Are YOU Fearless?

On Friday, July 21^st hundreds gathered at Riverside Memorial to commemorate the life of Jennifer Goodman Linn. Many of the people attending the funeral had never met Jennifer Linn.  However, each person in the room knew and was a part of her life.  I write this post in her honor, for a woman who, with unrelenting determination and unwavering tenacity, developed a community of Fearless followers and founded one of the fastest growing charity events in the country.

In 2004, at the age of 33, Linn was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called sarcoma.  Doctors told her that her chance for survival was 50/50 and there was no cure or clear-cut treatment for the disease.  Linn plodded through eight types of chemotherapy, over six surgeries and five relapses – never to be cancer free for more than 12 months but more importantly, never giving up.  Jen went on with fearlessness – a philosophy she described as – “the belief that when we take fear out of the equation, people can be much more satisfied and successful in all aspects of their life.”  It was with this fearlessness that Jen launched YOUFearless.com.

“So often we let fear overwhelm us,” she said.  “When we give fear too much power it gets in the way of progress and productivity and can be so debilitating.  Imagine what you can accomplish without fear.” 

Accomplish she did.  Linn succeeded in creating a community – a community comprised of family, friends, cancer survivors, cancer patients, professionals, businesses, and media.  But how did she do it you ask?  Here is my take…

·         Fearlessness – This is #1 and the backbone of the YOUFearless success.  Though struggling with her disease, Jennifer Linn turned the negative into a positive.  She took her fears and channeled them into confidence, determination, and drive.   “When you master fear,” she said, “it’s easier to unleash all that you’ve unconsciously been holding back.  You become more inspiring, more powerful, more creative, and more open to anything that’s thrown at you.”

How can Fearlessness be translated to our own personal and professional goals?  Don’t let apprehension be a deterrent.  Apply Fearlessness to live the life you want – anything is possible.   

·         Passion – In writing YOUFearless.com, Jen communicated to her audience through a method authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff would refer to as “energizing the groundswell.”  Similar to the technique Li and Bernoff recommend in Groundswell, Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, YOUFearless.com created a community that energized its readers.  Jen invited people to be involved in every day, every treatment, and every up and down.  Jen embraced her followers and they embraced her.  People thrive on communities and feeling as though they are part of something – Jen allowed her community to fight the disease with her.

On the day of her passing, the Fearless crew still posted comments on the site.

·         Knowledge of audience – We all know someone who is battling cancer or is a cancer survivor.  Jen knew this.  She knew people who are suffering are looking for someone to understand – she did.  She knew people were looking for information – she had it.  She knew people were looking for someone to give them strength and hope – she could.

·         Use of multiple platforms – YOUFearless.com did not function on its own – although it could have.  Jen used many social media platforms to reach her audience and communicate her message.  She created her own Facebook page, Twitter account, and YouTube videos.  Each served its own purpose but was critical in the success of YOUFearless.

      

·         Transparency – In Groundswell, Li and Bernoff provide a tip for successful blogging – Be Honest.  Honesty in business, in public relations and in the case of YOUFearless.com is the key to success.  Jen was a credible source.  She opened herself to her readers, allowing for the good, the bad and the ugly to be seen, heard and read.

The power of social media, especially in the case of Jennifer Goodman Linn, is profound.  Her methods not only harnessed a community, but helped to generated over eight million dollars in donations for cancer research, created awareness about rare cancers, established a safe haven for cancer patients and survivors and established friendships that both she and others never thought imaginable.