If They Say It's Impossible Then You're On To A Winner

Hey everybody,

Haven't blogged in a while because things have been hectic in the Goss.ie office, mainly because we are working hard on our first ever awards show The Gossies (#TheGossies2016).

As well as that we were nominated for Media Brand of The Year at the Digital Media Awards.

So for once the last week or two has been a roller coaster of happy emotions and there's more to come too.

It's literally only the last few weeks that family and friends have really started to realise what I'm doing with Goss.ie, why I've been so determined and now people can see my vision.

The Gossies are something I have been planning since the very beginning of Goss and I always wanted it to happen.

I started Goss because I felt there was a gaping whole online for showbiz and entertainment and I thought the same about events and award shows. 

I think everyone really misses The TV Now Awards and The Meteors - it's time to go back to celebrating the world of Irish entertainment and that's what The Gossies are all about.

I can't tell you the amount of people who, when I told them in December I would be doing The Gossies in February, said "it's too rushed", "it won't work", "wait a year", "don't you have enough on your plate?".

And to be honest those kind of attitudes are why people never accomplish their dreams, why business fails and why people are unhappy.

It's fair to say that since Goss went live in June 2014, I have gone against pretty much every advice I was given. Suggestions of walking away from the business mainly, not bothering with the stress of an awards show, selling up the company and starting something else... Every time I heard anything like that I worked harder and harder.

I remember in 2012 when I was nominated for Showbiz Journalist of The Year at the NNI Awards. I was up against some great journalists and Paddy Power put on odds for everyone - mine were so bad and I was he least likely to win in my category.

I was 22, I had only been a Showbiz Journalist in national newspapers for about 16 months and even some of my colleagues bet against me... But me being me I told myself it was possible.

Fast forward to sitting at a table in The Four Seasons Hotel and hearing my name called out - it's still a blur now but it happened, I wanted it and I got it and I worked seriously hard for it.

So here's my point... The more people tell you something is possible, the more you hear "don't", "won't", "can't", "shouldn't" and of course "impossible" then you know you're on to a winner.

There were a few moments last year when I could have taken the easy route and just went back to a normal  life, a normal income, job security... A personal laugh....but I didn't, I struggled and I stressed and I soldiered on and most importantly I was determined to make my company a success.

Anyone that knows me well at this stage knows once I've decided on something I am 100% determined... No matter what obstacle I will make it my mission to achieve my goals and prove myself.

Sometimes it's a personality flaw but in business it's a necessity.

I always, always ask myself "what's the worst that could happen?". And the outcome was never so awful that it wasn't worth trying harder.

In the last week or so a lot of people have been asking how the hell I managed to pull an event together on my own. How I'm going to cover Oscars week in LA...

And as corny as it sounds my answer is always anything is possible!

It's the negative nellys, the doubters, the haters, the non-believers, they are the one who will always remember that dream they once had wondering what if. And I'm so so glad that will never be me.

You can do anything you want in life, anything... Just keep working your ass off.

Ali

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