Hoards of Elvis impersonators, Pedro’s from Napoleon Dynamite, and all the people you don’t want to see naked marched through the streets of San Francisco this past Sunday. An annual Bay Area tradition, the Bay to Breakers is one of the largest footraces in the entire world. I walked of course, but in good company— Marilyn DeJesus (as a human-sized flower) and Mariah Reilly (as herself) from the YFDirect team, along with almost 80,000 other participants. The serious runners, including your perennial Kenyans go first. The rest of us walk the seven and a half miles, drunk, throwing tortillas, rolling kegs of beer and homemade Tiki Huts down the street.
Some might say the affiliate marketing space is as wild as the Bay to Breakers, with equally crazy and diversified participants. I noticed five types of people at the race: competitive runners seeking top placement, the curious-- there just to “check it out,” attention junkies trying to get on camera, the tired and miserable who didn’t anticipate such a strenuous journey and those just there for the big party. This categorization is just as fitting to the people and companies in our space. Look around, which bucket do you see those around you falling under? Where do you see yourself? Regardless of which category you or your company falls under however, everyone agrees that this race is huge and there’s room enough for a ton of participants.
There is no right or wrong way to approach the finish line. It’s a matter of your personal goals. As an employee, maybe you want to climb as high up on that corporate ladder as possible and be willing to put in 70-80 hour weeks. Or maybe you are simply content with making decent money and a flexible work schedule to leave early enough for a bike ride before it gets dark. Doesn’t matter-- there is a place and role for everyone. If you are a business owner, your goals could be just as ranged, from simply being competitive and making a living, to getting bought out or even going public. Still, there is room enough in this industry for everyone. Besides- how many Bill Gate’s can the world handle?
The various ways people decide to participate in the Bay to Breakers is not so much different from how life is approached. Some sprint toward the glory of top placement, while others are simply content with partaking in the party. Either way, the same finish line is crossed by all, as the same desire is pursued: happiness. With no judgments being made on how each individual participant finishes the race or in life, happiness attained, be who you are and let others be their own self. As Scott Rewick always says, “Live the Dream.” Live your dream.
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