election and government in general (unless you live in Sierra Leone), the more I see the point of the presidency and government is to create consistency rather than unpredictably, smoothness rather than insanity.

Whatever the new Obama administration does, it will likely not be radical compared to past changes. I mean, the government of the U.S. does move a little - they never used to have healthcare until the last couple years (though, even that was heavily opposed). But most of the time, you'll hear the same things about presidents - some people love 'em for doing one thing or standing for another and the rest hate 'em for not doing something or opposing something else. There will be wars, there will be suffering and who gets blamed? The guy at the top. The CEO. The President.

 

This lack of change to me seems a reflection of the government's role - to represent the people. Most people don't like change; they're set in their ways. They wonder why change is necessary and are scared when it occurs. And, even when it would be in their interest to do something differently, they'll hide from the idea because they're worried about what the end will bring about.

You notice the other thing about most people - they're not rich, they're not famous, they're not happy and they're not successful.

Now, maybe change didn't get Elvis where he was but it helped. Had he not changed, he would've found himself kicked out by his competition long ago. I mean, not too many fifties stars kept charting hits after the Beatles and the British Invasion came along. That is, except the King. He'd changed so drastically between what he had been a decade before and what he was then he was still able to create interest in his name. And, therefore, his career survived.

So, the government is static, Elvis changed. The government represents a largely unhappy group of people, Elvis was successful. Barack Obama may or may not be a good president, Elvis likely wouldn't have.

 

But, whatever the government does, you still have a choice. You can change like Elvis, given the benefits it offered him, or be like an average Joe - and take all that comes with that, too. You can keep reinventing yourself, living your life on the line so whenever people talk to you, you always sparkle like new, or you can do the same thing day in and day out and take the mediocrity that can bring.

You can be a good President, acting similarly term after term, accepting what is, or you can be like Elvis, like the King. And surf the wave of change that he did, the wage of success.

 

Elvis's Lessons:

Elvis Presley probably wouldn't have made a good President. Presidents maintain the status quo, Elvis was constantly in change. But the President reflects the will of the people and most people don't like change either. Neither are they successful. Elvis took change, reinventing himself so his career could survive even when the British Invasion influenced the musical landscape forever.  You can be a good President and stay the same or you can be like the King and change - staying the same is easier but you've got to pay a price for inertia. And those dollars are made of success. The choice is yours.

P.S. Remember to leave a comment below this post or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com to talk about this post. I'd be glad to discuss its content with you.

P.P.S. If you're interested in listening to Elvis from one of his most different movies, here's a Youtube video of him singing “Change of Habit”.

If you like this update, you might also like these other FR.EE Graceland Ontario posts:

• The Elvisian Diamond Jubilee Special 
• Move On When It's Time
• 35 Years Without Elvis (And Why He's So Popular Today) 
• High Expectations
• Elvis, Sir Isaac Brock and the Success Constant 
• He Who Does Not Sympathize, Loses...

They Gave Then, Now It's Your Turn

 

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for connecting the success advice of Elvis Presley back to your own life. With Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the U.S., and with Elvis being a soldier, we're going to talk about service and belief, two traits demonstrated by serving one's country.

To recap the old story, on November 11th 1918, on the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th hour, an armistice was signed ending the Great War, the largest war in human history. After four hard years, it was time to look at the future and rebuilding. But simply forgetting the sacrifice shown in those years was inconceivable, so afterwards people started 'remembering' on ‘armistice day’. Of course, we should thank those who fell all year 'round and we do. But this day gets their full attention. 

Not twenty years after the armistice was signed, the man with the funny moustache and not-so funny ideals took over Germany. The previous armistice had hurt the country much and made their people angry. All it took was one man to chew up all the work done after the war aimed at creating a more peaceful world. He started a war even larger than the first, even more terrifying. By its end, the world had seen atomic weapons and suffered like few people now can imagine.

For years after the end of the second war, countries including the U.S., the U.K. and Australia had mandatory conscription. And, in 1958, Elvis Presley, perhaps the most well known rock star in the world, was called upon to do his time.

