What comes to mind when you hear the word “epic”? Do you see a surfer on an epic wave, or do you see McGregor take out Cerrone in 40 seconds in an epic MMA fight? Are you playing an epic game of Mass Effect 2? Did you pick up those Jimmy Choo’s at their epic sale? Even the experience of having your first child or buying your first car can be epic as hell! And then there’s that magic box of infinite knowledge you walk around with in your hand. Your social network provides you with epic social media content on the daily, from POTUS’ tweets to epic-fail videos on YouTube.
These experiences make us feel the “feels” and give power to the word epic. Epic is the feeling we have when we get an injection of those happy neurochemicals – dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins –in response to a great situation or event.
These impactful experiences are then associated with the word that describes your feelings, and then the experience becomes the emotion. Hence all those epic moments in your life.
That is epic.
Are you leading an epic life?
We know what epic feels like. It’s a powerful and positive experience. So, what does it mean to lead an epic life? What does an epic life look like? Everyone’s epic life looks and feels different. My epic life is a long life with a great cup of coffee on my porch, free from debt, being kind to my tribe, loving my community, traveling, being respected, appreciating all that I have, and having a prosperous business and the ability to have fun with my grown children. My epic life sounds simple enough, but I guarantee you that it’s not boring, mediocre, or just above average.
It is epic.
Your epic life might include a beach house, the new Ferrari F8 Tributo, five dealerships, a private jet, Superbowl tickets, and a billion-dollar business you love. That’s the beauty of questioning what an epic life looks like – it’s up to you to determine the answer. There are folks who have what I believe are epic lives. They are living their best life with no compromises, doing what excites them, and sharing that excitement with those around them, no f**ks given.
That is epic.
The key to having an epic life is to be an epic person with targeted goals and a plan to accomplish those goals, a commitment to being unique, constantly delivering beyond what is average, and continual improvement.
That is epic.
Are you surrounded by epic people?
Even more than the epic moments in your life, epic has gone from a noun describing a long, ancient poem or an adjective describing a characteristic of something to an actual state of being. That is correct – an actual state of being! If you are epic, then you are amazing, colossal, happy, positive, and, most definitely, kick-ass. Who wouldn’t want to be around someone who is epic?
We’ve all heard Jim Rohn’s quote: “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Basically, Jim is saying you need to take an inventory of who you’re surrounding yourself with to make sure they’re worthy of your epic self. You also need epic people in your tribe to influence you to become a more epic version of yourself. You need to surround yourself with people who do what they do with intensity, who believe that anything they can think of can become a reality, and that being a troublemaker or badass is a positive quality. Having epic people in your circle, whether they’re business or personal friends (hopefully those are one in the same but, I digress), means they imbue you with their spark.
That is epic.
Why does it matter if you or I are epic, or even if we’re living epic lives? It’s because the people who care about being tenacious, who only function on a level of excellence and gratitude, who accept no compromises from themselves, are the ones who will make a difference in other people’s lives, their businesses, and their communities.
That is epic.
But do you think the word epic to describe experiences is overused? Maybe it is. But the idea that an individual or a business can strive to BE epic cannot be used enough. Just as individuals are dedicated to being epic, businesses are also waking up to the notion that they too must be epic to make a dent in the noise out there and under their own roof. From annoying radio spots, bad reviews, non-existent or ill-used social media, and exhausted staff, to untargeted messaging and any other host of ills, there is tons of opportunity for improvement – and just as great an opportunity for them to be epic.
In fact, when we think of epic businesses, only a few come to mind, but one stands out. Obviously, Truett Cathy’s Chik-Fil-A is a prime example of an epic business model predicated on Cathy’s belief that “Each person’s destiny is not a matter of chance; it’s a matter of choice. It’s determined by what we say, what we do, and whom we trust.” Cathy knew that he had to be different, impactful, and uncompromising in his principles. Do you know any other business that closes on Sundays?
That is epic.
Why write about being epic?
My motivation to write about being epic arose from my desire to impact my social media marketing agency and epic sales team at SCP Agency. We’re all imbued with the spark to be epic from one another and we kick ass for our automotive clients. Being epic is a way of being, and it never ends for us. When deciding to help auto dealers have an epic impact on their gross profit, we work hard to determine what will be cost-effective, impactful, and fun. With our Epic Sales Events, we cut through the noise and go directly to your customer for you. We save a few trees, cut out the postcards, and go straight to the customer via Facebook Messenger and create explosive sale appointments!
Because we want to be epic, right?
Author: Christine Watson
Christine Watson is Executive VP of the most innovative and badass Social and Reputation Management Agency on the planet! She has spent her entire life in marketing and advertising in one form or another. She believes in the power of reputation management as a way to increase ROI! She specializes in complete automotive marketing management through innovative channels.
