The Holman Prize Competition, the third time was the charm sort of

Hello again;

Given all that has happened in the world over the last eighteen months, I hope you are finding your own way to survive and even thrive.

I started 2021 feeling out of sorts. I was missing being around people and attending events. I felt cheated that some of my most anticipated speaking events had to be cancelled.

And I wondered when is this Covid thing going to be over so I can start planning for that next big adventure.

Now, one thing you should know about me is I can’t tolerate putting things off for very long. I’m a big believer in doing things today rather than putting them off until next week, next month, next year, or that mythical day called someday.

I needed to find a new adventure I could embark upon from the comfort of my bedroom.

Kind of funny when you realize that I spent over six years building my brand online through podcasts, radio shows, and virtual summits before I ever left the house.

So, January came, and it was time yet again for the Holman Prize Competition.

It is operated by San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and they give away three annual prizes of $25,000 to visually impaired people who want to take on a challenging project that improves the lives of blind people and shows the world what we are capable of.

I had competed in the program every years since it had started, and I was never picked to make it into the second round.

One year, I pitched an international speaking tour where I would share a message of hope and positivity. Bringing the What’s Your Excuse message to people all over the world in person.

Another year, I pitched starting a video podcast that would grow into the first television talk show to be hosted by a blind person.

They never tell you why an idea is picked or not picked. You just have to guess and try again the next year.

So, this year I’m talking with friends trying to decide if I even want to enter again.

Thankfully my followers on Face Book, Linked In, and Twitter dared me to give it one more try.

The next question was what Idea should I pitch.

My good friend Alex Sanfilippo came up with the idea of my starting a podcast network to help other people with disabilities launch their own show or grow an existing one.

He explained that in his opinion it would be the perfect combination of everything I had done over the years.

He mentioned my extremely positive outlook and my ability to find creative solutions.

He pointed to the fact that I had been a long-time podcast host, a prolific podcast guest, and someone who helps people grow their audiences by booking them on podcasts.

Once convinced, the next step was to record a pitch video.

Here is mine.

Now, the Holman Prize has three steps to it.

After you create a ninety second video explaining your pitch, you share this video on youtube and ask people to vote for your video by liking it.

I promoted the heck out of my video. I even got some great friends to mention my goal on their podcast.

I had never made it past this first round before. This year, they did decide to make me a semi finalist.

I don’t know if it was the amount of interest in or the compelling nature of the idea?

But they said yes.

Follow along as I share the rest of the story.

Did I make it to the finals?

Did I get selected and win the $25,000?

What is the status of the podcast network?

What were the additional challenges?

How did Max solve those problems along the way?

You will just have to wait and see.

Thanks for your interest in my continuing journey.

Take care out there, Max