And he did. In 1960, he was honourably discharged as a sergeant. It blows my mind how a man of his influence, who could have got out of his service easily, decided to stick with it. To me, it shows traits we should all demonstrate, traits not only Elvis but all those who served before and since him have shown to survive their time in the armed forces.

Service to the community

The first is service to the community. Now, a community can be defined as a group of people anywhere in size from a classroom to a country, including the world as a whole. In a way, it’s a living organism, constantly in flux and impacted by the actions of those making it up.

In Elvis's case, it would've been much easier and perhaps preferable for him to get out of his regular service by performing, as he'd done before entering the army. Elvis had a public service type of job to start with and many might have excused his swimming away from his draft because of this. But Elvis decided to support his country the way all young Americans at that time did − by serving.

A lot of people fall into the trap of dieing behind their front door. In other words, they never do anything outside their own home unless someone forces them to do it - like going out to get groceries or work. They cut themselves off from not only society but also their neighbours. The lack of bond between them and everyone they live by destroys the dynamic of their neighbourhood - a real community survives by caring for one another, by love. Pogoing away from this excludes them from being a real part of the body.

But soldiers, they go all out. They not only become part of the community, they leave their homes to meet citizens from all over the country, the larger community. And they do this, in Elvis's case anyways, to do their part in making their country a safer place. He was being paid chocolate almonds compared to what he'd been getting on stage, but by serving he got a feeling that he'd helped a little and acted on the same level as all his fans (and, as a side note, they were impressed with him for it).

You don't have to serve in the army to serve your community. There's always volunteer work to be done. But a lot of people say, 'why should I have to do that if I'm not being paid?"

In short, because it boosts your confidence. You feel you're capable of making a change. You make connections that can move over into your business life. You give of yourself to others who can't give themselves. And because of that, you're increasing the quality of life for everyone in the community. And remember what I said about the community being an organism? The better the community is, the better everyone in the community is. And that includes you.

And besides, if Elvis and all those millions of people who served in the wars and beyond could give of their time and lives for others, why shouldn't you?

 

Belief in the future

Whenever someone serves in the army, it shows a belief in what their community and to a larger extent their country, the places that make up that army, stand for. A lot of people point out the wrongs the government does against its people. And it’s true. Heck, the propaganda thrown up at people during the Great War was bordering on being a full out lie at times.

But those who did fight did it for the people at home. The ones they loved and oftentimes lost.

To last in the worst of conditions, you have to fight for something. Sometimes for yourself but, for me anyways, it's easier to motivate myself by believing I'm doing something great for others. That belief alone can get me through the job.

Elvis and the veterans of the wars had to think they were giving their lives for something worthwhile. You don't just walk up in front of machine gun otherwise (unless you're severely depressed and I'd guess at least some of people who die in action aren't).

That belief in the future, in those around you, in your neighbours is something that is often forgot now, at least in my neighbourhood. With social media, we're closer than ever and there're more of us than at any other time. Yet, we don't tend to believe in the future and those around us.  People don't take care of themselves and the world because they feel they won't be here long enough for it to matter. That selfish kind of thinking damages everything and everyone.

You show belief in others through acting with kindness (as Elvis did), through smiling (yep, Elvis did that, too), by joking around and having a good time with others (umm yea, Elvis did that as well). You show belief in others by serving them, which makes them feel like a freshly polished dress shoe. And because they're happy, you feel even better. And if the point of living isn't to feel happy and have a good life, then I don't know what is.

Have a great Remembrance/ Veterans Day and see you next week! And if you are a veteran from ANY conflict, serving any nation, let me take this sentence and post to thank you for all you did. It took guts and I, as well as anyone with an inch of gratitude, am moved by your actions.

Elvis's Lessons:

Elvis was a soldier. In the spirit of Remembrance Day, we talked about a couple of the most noble traits of the soldier: giving to the community and believing in the future. When you follow these traits, you create a greater community feeling which make everyone feel happier. And since one of the main goals of living is to be happy, it seems like a good deal for everyone involved.

P.S. If you'd like to see Elvis singing a hit that came out while he was in the army, here's a Youtube video of him with “I Need Your Love Tonight”.

P.P.S. Please remember to leave a comment below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com. I'd be glad to talk with you about anything that's on your mind.

