How integral are you?

How much do you contribute to the success of your company? KIRSTY DUNPHEY

By Kirsty Dunphey

What do the movies Cocktail, Back to the Future (parts 2 and 3) and The Karate Kid all have in common?

Well apart from being four of my favourite movies of all time (c’mon they’re classics!) they all have Elisabeth Shue in the quintessential “girlfriend” role.

Now we all know Tom Cruise and Michael J Fox, and I’m sure if Ralph Macchio got into the crane position or said “wax on, wax off” you’d remember him quicker than Mr Miyagi’s chopsticks – but if you thought “Elisabeth ‘Who’?” I might agree with you (my strange love of movie trivia aside).

How does an actress co-star in 1984’s fifth top grossing movie, 1988’s ninth top grossing and 1989 and 1990’s sixth and 11th top grossing movies respectively (over $370 million gross) and be so unrecognisable!

I going to go out on a limb and say that these movies would have been huge hits with or without Elisabeth Shue.

Now why am I rambling on about forgotten 80’s movie stars? Well – Elisabeth Shue reminds me of how some people function within organisations. They can be part of a successful company, or team, but are they integral in creating that success, that impact?

Questions to ask yourself today:

• Would this company/business/organisation/not-for-profit have the same impact (whether that be on profit, customers, the world) if I weren’t here?
• Are you a Michael J Fox or an Elisabeth Shue right now?
• Without jumping on Oprah’s couch – what can you do to become more memorable (for all the right reasons) in your organisation?

And just so you don’t think I’m all about having a go at Elisabeth Shue I highly recommend you check out 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas (if you brace yourself for a very strong, in your face movie). It earned Shue an academy award nomination and I don’t think that movie would have been the same without her (but Mighty Morphin Power Rangers did bring in more $s than it that year!

Kirsty Dunphey is one of Australia’s most publicised young entrepreneurs and is the founder of www.reallysold.com – the ultimate tool to help real estate agents write amazing advertisements. The youngest ever winner of the Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year award, Kirsty started her first business at 15, her own real estate agency at 21, was a self-made millionaire at 23 and a self-made multi-millionaire at 25. For more information on Kirsty or either of her books – Advance to Go, Collect $1 Million and Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can, or to sign up to her weekly newsletter head to: www.kirstydunphey.com

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