In honour of the release of the new Star Wars movie, I'll share a story about my one of my favourite characters in the whole franchise.
You've probably never heard of him (most haven't) ...
His screen time is about one second long in "The Empire Strikes Back", as he's seen running around a corner in Cloud City holding something that looks like an ice cream maker while scrambling to escape the invading Empire.
Blink and you'll miss him, but some eagle-eyed fans spotted him and he gained a cult following as "The Ice Cream Man"
After enough pressure from the fans, the powers that be decided to give him a name, Willrow Hood, and a backstory: he was a miner who was sympathetic to the Rebellion. The ice cream maker was actually a memory core that he removed from his computer to ensure that the valuable information didn't get into the wrong hands. And although he was captured and tortured by The Empire, he never gave in. He survived, and lived out his days away from the action in a quiet and peaceful
retirement.
Hasbro decided to release an action figure (which will set you back at least 100 bucks on eBay), and Willrow is celebrated at various Star Wars conventions with a "Running Of The Hoods" - where you'll see hundreds of fans dressed up as him and running around with ice cream makers.
A few things that entrepreneurs can take from this story:
1) Don't worry about being perfect. "The Empire Strikes Back" is considered the best Star Wars movie and film sequel ever made. It's a true classic ... and it still has a dude carrying an ice cream maker as a prop in one of its pivotal scenes.
2) When you build a strong relationship with your fans like Star Wars has, you create raving fans who will support, defend, and promote you (I'm aware that the franchise has gone downhill since Disney bought it, fingers crossed that it can get back on track)
3) When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Instead of being embarrassed by an oversight like the ice cream maker, Star Wars embraced Willrow Hood and he's become a cool footnote in its galaxy.
So as you relax this holiday season, put The Empire Strikes Back on and keep your eyes peeled for good ole Willrow ...
And while you're at it, register for the Your Best Year Yet Giveaway that I'm taking part in. No ice cream makers are being given away, but you will get a bunch of valuable free resources that will help you grow your business.
You can register for it here:
Marc Mawhinney