If you like this post, you might also like these other Graceland Ontario posts:

• Service Pays Dividends
• Elvis and the Photographer: A Story of Gratitude
• The July 4th Special (Or July 1st for Us Canadians…)
• Give Back
• Doing All You Can
• Elvis Presley meets Usain Bolt: Do You Use THIS the Way They Do?

Your Life Is a Jagged Line

 

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location in linking the success lessons of Elvis Presley back to your own life. Today, we’ll be talking about those ups and downs, the jagged lines, which tend to surface in all our lives and how best to deal with them.

If you look at your productivity in the short term, you’re looking at a jagged line. Some days you do well, others poorly. Sometimes you’re inspired, others you don’t know where to start. But, that doesn’t really matter. We all lose a little loss once in a while. All that matters is the long term.

 

At my blog, Graceland Ontario (yep, that’s right − here), the day to day views are scattered − I’ve seen 49 views a day and as few as zero, even now it’s more established. But, the long term is all that matters, and it shows a very different picture. As long as you produce as much as you can everyday, you can look at a steady increase. Despite all those jagged lines Graceland Ontario in the long term has been growing exponentially. And this type of growth is everywhere, it’s a pattern, and therefore it’s useful to watch out for.

Look at friends − you gain one here, you lose one there. You meet somebody at the bus stop, someone’s killed in a car accident. It’s another jagged line. But as long as you continue to meet people, you’re going to see it steady out in the long term and you’ll eventually have more friends than you’ll lose − you’ll create a steady gain over time.

Now, let’s move back to Elvis Presley, particularly his early chart successes.

 

Elvis started from nothing in the early mid-50’s at Sun. But by 1955, he’d become one of their biggest names. In late 1955, he was sold to RCA for more than anyone else in the business, including Sinatra, was worth. Then, in ’56 he’d flunked in Las Vegas and brought out Heartbreak Hotel, which’s different sound made RCA think they’d bought an expensive flop. More jagged lines. But overall, his RCA LP, Elvis Presley, was a major success. Soon enough he wasn’t only a big music star, he was also topping in the movies. And that’s not mentioning all the times he ended up on television in that 1956, alone! Whether you look at his Hollywood career or his passage into Las Vegas, you can still see those jagged lines. But even when he lost something, he gained something else − his marriage broke up, but he played the first International concert. He had his last top 10 hit, but he broke records in Vegas. All those jagged lines, those ups and downs, built up overall, like my blog, Graceland Ontario, like your friend count. So, when Elvis passed away in 1977, many people looked back at a successful career despite the criticism he received over more jagged lines (his increased weight).

 

As in the stock market, it's very hard to only gain. You tend to lose a little over time. The key is not to worry about it but enjoy those descents. You know everything that goes down will come up again when you’re doing a half decent job (notice I say when you’re doing a half decent job − can’t always speak for the stock market, though). What ever anybody else says, those jagged lines aren’t down to stay. They’ll work their way up again, and you’ll make all the people who said they wouldn’t and freaked out at the first sign of a downturn look like idiots. And then, in years to come, when you’ve put in the best work you can and consistently attempted to make those jagged lines change, you’ll look only at a gradual climb. Those jagged lines add up to a mountain with persistence. And, as David Deangelo says, Persistence is the price of success.

 

Elvis’s Lessons:

Your life is full of jagged lines. It’s not your fault, they’re just there. But, it’s ok − they’re in my blog, too, and most people’s friend counts, and Elvis’s career. They tell you despite what you gain, you’ll probably lose along the way, too. Again, relax. As long as you continue to work, moving forward, those jagged lines will work their way up again, too. Even when others freak out and say they won’t, they will. They do for me, they did for Elvis, they will for you. Persistence will get you over the bumps those jagged lines make. And then, in the future, when you look back, all you’ll see is a steady incline. That’s a successful life, my friend, not a fairy tale.

P.S. If you’d like to see Elvis singing, here’s a Youtube video of him with “ Datin’ ” from the movie, Paradise, Hawaiian Style. I’d never heard this one before…

P.P.S. If you liked this post (or if you *gasp* didn’t), remember to leave a comment below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com. I’d be glad to reply to whatever you have to say (unless you start spouting Nazi propaganda on me… but then again, you probably won’t).

