Game-Set-Match…

In my last blog I told you about my son and his gifts on the tennis court. He and I were able to learn that with a good serve on his part, or a good hook on my part, it was possible for others to see our good game or content. If this doesn’t make any sense, please head back to last week’s blog and you might be enlightened and entertained.

Today’s bog will be a continuation of what my son accomplished on the court. I mentioned that his first match as a collegiate player was an interesting one. Well, here’s what happened…

When my son graduated high school, he was a pretty good tennis player. And, he deserved to celebrate his success. My wife and I were proud of him as well. He did not receive any scholarship offers to play at the collegiate level and that was fine with him. He had chosen to go to a school that specialized in engineering.

The school is located in a small town approximately 3 hours East from our home. The school has an extremely good reputation for producing gifted engineering professionals. With that said, it did boast a few athletic teams on the D3 level and tennis was one of them. My son decided that his tennis career was not over and he decided to try and walk on the team. The coach recognized his abilities and gave him a spot. We were thrilled for him!

We had a lucky break. His first tournament was to be played in our area. We were so excited that we would get to see him play and didn’t need to travel to watch his first match. Since he had been away at school, I had no way to follow his training or his match preparation routine. When he was in high school this is something that we discussed on a regular basis.

But he was a big boy now and I left that up to his coaches. When I saw my son on the court, I could tell that something was different. He had a swagger about him and looked very confident. He did not look himself. That’s not to say that he was not confident while in high school, this was a different type of confidence… almost cocky. I was not too worried as the team they were playing was the underdog and his team should easily beat this school.

When my son walked onto the court, he won the toss and elected to serve. To my delight and surprise, it was the hardest and best serve I had ever seen him hit. To my dismay and surprise, I saw his opponent easily return his serve. Then to my delight and surprise again, the return was to his forehand which was his best stroke.

My son ripped a forehand down the line and I could feel he had won his first point as a collegiate athlete. But I was very wrong. His opponent got to the ball and hit an easy cross court winner. My son stood there with his mouth wide open in disbelief. I sat there equally stunned at what I had just seen. That day my son lost the match 6-0 6-0.  In all the years I had seen him play I had never seen him lose a match that badly.

His team won the tournament, but he was one of the only ones on his team to lose a match. After the team meeting was over, he came by to talk to me and we sat on the bench. He was very dejected and asked me what I thought had gone wrong.

I looked at him and I said “son, in high school you were a stud. You were a great player and you were hard to beat. But now that you are in college you are playing against other athletes who were studs at their high school. So, what I’m saying, is that you are an average stud at this level.” I went on to explain how that wasn’t a bad thing, but he was going to have to work harder to win and use his high tennis IQ and court presence to produce victories. I told him that he would have to lose that swagger and gain some humility, learn from his loss and mistakes, put it behind him and prepare for the next match.

He sat there and listened to me, agreed and seemed to understand. His next match was not in our area and I was not able to travel to go see him play. It was reported to me that he dismantled his opponent.

When we talked on the phone, he told me that it was almost as if he could do no wrong.  He said he was trying to think a few steps ahead rather than the shot right in front of him. He told me he thought the person he played was a better player but that he was a smarter player. I was so proud of him as he learned from his loss and improved his performance.

He went on to have a good career as a collegiate tennis player. But, more important, he is now a successful adult who has learned to accept defeat by learning from his mistakes and challenging himself to do better.

When I see him now, I don’t see that tall lanky tennis player who can whip a vicious forehand down the line like nobody’s business. I see a grown man facing life on his own terms because of what he has been able to accomplish in spite of any obstacles or challenges in front of him. Yep, that’s my boy!

So, what does this have to do with running an online business? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Last week we compared the tennis serve to a Hook in making video content. That is the first part in the viral video formula that has proven to be successful for many creating short video content on social media platforms like TikTok.

The next two parts of the formula are the Buildup and Delivery. Just like my son, my first videos had a few good hooks to get people engaged. However, after the hook, the buildup to my content and the delivery of what I hoped to say fell flat.

I couldn’t believe it! Why in the world would people not want to hear what I had to say? What I discovered was that I was not truly following the formula. I had this confident swagger.  I just knew I was going to get thousands of views and thousands of followers which would eventually lead to thousands of dollars from my video content.

I did have buildup, and I did deliver, but it just wasn’t quite what was needed to get to any viral status. I’m still working on it, but I believe my videos have gotten a little bit better as I practice. I often go back and watch some of my videos and critique them from a constructive standpoint and try to learn how I could have done better.

