If you’ve been following me on social media in the past 2 years (probably because I inappropriately “friended” you) you have probably heard me talking about “The Bulu Crew” and what we’re doing at Bulu Box amidst the various ramblings of a highly-over-caffeinated entrepreneur. Thanks to my social marketing networking skills I’ve caught myself beating the drum about a range of topics here in the Silicon Prairie.
So, right now I’m writing to tell you how we can band together to bang the drum AKA #BangTheDrum together to elevate the Midwestern Startup scene to rival that of the rest of the nation…as some brilliant people in Omaha would say “We Don’t Coast” (soooo much better than “Nebraska Nice” IMO).
#BangTheDrum is a fancy way to say promotion. Letting the world know that you, your people and company are doing things. Did your company win an award? Was your product or company featured somewhere? Did your marketing team create something inspiring? #BangTheDrum – Tell the world. It can be as simple as a Facebook post sharing you and your team’s accomplishment.
The world is not apathetic to your accomplishments
#BangTheDrum is the rally cry that I believe as a Startup community we are missing, but it’s an easy fix! If we don’t stand up together and promote the accomplishments of our businesses, teams and community, we’ll lag behind by the other cities who are banging their drums louder.
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It’s that easy – or at least it should be. I’ve learned from talking with other entrepreneurs that banging the drum is sometimes confused with arrogance. There is a fear of coming across as egotistical.
Moreover, many entrepreneurs work from the mistaken belief that the rest of the world is apathetic to your accomplishments— but guess what? Someone reading this is sitting at their desk dying to leave their corporate job and is dying to work at your startup…or better yet, they just need one more push to take the entrepreneurial leap. Let those people know you exist, and they can do it too!
Drum silence prevents us from elevating ourselves and our companies, and it prevents us from nurturing the booming startup community in the Midwest. Being humble and self-promoting are not mutually exclusive activities. Banging the drum isn’t arrogance – it’s good momentum for the community.
#BangTheDrum is one of the most important things we can do as a Startup community and one simple thing we can do to help each other. Share on Facebook, Retweet on Twitter, Pin, Instagram whatever you use – use it for good! Toe the line of arrogance and the #HumbleBrag, it’s okay.
#BangTheDrum isn’t about you
If it makes you feel uncomfortable to promote your and/or your accomplishments, just remember it isn’t about just you anymore. When you created a business, you took on a responsibility to your team, your investors and community. I REPEAT, it’s not about just you anymore – it’s about your new responsibility to stand up and beat the drum for everyone else. Bring the community UP!
One drum isn’t loud enough to break through. It takes the whole community banging in concert to make it happen. Where the Midwest as a startup community can gain our advantage is by all banging our drums together. We need to help each other to grow by holding each other up, not stepping on each other. Promoting our startups, entrepreneurs, resources and our own ventures only helps us become one voice that will be heard beyond the Midwest.
Collectively, we have potential to rival the coasts (there I said it). Incredible companies like opendorse, Travefy, Social Assurance, Nobl, MultiMechanics, InjurReplay, PaySAFE and Hero are just a handful of awesome companies in Nebraska we need to be talking about more. Not to mention all the other killer “startupy-stuff” in the Midwest like Pipeline, NMotion, StraightShot, Interface, Omaha Code School and Turbine Flats!
There are so many incredible things happening right here, right now…we’re revolutionizing, building, and creating the future. Let the world know that progress is happening right here in Nebraska, in the Midwest…it excites the community, it gives your team the recognition they deserve and challenges the rest of us to be better.
Paul Jarrett is the co-founder of Bulu Box, which helps customers realize their healthy living and weight loss goals and connects brands to qualified consumers through data-driven sampling and ecommerce technology. Paul is no stranger to vitamins and supplements. He used supplements to help him become a 307lb D1 starting defensive lineman in the Big 12, then lose over 100 pounds when his playing days were over. Paul has helped launch million dollar brands, and executed campaigns for Lowe’s and Nike. In 2010, Paul joined Complete Nutrition where he built the marketing and communications department and positioned Complete Nutrition for success in a saturated market. The company became one of the fastest growing startups in the country.
Paul would like to give props to Marcus Quevedo & Mariah Nimmich for help with this article.