If you liked this post, you might also like these other FR.EE Graceland Ontario updates:

• The Time Trap
• Strange And Wonderful Things 
• Accept it How It Is
• Traits of the Superhero 
• Doing All You Can

Life's a Haunted House and We're all In It

Hellooo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario! Your one stop location for connecting the success lessons of Elvis Presley back to your own life. Today, we're finishing our Halloween series with a post about haunted houses, and how they're kinda like life in general.

So, I've had the pleasure to participate in the running of several haunted houses over the years, namely the ones held by my Scout group. The haunted house is not an overnight undertaking - it takes plenty of people to make it work. And even if the people who organize it know how things are meant to go, that doesn't mean diddly squat if the actors don't know what's up. And even if the actors are good, when the people running the effects, lights and sounds are up a different tree, the extra punch is lost. And you need all the punch you can get in a haunted house - plenty of people come to rip apart what you've done and criticize you. Others keep telling themselves it's all fake, thereby destroying the fun of being scared in the setting. And for the people behind the scenes, nothing beats seeing scared customers. I mean, it's even better than the happy and supportive guests.

You built a haunted house to scare people, and when it fulfills that purpose and freaks others out, you've completed your goal. You were successful and the plan worked the way it should, thanks to the perfect cooperation of your staff.

  

This whole scenario reminds me of Elvis: Elvis also had a show to put on. Unlike the goal of the haunted house − to scare people − Elvis's goal was to reach people at a deep level, a doctor of voice. The goal was to get inside his audience’s heart and improve whatever he found there with the songs he sang.

And like a haunted house, there were people there who probably shouldn't have come out − the ones who came to make fun of him, to look at him from 'an objective standpoint', who listened because they wanted to be trendy. The show had to blow peoples’s minds or Elvis's goal of reaching people at that deep level wouldn't be realised. And all the while, he'd be taking abuse for every error he made along the way.

Elvis couldn't take care of all the details. He probably wasn't as professional in all areas as some his staff were. And even if he was, you can't mix yourself when you're singing to 10,000 people. The simple truth is you need a team. And not just any, out of the dryer team. You need people who work together darn well and stand by you, whatever happens.

I remember writing a post sometime ago about people working together in unity to make a better whole - the importance of the team. Well, here we go again... the haunted house would not be possible without the group. All the people being in the right place, the sound people, the guide, the actors - they're all kernels in the bag of popcorn, and only when they're popped in the right bag, at the right temperature, in the right microwave will someone want to eat them. It takes someone to put together that bag, that team. And, as the bad guy in all the old kid's cartoons said, "You can't trust anyone but yourself".

What?

Didn't I just say you have to make a team… but it's up to you because you can only trust yourself? Well, yes. But initiative is a funny thing. Just because people do a good job working jointly doesn't mean they would’ve worked collectively had someone not put them together. Every project, every team, needs a mayor to cut the ribbon, the driver to give the ticket, the suitor to pop the champagne. Someone has to start things going. And when you're the one with the idea and the plan and you dream about it every night and know what you want, it's gotta be you! No one else will do it, and even if they try, they'll never do it the way you do, the best. It's like one of those 30's Busby Berkeley movies with all the girls following the brass band choreography - sure someone else could have thought of it, marching bands have been going for millennia, but it took Barkley to do it right. And no one else will ever do it the same. Hitchcock? Same thing. Suspense is an old genre still created to this day, but no one stands near Hitchcock's silhouette when it comes to creating it.

Life can move you or you can move it, depending on your disposition. The teams are there, but you’ve got to bring them together or never at all. And once they’re one, you’ve got to lead them or watch your dream disappear.

 

In short, going back to the popcorn metaphor, you've gotta be the microwave, too − the guy who gets things going. I mean, those kernels would sit in a bag forever, untouched. It's the microwave who's the leader, the person who makes it all work. Elvis was that person in his group - there was no doubting who was the King and who called the shots. Perhaps it's time you became the King of your little group. You can be nice-ish about it, just make sure you're getting your say in. And if you need any help with that, check out the Dale Carnegie classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. It will go a long way in improving your persuasion and social skills. But, that post will have to wait to another day, in a month where orange and black aren’t the colours of state and witches and vampires don't rule in a land of never ceasing darkness and treats.

