Room for everyone by Alex Beauchamp, Girl at Play

[Larry] KING: Now you tried out for [Dream Girls], right.

[Fantasia] BARRINO: Tried out for the part.

KING: But you didn't beat [Jennifer Hudson], she wasn't on the same show you were on.

BARRINO: She was on the season with me. And like I said, I just felt like that part wasn't for me, it was for her. It wasn't my blessing. It was her blessing.

KING: But you beat her?

BARRINO: I did, I won.

KING: Have you seen the movie?

BARRINO: I did.

KING: What do you make of this?

BARRINO: She's amazing. She was amazing on the show. So much talent on the show. Me, her and Latoya, we're all still home girls. But even when we went on the show, I gave her, her props, she gave me props, I gave Toya props, they are both powerhouses.

KING: Because they were saying, Ryan, how did Jennifer Hudson not win? Nothing against Fantasia.

[Ryan] SEACREST: Nobody really loses if they become a household name on the show. If you make it into that final group, you don't lose. It's just a matter of what you can do with what you have been given. And, you know, I'm a big believer in hustling. I'm a big believer in work ethic. I'm a big believer in making things happen and being proactive. Any male or female that makes it into that group and I call it the group of household names, it's really up to them whether they leave on the fifth week or the last week. It's up to them to capitalize on a massive machine that is "American Idol." That momentum is really unprecedented and it's up to the individual to capitalize on it. And you know I believe in that. - From Live with Larry King, January 18, 2007

Why I love this conversation is because it does something not often done by people who achieve success - it has successful people discussing, supporting and showing that there is room for everyone to be successful - especially in the same field. There's no "failing" if someone else does what you do. It doesn't mean you're less than or can't support the other person. Some people have said that Fantasia "lost out" on the part to Jennifer Hudson, but as Fantasia so eloquently stated, it just wasn't her part but she has won in other ways. They're both signers/actresses and they will at times be up for the same roles, but if one gets one role and the other gets a different one, you can't really say someone is less than, right? They're both working, they're both doing what they love, and they're both successful. There's no need to bitch slap here and be unsupportive in case "they take your role."

I've known a lot of very successful people who, once they achieve success/fame, become very insecure about losing it. The thought of "losing out" to someone else is even worse and the things those with success do to try to "prevent" others from stealing their mojo is ridiculous. It's also completely pointless because what they fail to realise it that someone else having success does not take away from their own. It can actually help it.

I'm not competitive at all; I can spend hours bragging about my friends, connecting them to the right people, giving them ideas and so forth. I feel very free in talking about my ideas with people instead of worrying that they'll be "stolen" at any moment. Because of this, I think I've become more successful and enjoyed the road here so much more. Because when you opt to support others no matter what stage of the game you're in, it's bound to come back to you. Likewise if you try to make others look bad and fear the worse.

January 18, 2007 | Link to this | Filed in Business Advice

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