67 - Being Fully Yourself is The Risk That Creates Results
Sometimes playing it safe kills momentum. In this episode, discover why stepping outside the brief, trusting your instinct, and being fully yourself can lead to unexpected breakthroughs and long-term success.
Being Fully Yourself is the Risk That Creates Results
There are moments in business and life where sticking to the script simply doesn’t work. And sometimes, the boldest results come from going completely off-script.
In this episode of MKC – Micro Keynote Concert, we explore what happens when you take a risk that could get you in trouble but feels absolutely right.
The story begins with a hotel gig, a strict classical guitar brief… and a restless audience. What happened next turned into a masterclass in creative instinct, professional risk, and authentic momentum.
Here are the main takeaways:
1. Playing it safe won’t make you stand out.
Following the rules might keep you employed, but it rarely creates breakthrough moments. If the room is flat and the energy is dropping, it’s often a sign that the formula isn’t working. Innovation starts where the rules end.
2. Instinct is a strategic signal, not just a feeling.
When something in you says, “Try this,” it’s not always rebellion; it’s intuition grounded in experience. That gut feeling to shift gears or change your approach is often a signal worth trusting. Strategic instinct is a business skill.
3. Authenticity is the most scalable strategy.
When you fully lean into what makes you unique, your style, your creativity, your difference, you don’t just surprise people. You magnetise them. Audiences remember what feels real. Clients rehire what feels alive.
4. One bold move can change the trajectory.
The risk taken in that hotel performance didn’t just land. It led to repeat gigs, creative freedom, and a new way of showing up professionally. The key? Knowing when to trust that being yourself isn’t a liability, it’s your edge.
Final Insight:
Great leadership, creativity, and momentum don’t come from blind risk but from aligned risk. When you take a leap that reflects who you truly are, you don’t just break rules. You set a new standard.
This episode is your invitation to consider:
Where are you still playing it safe, and what might happen if you bet on yourself instead?
Listen now and see where your instinct might lead.
Highlights:
00:00 Taking a Risk: The Unexpected Performance
00:23 The Bold Move: Playing Thunderstruck
00:37 The Aftermath: Positive Reactions and Rehiring
00:52 Trusting Instincts: Being Fully Yourself
00:57 Conclusion: Where Momentum Begins
Links:
Website: https://www.jimperona.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimperonaofficial/
Transcript:
What happens when you take a risk that could potentially get you in trouble, but you do it anyways? I was subbing at a high end hotel gig here in downtown Chicago, and I was hired to play strictly classical Spanish guitar only, but halfway through the set, the audience was losing interest, and so I decided to take a calculated risk.
I played my classical guitar arrangement of Thunderstruck. By AC CDC, completely off script, and the crowd went pretty wild. Not only was I invited back afterwards, the hotel asked me to keep playing such arrangements in the future based on how good of a reaction it got. Basically, I kept getting rehired.
I trusted my instinct that was saying, be fully yourself. You know what? Sometimes that's where momentum begins.
