The Whisperer
September 12th, 2020
Starring: Moderator, Entrepreneur (20’s), Mogul (40-50)
An exclusive live interview event, maybe at a convention. On the stage, Moderator sits across from Mogul, an eccentric influencer media-type, certainly a multi-hundred millionaire. The audience is packed, mainly full of young “up and comers.”
MODERATOR
Ok everyone, we’re going to take our last question for the evening....how about you right there?
Entrepreneur stands, hands shaking:
ENTREPRENEUR
Hello, um. Thank you for doing this. Big, big fan.
Uh
I was wondering if you had one skill that you would recommend for aspiring entrepreneurs to work on, what would that be? Is there a common weak point that you see among a lot of young people? Thank you.
MOGUL
No, thank you. That’s a really nice question, actually. And I can respond to both with the same answer.
The greatest thing that a young entrepreneur can learn is how to whisper.
Now stick with me here, because I mean this in a couple of ways.
In the literal sense, there are some horrible whisperers out there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been watching a movie or been at a library or a museum or wherever, and I can hear someone across the room trying to keep their voice down, but they’re talking even louder by not trying to talk loudly. We all know that person. Maybe it’s you. And quite honestly, it’s one of my greatest pet peeves on the face of the Earth. I think it’s truly a horrific habit, and I’ll tell you why.
When I see someone who can’t whisper, it communicates to me that that person has very little control of themselves. If you can’t control your voice enough when you need to, then why should I be able to trust you to lead a pitch or oversee an office or manage my payroll? Now I get that we’re all uniquely built human beings with certain physical traits and capabilities, but I don’t buy the fact that some people can’t whisper. Sorry, I just don’t.
And furthermore, whispering is not just a sign someone is in control of themselves, it’s also a supremely valuable skill to utilize as an entrepreneur. It is quite literally the art of staying quiet. Sure, sometimes, being the loudest voice in the room can be very advantageous, and that got me very far in this business, but I’m of the belief that underneath all the talk, all the big change begins with a whisper. I’m serious. I’ll be willing to bet you every cent I own that every big company, merger, deal, idea, movement ever made all started with someone leaning over to someone else and saying “Psst.”
It’s what I did. In the mid 90’s, probably before most of you all were born, I was a peon at my first corporate job. I was in an all-staff meeting standing wayyy in the back, and the manager allll the way in the front was going on and on and on about the project and blah blah whatever yadda yadda. And I remember looking over to my fellow peon next to me, who ended up being my future CFO, and saying...
(whispering) “Psst. I think we can build something better.”
And then we did.
...
If you don’t even have the capacity to whisper that, how the hell are you going to make it?
Maybe that’s harsh, but that’s me.
...
Point being, if you can learn how to whisper…
(whispering) you might just get what you want.
Notes have been scribbled down frantically. The crowd laughs and claps. A standing ovation ensues.