The Contagious Power of Enthusiasm

3/11/20255 min read

// Great Shot

The other night, Layla, my daughter was watching Wicked in the kitchen with my wife, Tina. Right at the big moment, the bit that every girl waits for in the film - Elphaba soaring through the sky, belting Defying Gravity - she turns and says:

“Great shot.”

I was cooking risotto and sipping wine - I laughed. I genuinely thought she was taking the piss.

But she wasn’t.

You see, it turns out, I say it so often while watching films, TV shows, and YouTube videos that it’s now part of our household vocabulary. It’s a natural thing for me - spotting those moments when everything just clicks visually and I mutter to myself "Great shot"... I do it so often and praise whoever's made something out loud that now, my kids and wife are joining in.

It's this small moment though that made me realise that your enthusiasm for something can spread without even trying - you don't need to make a conscious effort - it will just happen.

// Contagion

Enthusiasm spreads. Passion, excitement and that deep love for something - it's so infectious. But the thing I've realised this week is that you don't need to actually try.

Whenever you think about having an influence - I guarantee that you'll picture a big deliberate effort - a powerful speech, a hard sell or a carefully crafted message. But most of the time, it's far more subtle.

It's in the way you light up when you talk about something you love. The energy you bring to something when you're absorbed in it, when you're so absorbed that other people can't help but be dragged in too and feel that infectious energy.

It happens the same way when you walk into a football stadium - every kid remembers their first time at a football match, walking up the steps to see a pitch for the first time and you literally feel it. The roar of a crowd, the people bustling and singing and the smells - all that anticipation builds and the connection you feel is electric.

It was the same when I went to my first ever NFL game as an adult - I didn't understand the rules, I didn't know what was happening but everyone around me rose up when something exciting was happening and groaned when it didn't go their way - I joined in. Why? Because enthusiasm is infectious.

I get so excited by watching TV shows, Youtube and, I've said this before, I sometimes don't even watch things for the 'content' - I watch things to see how they're shot.. it's a regular occurrence in our house to have an episode rewind just so I can see the camera angle, the lighting or see something again. But that's what passion is about - taking in as much knowledge as you can because it's never enough.

// Why it matters

When someone see's what you're passionate about, when they see you light up and know that you truly love something - it shines a light on your authentic self. Remember when you got that toy for Christmas that you pestered your parents for? That's because they wanted to see that little round (a big assumption) face light up with joy and see that energy and passion shine through.

Your parents wanted to share in that joy with you and it gives them a reason to be - they want to see you happy.

It's the same when you're an adult - when you get excited, happy and you have that energy around you - it makes others want to join in. When you deeply care about something, you're giving others permission to care and be a part of your world. It's an extremely easy entry point into your world.

Whenever I have conversations with people about videos that I'm interested in or I go through a creative process and try and think of a way to 'film' or 'create' something, my brain goes into overdrive, I can't get my words out fast enough and I become extremely animated - it draws people in and smiles start to appear on my face and whoever I am talking to.

My kids are getting excited at the moment about Stranger Things and at dinner times, the topic of conversation becomes extremely animated, heated as the theories, story explanations and top moments spool out of their mouths. It means that one child starts the conversation, they all have their opinions but the commonality draws each child in and they all dive deep into their respective opinions.. it's a delight to see.

// Lean into it.

Building your personal brand is that easy.

When you talk about what excites you, when you decide you're not going to downplay what you love, it brings people closer to you. I've found it with my newsletter - some weeks it will resonate and it's normally when I've been typing so fast and excitedly that my ideas and enthusiasm shines through - I see it in other places too - Liam Toms is a perfect of example of this, his monthly newsletters on his gigs, his regular excursions to toy fairs to gather his collectables and his steadfast commitment to his passions is what draws me in.

I can see he really cares about what he writes about, what he cares about and all of that makes Liam, well, Liam.

The more you embrace your passion, the more others take notice. Yes, I hear you, some people won't like you for your passion as it doesn't align with them and on the other hand, some people will absolutely love you. You want to surround yourself with people who have the same passion as you right? I'm saying that the more you speak about it, the more you light up (and the more consistent you are with it) - the more people will catch onto your 'world'.

Repeated enthusiasm brings people to you.

// Full Circle

Thinking about the reaction to Wicked's climax - Layla (my daughter) wasn't forcing her reaction, it was absorbed. She'd heard me say it so many times, she'd seen my enthusiasm and my passion for film and she'd seen what I thought was a 'great shot' and she replicated it.

She'd joined in with my enthusiasm - my wife has been doing the same for weeks but I think that was more out of a need to wind me up, than replicating my passion - she was just bored of me saying it so many times. Layla genuinely

The more enthusiasm and the more you pour into something, the more you give people a reason to join in with you and the wider your love for that thing spreads - thats the secret sauce to building your 'brand'.

I want you to think about something you're passionate about.. are you sharing it enough for others to catch on? You don't even need to make a concerted effort - it's just got to be something that you can speak about, praise, be enthusiastic enough about that you become associated with that thing.