What the Oscars Taught Me About Business


About the only time losing is more fun than winning is when you’re fighting temptation. ~Tom Wilson

The 2010 awards season has just ended – and the campaigning for the 2011 season has just begun! I believe you can learn business tips from just about anything. Here’s a few thoughts on this year’s Academy Awards© program:

  • Enjoy your blessings! This year’s running gag was a glum George Clooney, seated next to his gorgeous Italian girlfriend, surrounded by his adoring peers. The joke of course, was that if you’re blessed with looks and talent like Clooney, every day should be a picnic. There’s always something to be happy about!
  • Looks can be deceiving. Best Actress Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe, who played the title role of an overweight, depressed teen mom in the movie Precious, was said to be pigeonholed by her looks and thus unlikely to work in Hollywood again.  At this writing, she has now signed for both her next movie and a TV role. In business, things are not always a difficult as they seem – or as others make them out to be.
  • An “ugly” win is still a win. Mo’Nique snagged the Best Supporting Oscar© for her star turn as monster mom Mary Jones in the movie Precious. Sometimes you have to plow your way through ugly seasons to secure success.
  • It’s always good to have some “angels” looking out for you. Precious benefitted from a major PR bump when executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry joining their considerable forces to promote the film. While “swimming with the sharks,” be sure to reach for every life jacket you’re offered.
  • Everyone deserves a chance to shine! This year’s “Kanye” moment occurred when one director bum-rushed the stage and interrupted her former partner’s acceptance speech. Never forget – there’s enough abundance for everyone.  
  • Nice guys do finish first sometimes. After assuming the “America’s Sweetheart” mantle from Julia Roberts, romantic comedy queen Sandra Bullock switched genres to star in the football movie with a message, The Blind Side. She was rewarded with the Best Actress Oscar© as a result. Don’t be afraid to change things up. You may be pleasantly surprised.
  • Everybody loves a good “David vs. Goliath” story. Kathryn Bigelow won over several relative newcomers and veteran director James Cameron of Avatar and Titanic fame to become the first woman to win Best Director in Oscar© history. The fact that Cameron is her ex-husband just *might* make her win that much sweeter.

Thoughts? What else can you learn from watching awards shows? What’s your favorite?

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