 

Elvis's Lessons:

Elvis and a haunted house bear similarity (as insulting as that sounds). You need a team to make it all happen. But that's not all - you need that team to work together so things are going flawlessly. Moving to my popcorn metaphor (so proud I thought that one up), you're the person with the initiative to put together the raw materials (bag, kernels), your team, and also the microwave who cooks things (leads) so they pop just right. But remember, no one likes being bossed about. Keep a persuasive attitude - and if you need help with that, check out the Dale Carnegie classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People − that should get you fixed up in no time…

Thanks for reading, Happy Halloween, and see you in November!

 

P.S. If this post got you ticking (in a good or bad way), leave a comment below or at my email at alexghilson@gmail.com and I'll give you a reply as soon as I can.

P.P.S. If you're interested in hearing some Halloween Elvis, check out this Youtube video of Elvis singing “Night Rider”.

If you like this post, you may also like these other FR.EE Graceland Ontario posts:

• What You Have in Common with a Teenage Girl
• The Witches's Marketing Secret
• Alice Cooper Knows How to Live Life Better than Most Celebrities: Know Why?
• Elvis's Olympic Team
• They're Exceptional − And YOU Can Be, Too!
• Elvis Presley meets Usain Bolt: Do You Use THIS the Way They Do?

What You Have in Common with a Teenage Girl

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario for another week of learning from the success lessons of the King of Rock 'n' Roll so as to better your life. Today, we'll be returning to our Halloween series and entertaining the ever important topic of fear.

So, to start off, I have a story to tell you. It involves a friend of mine some time back. And though I'm sure she will look less favourable through its telling, I can assure you she is as good as any friend who's ever walked the straits of our world. Funnily enough, you'll find my teenage friend and you probably have a lot in common.

When this event occurred, my friend had recently broken up with a boyfriend she’d been close to but life hadn't gone well with. In the short time she and him had been apart, he continued to call her and attempt contact to possibly patch things up. She didn't want to get back together with him but his attempts kept him in her doll house. Around the same time, she'd met a fella at the college she was going to who she liked. He had future prospects and listened better than her ex ever had.
 

So, this night we were together with some other friends at a party. Unfortunately, this girl had drunk a bit more than she probably should have. In her stupor, she decided to contact her new college friend. But however hard she tried, he didn't answer. She continued attempting but his lack of reply made her feel worse. Then, she started mulling over her ex and thinking about how bad things were − maybe she should go back to him because he was obviously trying and this fella, though she liked him more, wouldn't answer when she needed him. Of course, she was overlooking one detail.

It was 3 o'clock in the morning.

Heck, his lack of reply was probably brought about by bedtime. Or, at the very worst, associating with other friends, giving them the respect they deserved at some other party elsewhere − somewhere where he didn't have a phone or where it was turned off. Her fear of his never getting back to her and being left were likely crass. Yet, her lack of knowing still fanned fear within her, a fear that prevented her from acting. And that same fear stops perhaps billions of people from accomplishing what they want to do most.

Looking at Elvis, this lack of knowledge likely scared him, too. I mean, he was a Rock singer back in the fifties... man, that had to be the most unstable job in the world! Think about it, besides the fickleness of fame in itself, he risked the possibility of injury to either his voice or body (either one possibly destroying his career). And then, to top it all off, he had all these reporters asking him what would happen to the world if Rock 'n' Roll was a fad and it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, effectively ending his career. He had a lot to worry about. 

But, did he? Who knows. Yet, whether he had these fears or not, he didn't let them paralyze him. He still recorded tracks - he even went into the army and surmounted a comeback on his discharge. In fact, had he feared his chances of a continued career, he might’ve procrastinated, not recorded those tracks, not tried the comeback and never done anything again. His fear of losing could’ve stopped him from acting, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy where he did lose.