I watch other content creator videos and see what they do. I look at those that are not as successful so that I don’t mimic their habits and I pay close attention to those that do well. It’s a fine line for me. I want to do what successful content creators do but I don’t want to be just like them. I want to be me. I want to be authentic. And I’m still discovering how I can accomplish that with a lot of practice and a lot of effort.

I’m not there yet but I’m not losing 6-0 6-0 either. What I have discovered is that just like my son, when I get out in the real world, I’m just an average person trying to create content. What I don’t want to be is average. I want to be smart and leverage my abilities to help me become successful.

I have a long way to go but at least I have a road map. Here is some clarity about the buildup and delivery:

Buildup (Suspense)

  • Keeps viewers curious or engaged by building suspense after the Hook, asking a question, or setting up a situation.

Delivery (Payoff & Reaction)

  • Ends with a big moment, like a funny reveal, unexpected twist, emotional punch, or satisfying resolution.
  • Leaves the audience with a strong reaction—laughing, shocked, inspired, or wanting more.

For example:

  • Buildup: “You won’t believe what my grandma did at game night…”
  • Delivery: Cut to grandma flipping the table after losing a hand in poker. 😂

Now that I’m trying to closely follow this formula I am confident that it will produce the results that are crucial to ensuring my success. What about you? Do you follow a formula that produces results if you create video content? I’d love to hear what you do and how this has helped you earn your success.

Well, I’m off to make another video. Maybe one day it will be about me playing against my son and showing some of the highlights. If I do, it will certainly become an instant viral comedy when people see this old guy try and keep up with his son!

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

“Do or do not, there is no try.” – Yoda (Star Wars, George Lucas)

  And of course, a few VERY BAD Dad jokes:

I started a business making stairs…it’s a step in the right direction!

Why did the mailman become a motivational speaker? Because he always delivers!

Until next time, STAY FRESH, Friends!

 

 

 

**If you are curious about this process and wish to know more about an affiliate marketing business, please subscribe to my newsletter here to learn more.  And please continue following my blog.  My hope is not only to create the freedom I so long for but pass on what I have learned to others who have similar aspirations.

14 thoughts on “Game-Set-Match…”

  1. Hi, Ernie!
    I love your post! Your stories about your family are my favorites. You are such a wise, nurturing father and grandfather. Your description of the difference between build-up and delivery makes a lot of sense. I’m going to use your description to modify my strategy. Thank you for that!
    Nakina

    1. Hi Nakina – Thank you for your nice comments and for your visit to my post. I’m not so sure about me being wise, but I sure do love and appreciate my people and try to learn from every situation that I’m in. I watch your videos and read your blog, and you do fantastic and I love following you. Have a great day and a great week!

  2. Ernie, What a great post! Your story about your son’s journey on the tennis court beautifully parallels the challenges of creating meaningful content. I can relate to learning the hard way that initial confidence alone isn’t enough—humility, strategy, and consistent effort are key, whether on the court or in the content game. Like you, I’ve faced moments where I thought I had it all figured out, only to realise I needed to refine my approach and keep improving. Your breakdown of the Buildup and Delivery is spot-on, and it reminds me to focus on creating an emotional connection with my audience. Thanks for sharing such a relatable and insightful post—it’s motivating to see how perseverance and self-awareness can lead to growth both on and off the court! Atif

    1. Hi Atif – Confidence! Some people naturally have it and some people need to accept that they can get it with effort and the ability to appreciate one’s own natural gifts. Along with confidence is the other attributes you mentioned in your reply, and they are so key for not only business success but success as an individual. Thank you so much for your visit, your comments and following my blog post. Have a great day, my friend!

  3. I love that this is a follow on from your last blog post. As I mentioned previously I loved tennis at school, so I really enjoyed reading this (as I do every week!) It’s so inspiring to see how he turned that tough first match into a valuable life lesson—and then absolutely crushed it in the next one. Your advice about staying humble and learning from mistakes clearly hit home for him (and honestly, it’s something we all need to hear sometimes!).

    I also love how you tied this back to creating video content and building online success. That hook, buildup, and delivery formula makes so much sense—and the grandma table-flip example had me cracking up! 😂

    You’re right about finding the balance between learning from successful creators and staying authentic to yourself. It’s a tricky line to walk, but from watching your videos I know you’re doing an amazing job. I can’t wait to see the video of you playing your son—instant viral comedy gold, for sure! Keep going; you’re absolutely on the right path!

