Unique leaders have success bred in them. What does success mean to you? Do you give up when someone says NO to your idea? Is failure an option for you? I learned that unique leaders create their own success when I worked on a new idea to create a comic book.
For the past two years I have created and produced a multicultural education resources comic book for my cultural diversity training. First, people were excited that I decided to do this, but then they asked me, “How will you do it?” “How will you market it?” “Who is your reader?”
I knew that a multicultural education resources comic book would be a good cultural diversity training tool for my group because it is easy to understand and a fun way to learn a new concept.
The world is shrinking because of the Internet and media news, but peoples’ minds are still focused on their own country’s culture. A multicultural education resources comic book is a simple, way to communicate and help people learn and understand cultural diversity differences.
Even though I didn’t know how to do it, I knew I would get it done. I was passionate about the concept of multicultural diversity training through a comic book, and I was excited about learning a new field—comic book publishing.
First I created a storybook draft with actual experiences I had coming to America. My first business meeting where I had to speak English, then dining etiquette where I got invited to a dinner party, business card exchange manner, and what to wear to a business meeting.
I put all the challenges I had in the comic book story. I found a good writer who helped me make a more exciting storyline. He was an American who at one time had taught English at a television station in Tibet. He had never written for a comic book before but the two of us put our minds together and experiences and came up with some funny stories.
In the beginning we thought about using an eagle to help our key character, Mr. Kim a Korean businessman, learn American business etiquette. But as we developed more ideas we created a robot that was hip and knowledgeable in business etiquette. The robot, PALBOT, Protocol and Language Robot, became the guide and superhero for Mr. Kim.
PALBOT is a protocol and language robot. He’s an impatient instructor and curious about people. World Organization—a think-tank of people—who wanted to help the world become peaceful, created PALBOT. PALBOT is teaching the highest level of manners, etiquette, and language so that people understand each other and their cultures. He is trying to be kind to Mr. Kim, who doesn’t understand American culture.
We decided to make PALBOT an impatient robot. Many times PALBOT becomes annoyed and upset with Mr. Kim because he wants him to learn faster. The creators of PALBOT forgot to put “patience” into his program. PALBOT is fashionable. He likes his own colorful shoes and headband. He likes accessories. He understands fashion.
I had fun creating the comic book, yet there were lots of challenges. For six months, my artist and I created many versions of PALBOT and the multicultural education resources comic book before we were satisfied with the final version. Then it went into marketing and I knew very little about this in the comic book field.
I knew it was huge and I couldn’t get any interest at first. I also found out that 70% of the comic books were Japanese Manga superhero drawing style. Mine was an American multicultural education resources comic book style and not superhero at all.
The PALBOT comic book did not fit any marketable trend for the comic book generation. I am not a quitter and I passionately believed that PALBOT was a good storyline. I believed that it was my destiny to create PALBOT.
Instead of following the trend I created a PALBOT song that tells what PALBOT is all about. We made hip and fun songs with live music and instruments. I wanted people to feel like dancing and we brought PALBOT to life with the music.
Now we had a comic book plus a music CD to offer that is unique in the comic book field. The song introduced PALBOT as a superhero: he helps people in a new land, trapped in a place they can’t understand. You can hear PALBOT’S theme song at www.mypalbot.com
I went to many tradeshows and talked with industry people to find a distributor. I hired a consultant to show me what to do. For more than one year of tradeshows I had no success yet getting a distributor. After many, many rejections, suddenly it happened: because of my many, many follow up phone calls from people I met at the tradeshows, two distributors said they were interested.
I am now working with them to produce the comic book, a trailer, and toys. Two years later my dream is coming true.
Unique leaders make their own success. No one gives it to you. Success means persistence and follow-up. Never get disappointed over rejection, instead move forward slowly but firmly. Never give up on your dream. Unique leaders make their dreams come true.
Learn, Experience, Enjoy Global Success !
Jinsoo Terry
Digg This 
Del.icio.us