The difference, the sole difference, between his actions and my friend’s were, despite the possibility of truth in her college friend going off with other girls in her absence, Elvis accepted the truth and kept moving. Whatever fear was there, this fear of the unknown, he turned it into background noise and continued doing what he could - making songs. A breakdown brought about by fear, like what happened in my friend’s case, could have only worsened the situation. He and those around him made sure they were never too absorbed by the possibility of disaster. Sure it's there, but whether you fear it or not it can happen anyways. The only intelligent way to handle fear is to acknowledge it and move on.

And this is what you must do. At this time of year, people focus on ghouls and goblins (Green Goblin from Spiderman, anyone?), fearing those creatures. But fear is not a once a year emotion - it can happen anytime. And what scares us far more than any vampire is the possibility of being fired, of losing our spouse, of sickness, of famine, of war, of foreclosure; worries so far away yet so close to us all. And that gives us the shivers.

But despite the unknown and your fear of it, you can only do what you can do. Accept it, and move on. You're at a crossroads, you can either act like my friend − breakdown on a couch over fear of something happening − or you can act like Elvis, understand the fear, and then do everything you can to fight it. Only then will you manage this spirit of the season; only then will be able to make progress in all areas of your life.

Elvis's Lessons:

You can only do what you can do; my friend, scared of the possibility she might be in this world unloved, broke down on a couch over possibly nothing. Elvis on the other hand, with an uncertain job and life ahead of him, managed to keep going. His secret? Acknowledge your fears and keep moving. When you let your fears paralyze you, you won't make any more progress and you’ll increase the likelihood of your fears coming true. Moving on is the only way to fight your fear AND accomplish great acts. You're at the crossroads, and it's your choice which way your walk.

See you next week for more Graceland Ontario Halloween fun! Can't wait!!! 

P.S.  Remember to leave a comment... I'd love to hear what you think about my work and also hear your experiences of Halloween, Elvis or simply success. And, as an added bonus, you can guarantee I'll reply to you - so keep to your best spelling!

P.P.S. If you're interested in seeing Elvis singing ‘Johnny B Goode” in a rare video from 1975, here's a Youtube video of it. Cheers!

If you liked this post, you may also like these other FREE writings from Graceland Ontario:

• Violence on the Roads: A Lack of Humanity

• Alice Cooper Knows How to Live Life Better than Most Celebrities: Know Why?

• The Witches's Marketing Secret

• The Only Guarantee

• The Time Trap

• Move On When It's Time

• Bruno Mars Learnt from Elvis... Why Wouldn't You?

• Getting Others to Believe in You (the Elvis Way)

The Witches's Marketing Secret

 

 

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to another week at Graceland Ontario, where you research the success lessons of Elvis Presley so to better YOUR life. Today, as promised, we're going to dive straight into our Halloween series with our second October post, symbolism and marketing at Halloween.

 

Now, for anyone, one of the big rules of winning boils down to this: 'You ain’t nothing if you ain’t marketable'. I mean, it's true. Whether you're a big corporation like Wal-Mart or McDonald's with your trademarks, a band with your emblem or simply an individual, like Elvis, with sideburns and a jumpsuit, symbols are the way you get across; everyone who's successful has some trademarks. Maybe not intentionally, people just noticed them overtime and attributed them as trademarks of a person or company, like linking the way someone does their hair to a person. But once they've become that person's trademark, the person gets linked up when someone mentions it. It's like in my country of Canada we have this politician, the son of one of our notable Prime ministers, called Justin Trudeau. He, like me, has curly brown hair and is relatively young and handsome. So, when people see my handsome face, they say 'you look just like Justin Trudeau!' Trudeau's coined those trademarks as his own, largely unintentionally, yet even I, as a regular guy, become advertising for him. And that's why people have trademarks - to remind others of who they are. And, better yet, to use those trademarks to make money.

