I don’t normally write about TV shows here, but two of my favorites spoke to me last week in ways that will hopefully strengthen and encourage you.

It started when I flew to Denver to audition for the Shark Tank TV show.

Even though 30,000+ entrepreneurs apply and fewer than 100 make it onto the show each season I was optimistic my pitch (you can read it below) would be good enough to earn a shot at the priceless exposure and investment capital frequently given to those who make it onto the show.

The challenge you face in the audition is to present yourself and your business in a compelling way in just 60 seconds – not an easy exercise!

So I wrote and rehearsed and edited my pitch for weeks, desperate to share enough personal history and business information to intrigue the show’s production staff to learn more. I even recruited Suzi to join me to balance and beautify my presentation.

The pitch went well, followed by some brief Q&A with the young production assistant who sat before us. But she seemed a bit jaded from hearing so many pitches and didn’t seem to catch my full vision before our time together was up.

This was upsetting! With so much time, effort and money (not to mention such high hopes) invested in this effort, I couldn’t fathom the thought of falling short. And yet that prospect was (and is) very real, as no call-back has come yet.

This is where last week’s Mad Men episode came into play for me, as I watched it after returning to Dallas. At the end of the this climactic episode the recently deceased ad agency founder (Bert) appears to lead character Don Draper in a momentary vision or apparition and performs a soft-shoe dance complete with dancing girls while singing, ‘The Best things in life are free.’

How this affects Don Draper will remain to be seen, but it instantly touched my soul.

It reminded me of my time spent with Suzi in Boulder, CO – for a couple days after our Shark Tank audition – when we walked along the downtown Pearl Street mall, rode bikes along a rushing stream and drove up into the Rocky Mountains where majestic snow-capped mountain peeks greeted and inspired us.

These things are free, give or take a few bucks for gas or airfare. Like most awe-inspiring things in life, whether butterflies or fireflies, oceans or forests, sunsets or thunderstorms – or the love of God expressed through Jesus Christ – the best things in life don’t depend on TV exposure or investment capital and they don’t change a bit if your bank account is bulging or if you’re dead broke. They belong to everyone.

Thankfully the best things in life don’t demand a 60-second pitch or depend on production staffers, Shark Tank investors or other decision-makers deciding your fate, your value or your ultimate sense of identity, security or happiness.

These things ultimately come from God and are given freely, without explanation or qualification if we’ll simply believe and receive them. Regardless of what happens with Shark Tank or anything else I needed that reminder and thought you might need it, too.

So let’s pray.

Thank you heavenly Father we don’t have to ‘pitch’ or apply for your acceptance or the approval you lavish on anyone who receives your son by faith. Thank you for clothing the Lilies of the field and caring for us even more, and for granting true wealth and prosperity to us as your children of inheritance. Please remind us each day that the ultimate gifts are freely given and received, in Jesus’ name!

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Here’s my pitch in case you’re interested:

Hi, I’m John Nicholas and this is my wife Suzi. I’m the founder of hityourbullseye.com, the new address for personal & business development.

I’m seeking $200K for 20% equity. This includes books, BullseyeTV, events, consulting and online services – including one that should generate $20 million in just 3-5 years.

This all began for me in high school when I was a dumb jock who crashed into a house on Halloween night during a car chase with police that got me thrown in jail and off my football team.

I was devastated, embarrassed and thought my life was over. But it caused me to dig deep and I discovered something that changed everything.

Within a year I was Key club president, football team captain and was recruited by Harvard and Brown Universities. Heck, I even got the cute cheerleader to be my girlfriend! (And she’s still with me)

What happened? I discovered the power of what I call Personal Convergence – the dynamic merging and alignment of each person’s unique history, dreams and DNA in a way that creates vision… direction… opportunity… and impact.

I’ve seen these dynamics work in history, in each of the sharks and in person — like when my buddy at Brown become the youngest agent in pro football history, when I teamed with a friend to create a sports media and marketing company worth millions or helped another friend build the #1 real estate team in Texas, #2 in the US, per Wall Street Journal rankings. The key was convergence. Suzi’s work with at-risk children in Watts and Dallas is just one more example of it.

Now it’s time to help everyone live on-target lives of maximum impact!

Our website is up, our first book (Personal Convergence) is out on Amazon/Kindle and our Bull’s-eye! book is coming soon with a 25-city promotional tour planned to visit schools, colleges, book stores and media outlets – arriving in the one and only ‘Bullseyemobile.’ (show graphics-wrapped RV rendering)

Join us today and let’s nail this opportunity together!

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