    1. Hi Sarah – Thank you for being such a loyal follower of my blog. The world to me that you read my stuff and take the time to comment with such kindness and value-added thoughts. Adding value is something that I try to do in each of my blog posts and I find the value and things that I have learned and experienced. That’s pretty much what I do, write about what I learned. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Have a fantastic day!

  4. Hi Ernie,

    What an inspiring story about your son and his journey on the tennis court! It’s amazing to see how he turned a tough loss into a valuable learning experience that helped him grow, both as a player and a person. I love how you connected his story to creating content, it’s a great reminder that practice, humility, and learning from mistakes are key to improvement.

    Your breakdown of the viral video formula is super helpful! I can see how they can really engage viewers. I struggle with all of it, but I try to show up every day. Thanks for sharing your insights and personal experiences, they’re really motivating. Keep up the great work, and good luck with your next video!

    Meredith

    1. Hi Meredith – Turning losses and overall challenges, in any situation, into something that can benefit needs to not only be intentional but accepted as a way to learn and grow. That’s what I try to do with this business and what I’ve tried to do with my life. I’m not always successful, but I do like it how I get to do a reset almost every time. Thank you for your comments and for your thoughts on the formula as I am determined to follow it to help ensure success. Have a great week!

  5. Wow, what an inspiring journey both on and off the tennis court! 🎾 It’s amazing how your son’s experience mirrored your own journey in content creation. Like you, he started out with confidence, only to realize that a little humility and a lot of hard work were needed to truly succeed. The connection between his growth as a tennis player and your growth as a content creator is so relatable—it’s all about learning from mistakes, refining your approach, and not being afraid to keep practicing and improving.

    I also love how you break down the “buildup” and “delivery” parts of the formula. That’s such an insightful way to think about video content. It’s not just about grabbing attention with a strong hook, but also how you keep people engaged and deliver that satisfying payoff. This has been challenging for me and something I hope to crack in 2025!

    Keep going, Ernie—your authenticity and willingness to learn will definitely pay off. And who knows, that video with your son might just be the viral hit you’re waiting for! 😄

    1. Hi Alison! You are so right and that learning from mistakes and making adjustments, big and small, will help us become successful. This last year was challenging for me and I’m looking forward to all of us being extremely successful in 2025. We just need to keep pressing forward, practicing patience and always willing to learn and just as needed. Thank you so much for your visit and comments to my blog post!

  6. Hi Ernie, I especially appreciate
    how your son was so receptive to your
    suggestions about humility. A component of true success rests in the practice of humility! Sports has always been the proving ground for such wisdom and so has entrepreneurial -ship.
    Video creation is a way to develop confidence in our own kindness and compassion. That’s what the world needs now.

    1. Kate – I truly appreciate your thoughts on humility. It is such unnecessary and vital trait to either naturally have or to develop. We all must have it as we look inwards to become better on the outside… whether in business or just general life. I also appreciate your constant outlook on kindness and compassion. I agree that’s what we all need, especially now. My goal is to make a difference to those around me, so that I am doing my part. Thanks for your visit to my blog post!

  7. Hi Ernie,

    What an inspiring and relatable story about your son’s journey on the tennis court! It’s fascinating how his experience mirrors the challenges of stepping into new territories, whether in sports or life. I love how you drew parallels between his growth and your own journey in creating video content. Embracing humility and learning from setbacks is such a powerful lesson for all of us, especially when pursuing new goals.

    Your insights about the viral video formula—building suspense and delivering a compelling payoff—are particularly valuable. It’s a great reminder that skill development is a continuous process, and practicing with intention can lead to improvement over time.

    I appreciate the encouragement to stay authentic while learning from others. It’s true that the best content often comes from being genuine and embracing our unique voices.

    Also, those dad jokes are a great touch to wrap up your post with humor! Looking forward to hearing more about your video-making experiences and perhaps a sneak peek of that match with your son one day!

    The Best Is Yet To Come!

    1. Hello – I always tried to be authentic in anything that I produce whether written, video, non-verbal, etc. I think so many people get caught up in trying to be someone else that they forget who they are has extreme value and can benefit some, if not many, others end their circle of influence. I am very hopeful that I follow this viral video formula closely as it will be key to my success as well as others. Thank you for your visit and your very kind comments. Have a great day, my friend!

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