 

Let's look at Halloween. Items like Jack O Lanterns, witches, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, graveyards, etc. make Halloween a store owner's dream. And the best part − those symbols, trademarks of the season, can be added to essentially anything (like how the MGM film The Wizard of Oz starred the Wicked Witch of the West). Bedding, clothes, movies, food… you name it and a symbol, when distinctive enough, can be supplemented. People see those symbols and it reminds them what time of year it is. And then, they spend money on it. Unfortunately for everyone who creates Halloween stuff, there isn't one sole copyright holder for all those items - a lot of the ideas are public domain so anyone can make money off it. If, on the other hand, one person holds the rights for all of it, like Warner Brothers does for everything based off the movie Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, that one company (Warner Brothers in Casablanca's case, or Elvis Presley Enterprises for Elvis) makes a fortune off merchandise and books. It doesn't take much either - simply a likeness to Humphrey Bogart could become fair game for a lawsuit. For Warner Brothers and other film and music companies, trademarks are a goldmine others often never see.

 

Elvis had the same thing − a brand and trademarks. The poses, the jumpsuit, the hair, the sideburns can be added to anything to move it from a plain piece of nothingness, sold bottom price at any street market, to an Elvis item. Get official permission from Elvis Presley Enterprises and you can charge top dollar for your ‘Official’ Elvis Presley merchandise (all royalties being paid to EP Enterprises). The symbols and stances, the looks and logos Elvis created during his lifetime might make more money now than even his music does. Music has to be listened to and enjoyed depending on a person's taste - anyone can buy a cool Elvis clock.

 

And besides, people feel a likeness with a symbol. Sure, you've never bought an Elvis clock before or a Jack o' Lantern and you might have been apprehensive if a vacuum salesman had tried to sell you a cut-price cleaner at your door. But when you see something familiar, with a Halloween symbol or, perhaps, Elvis symbol, your guard goes down a bit. You were brought up with this, like Christmas pudding, and despite your unfamiliarity with the brand, it looks and reminds you of something you had in the past, something safe. And your security, false as it might be but brought about by the packaging of a product, might lead to a sale you'd never have been pushed into had it been plain.

 

So, what's the point?

Get with the season! Halloween and Elvis are only two of a billion different examples of how symbols can be used to make money. The symbols can be used to create merchandise for your particular brand, or a brand you want to use on your work (make sure you've got the copyright owner's permission... you don't need any Warner Brothers pattern lawsuits on your back). Also, the addition of a symbol, when familiar to a customer, can lower a customer's apprehension about a product. They recognize the symbol and therefore feel a little closer to the product than if it had been blank and from a random company. 

 

And if you don't have any symbols, any witches to paste on, this would be a great time to start designing some. The symbols you create now can be used forever and create a common thread among all your work. Even when others use your symbols (as they use Elvis’s logos), they’ll have to pay you for the rights. Then, as you build up a customer base (if you don't already have one), people start getting attached to your brand. They feel they're part of something, like Elvis fans do when they visit the real Graceland. And when people start feeling they're part of something, they get the old family security feeling. And people who feel secure are more likely to pay you for it. Nice!.

 

Elvis's Lessons:

Both Halloween and Elvis use symbols to get people to recognize them. The recognition makes them less apprehensive about buying because they feel a familiarity with the product - not because of the ACTUAL product but because of the symbols on it. The less apprehensive they are about buying, the easier it is to sell your product to them. Besides, when these symbols are licensed to you, as all Elvis's symbols are licensed to Elvis Presley Enterprises, you stand the chance of making royalties even when someone else makes something but sticks your face on it. Furthermore, it's free advertising every time someone recognizes someone else's work looking like yours. They say, "hey that looks like a *whatever*" and your name spreads all the more. Symbolism is important for marketing at Halloween. It's important for the people at EP Enterprises. Perhaps it's time for it to become more important to YOU.

P.S. Leave a comment, if you dare! Just kidding - love to hear what your opinions on this post are.

P.P.S. If you're interesting in seeing some witches, here's a Youtube link to the famous scene in Shakespeare's Macbeth when the witches brew up trouble. 

If you liked this post, you might also like these other FR.EE Graceland Ontario posts:

• Alice Cooper Knows How to Live Life Better than Most Celebrities: Know Why?

• Violence on the Roads: A Lack of Humanity

• The July 4th Special (Or July 1st for Us Canadians…

• "Image Scrimmage"

• Learn from Elvis, Learn from a Superhero

Alice Cooper Knows How to Live Life Better than Most Celebrities: Know Why?

