There is an annual three-day training event that a colleague puts on in Atlanta. He invites the top trainers in online marketing to train at no cost, and the only pitching allowed is for an insanely short two minutes, providing a deeply discounted special for attendees.
The event often boasts 300+ attendees at ticket prices that range from $97 to $697 depending on when you purchase (earlier is clearly better!). David, the host, coordinator, and giving spirit, who created this does an incredible job managing the talent, focusing on the learning objectives of each attendee, and providing a very generous forum to up-level your business.
He is not making a lot, if any money on the event since he has boatloads of expenses from the hotel meeting rooms (with 35 instructors, that's a lot meeting rooms), to videotaping, editing, and then producing each class. It is a labor of love that builds other areas of his business.
A week or so before the event, I noticed David posting on Facebook about an unhappy non-attendee who hadn't bought his ticket early enough and was now complaining that David was profiting wildly from the then $597 ticket. David took it to heart and evidently sent back a reply engaging in this person's drama.
In every interaction you have, whether it's personal or professional, you have a choice about engaging in the drama that may be hurled at you, or simply rising above and letting it sail by you. For years I took the drama of others on, and it created bigger drama in my own life. I let my emotions rule my roost and lost a lot of energy, time, and opportunity.
This exchange caught David when he was in last minute event preparations. He was tired, juggling a lot of details, and forgot he could let it sail by. When given the choice, and you will be, rise above instead of sinking to the level of someone who wants to pull you into their drama.
