Thursday Press #9: my Hallmark movie moment & a life lesson
[2 DEC 2021] I still can't believe I did this...
THE PIED PIPER OF AMTRAK
I was stuck on a 10-hour long train ride northbound and knew with certainty I was about to get stranded in New York City during the Thanksgiving travel rush.
Or at least that's what my anxiety was telling me.
Last week, I took the train up to Saratoga Springs, NY to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. This train ride was supposed to take me from Raleigh to Albany, with a 2-hour layover in Penn Station. Guess whose train was delayed by 2 hours?
As we sped past the Washington Monument, the sun set, and my gap of time dwindled, leaving a mere 2 minute margin in which I was supposed to get off my current train, find my next train track, and head off to Albany.
So I decided to do something I would ordinarily never do – I asked for help.
I don't know if it was my frantic eyes communicating from behind my mask or my charming Southern accent, but the train attendant agreed to get the conductor to radio ahead and ask the other train's conductor to hold the train until I could board.
We had a plan. And when we approached Penn Station, my new BFF (the train attendant) led me like a pied piper to the door that would open.
As we walked through the coach cars, we collected other passengers who needed to board my same train, each as anxious as I was about making that connection for the holiday season, and they added on to our chain of travelers.
In the end, we all got on the train, but if I hadn't asked the train attendant for help to begin with, there would have been about 20 of us stranded in New York that night.
In the Hallmark movie version of this story, I saved Thanksgiving for 20 people.
In real life, I still probably helped our merry gang by getting that train held, but more than that, I reaffirmed an incredibly valuable lesson: no one will help you if you don't ask.
Now that we're approaching what's probably the busiest season for a lot of people between normal work, family obligations, and general year-end chaos, don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether it's asking your partner to step up with the dishes, asking a friend for a FaceTime vent sesh, or asking your favorite business bestie for some feedback.
Most people like helping people. Like my dad said as he drove me home from the Albany train station at a quarter past midnight, people like to be heroes. When you ask someone for help, you're giving them the chance to be the main character in their own superhero film.
And who's not here for some main character energy?
TL;DR: You don't have to do everything on your own. Ask for help when you need it (and before you really, desperately need it). You're not lesser than or weak for needing a lil support. God knows I do!
From the ‘Gram
Hi, I’m Sarah — Pinterest marketer, former local journalist, and professional oversharer. Thanks for reading this edition of the Thursday Press! If you’re a fan of stories that turn into strategic Pinterest marketing tips, way-too-honest insights into online entrepreneurship, and the occasional cat picture, you’re in the right place.
Want more of what you’re seeing? Here’s how we can connect:
Check out my services. Whether you’re looking for Pinterest management or a helping hand to get started, I offer Pinterest marketing services for creative entrepreneurs who want to go from feeling good about their business to feeling ahmazing.
Read the marketing blog. Like your favorite lifestyle mag, but with more Pinterest tips, my blog is your go-to source for all things Pinterest marketing, content strategy, and human-first business ownership.
Grab your free Pinterest checklist. Everything you need to do on Pinterest (and nothing you don’t), organized into a simple, actionable checklist!
Browse my favorite business resources. From homegrown freebies to shoppable marketing products and my favorite business tools and apps, everything I use to run my business is right here!