 

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for learning the success lessons of the King of Rock 'n' Roll and seeing how to implement them into your life. This is part of our Halloween series. Perhaps not the most scary but, because of Alice Cooper’s reputation and act, I think it’ll fit in nicely.

Today, we'll do what we don't usually, look at one of the negative sides of Elvis's life and see how you can learn from it. Today, we'll be talking about too much isolation.

In his autobiography, Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict, Alice Cooper says he met Elvis after a show and found it sad he was so isolated. Apparently the King presented Cooper his most prized possession − a police report about Elvis defending himself against these fellas who were taunting him.  Given Elvis's expertise in Karate, he made minced meat of them.  Impressive. But to Cooper it said Elvis had no opportunity to show his own worth and take care of himself. Even in the given incident, Elvis's bodyguards had been standing behind him. If he hadn't told them to let him handle it, they would have taken the other guys. But Elvis wanted to stand up for himself once. 

 

Later, Cooper met Elvis when the snake charmer was training for a tour, but Elvis’s bodyguards pulled Elvis's head back in the car before Cooper and the King could get into a conversation. Cooper wanted to help Elvis but couldn't find a way to reach him - he was too far gone.

 

Because of Elvis's popularity and worth, his bodyguards (often members of the Memphis Mafia and friends on his payroll) all had a personal stake in keeping the King happy. After all, anything happened to him and they were out of a job. Besides, they'd lost a good friend. So, to keep him safe, they kept him isolated. He couldn't get hurt because he had no way of getting out of his persona - like real royalty, he was constantly under watch. And, as a result, any risks, whether that meant going for a ride in his car or having a night with his wife in some foreign state were out of the question. Even when Elvis was alone, he wasn't. There was someone outside his door. A guard holding the key. And, in a way, Elvis was a prisoner.

Cooper also mentions that he never wanted to be that successful - he loved his freedom and felt Elvis had become so big he'd lost that.

So, what does this mean? However successful you become, however great you are, prize your freedom above any other treasure, any position, any opportunity. Always allow the possibility of shutting down for a while. It's not a bad thing to be rich or famous, but you've got to still be you underneath it all. Otherwise, you'll turn into a prisoner. Isolation for a bit is relaxing. Permanent isolation because you're too valuable is a curse.

So, if and when you need people watching out for your safety, make sure you've still got places to go to disconnect from all the celebrity. A personal library, a private room where you're allowed to be you. Because if you don't preserve some element of the independence you were born into, you'll get into a position where others do everything for you; where you have to ask to live your life like you're some sort of kid, where you have to ask your bodyguards whether you can defend yourself. Though it may be hard to believe now, the more valuable you become the more you’ll mean to others. And they, like Elvis’s Memphis Mafia, will become indebted to you for their careers. They can’t afford you to get hurt so they’ll be careful to make sure you never get into a situation where you could be hurt. They’ll even condemn you to a life of loneliness if it means you’ll be safe so you can provide for them. No person deserves that sort of isolation from living their life. Remember, striving for success is about subsisting life at a greater level, not becoming prisoner to your accomplishments and a stranger to living.

 

Elvis’s Lessons:

In Alice Cooper's autobiography, Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict, Cooper recalls a couple experiences meeting Elvis. Both times he felt sorry for him because he was so successful and valuable, he didn't have his own life; he was so valuable to his bodyguards, he was isolated by them. As you become more successful and do greater things, remember to remain in control of your life, not a victim of your success. After all, you're working to improve your life, not cut yourself off from it.

P.S. Remember to leave a comment or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com to discuss the content of my posts. I don’t bite and I love a good conversation.

P.P.S. Due to the content of this week’s post, here’s a link to Alice Cooper singing "Poison" on Youtube. Enjoy!!!

If this post interested you, so might these other Graceland Ontario Posts:

• Violence on the Roads: A Lack of Humanity 
• The July 4th Special (Or July 1st for Us Canadians…) 
• Move On When It's Time
• So, When You Say Growth, You Mean Height… Right?
• "Image Scrimmage"