What I Learnt About The Oscars And The Olympics
Nov 27, 2019
I've heard the Stevie Awards referred to as the Oscars for business owners and entrepreneurs.
The gold trophies have a similarity to the Oscar trophies and the hype around it when you're involved as a finalist feels like, I imagine, the Oscars feel like.
Once you've made it to the finalists, the excitement mounts as the award ceremony day draws closer and closer. Then the day finally arrives and it's time to dress up for the event; you know the drill, hair, makeup, and a pretty outfit that is on-brand for your business.
You can feel the excitement and nervous energy at the pre-event networking event before the doors are opened to the ballroom where the ceremony takes place. Tables are beautifully laid out, the room decked out, and a yummy meal to tuck into before the ceremony itself.
The ceremony kicks off and having looked at the order for the night, I find myself in the sixth category from the start. Tension mounts, nerves kick in and I'm listening to the award announcements whilst at the same time madly trying to remember my acceptance speech...
Then my category announcement arrives. I'm on tenterhooks. Will my name be called up as the winner of the Gold Stevie? I'm concentrating solely on the announcer, ignoring the people at the table with me and then a name is announced. It's not mine.
Disappointment washes over me and I do my best to look on the bright side.
I'm a finalist, after all!
With 1500 applications over 90 categories, on average that's a 1 in 17 chance of getting the gold.
So, whilst I've missed out on the gold, my mind then thinks, perhaps silver?
A few minutes later, I'm presented at the table with my award. It's bronze. And tears well up in my eyes. Yes, I'm bitterly disappointed. I'm highly competitive and I wanted to win the Gold!
As the night wears on, and the awards are announced, there are celebrations at our table for a couple of Gold winners, there are some silver awards too and more bronzes. Seems like each one of us was gunning for Gold. The mood shifts from excitement for the gold winners, to
disappointment on the faces of those who find themselves with a silver or bronze medal instead.
My second nomination is about 6 categories from the end. As it gets closer, I think to myself, I still want that Gold statue, but I'd be ok with silver. Above all else, I don't want another bronze.
It's time again and I'm focused on the announcer when she announces the first finalist in the category from outside the USA for a bronze award, Amanda. I stand up, knowing that I've got to give my acceptance speech, but then I hear the next word from the announcer and it isn't Fisher, it's something else.
My mind kicks into gear and I abruptly sit down, realising that she's announcing someone else for the bronze not me. Feeling a bit silly and seeing the funny side of it, it breaks the tension for me as I await the next announcement.
My hopes kick up a gear. Maybe I will get gold or silver. After the other Amanda has delivered her speech and been ushered off the stage, I'm focused again on the announcer and this time she refers to the winner having travelled from a long way away and I know for sure she's talking about me.
Then she announces my name and Silver, I don't remember which came first, but I'm up off my chair, again, and pumping the air with my fist with an ecstatic, "yes, yes, yes"!
Then I'm on stage and desperately trying to remember what I was going to say in my 30-second acceptance speech! It was over so quickly. I'm ushered off stage to the media centre where I'll be interviewed.
Back home, my husband, my sister, my business manager, and a business colleague are watching the awards through the live stream. As I'm waiting for my interview, the messages come through and the full force of what I've achieved hits home. Emotions wash over me, tears well in my eyes again.
This time, the happy tears.
Once my media interview was finished, the whole event was over as there were just those few other categories after mine. So there wasn't any time for me to sit in the ambiance of the room and take it in.
As the next couple of days past, and I flew back home, I pondered the experience, the emotions, the achievements and realised that whilst the Stevies may be the Oscars of business, they are also the Olympics.
And just like every Olympian, what you don't see is the blood, sweat and tears, the learning, practicing, doing, getting knocked down, picking up the pieces, re-grouping, pivoting, changing, trial and error, and getting up every day striving to be the best.
There are years if not decades of work and learning behind these awards.
As I said earlier, I'm competitive, so I'll be back another year to go for Gold and one day, perhaps, I'll achieve that.
But for now, I'm proud to say that I came home with one silver and two bronze medals and I feel like I've been to the Oscars and the Olympics.
I'm the 2019:
- Silver Woman of the Year - Business Services - in the Stevie Women in Business Awards
I also received Bronze Awards for:
- Best New Product or Service of the Year - Business Services - in the Stevie Women in Business Awards
- Entrepreneur of the Year - Business and Professionals Services - in the Stevie International Business Awards
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