How Not to Be a Chicken

Zack Greenfield • December 21, 2021

Today I want to go over something that really hits home for me and for a lot of others, and that's how not to be chicken. So stick with me and we're gonna go over bravery courage and how to avoid being and losing out on great opportunities. 

So this came about a couple of different ways for me this week. I was teaching a class at the local college and one of the topics that came up is being bold and differentiating yourself. And it occurred to me, after I was told that I was being a chicken this week, that it was easy for me to get up in front of the class and say - be bold and be ready to differentiate yourself. But that also can be really unnerving and take a lot of courage. And sometimes when those situations present themselves, we all can get a little chicken.

There are some times that I'm a chicken just like everybody else. And here's the way I think about it. I think going in the right direction, you really need to think how big the opportunity is like what's in front of you, what's at stake if you're able to find some bravery, right? So if you're able to dig down and set aside your fears and your worries about whatever the outcome might be in balance of the fact that there might be this amazing opportunity for you, then it sort of feels like more of an equation that makes logical sense. And maybe that's not really like the emotional pathway to getting it resolved, but a lot of these things in life are just that we need to apply some logic to calm our emotions down. 

And so, you know, from a marketing perspective or even in your personal life, there are moments when we need to stand up and be bold and we need to be brave and we need to seize the opportunities that are in front of us. In order to do that, we need to set aside some of those like reservations and self doubt, fear and all that sort of little voices in our head. And I think one of the best ways to do do that is to apply some logic to it. Some, you know, practical information, which is - how big is this chance that I might be forgoing if I let these emotions take over and run me in this moment. Right? And if the opportunity really is meaningful for you, then it's time to set those emotions aside and be bold and hold of the courageous person inside of you and run with that. 

So in the past, when I've had my moment to being chicken, those are the thoughts, what am I missing out on here? Or, how can I seize this and put that to bed? So it might be a public speaking event, it might be making a video for your business, it might be standing up and teaching, it might be putting your name on something, or a project at work or taking credit for something. And a lot of times those are great opportunities for us, and we need to just be bold and have courage. So I wish you the best of luck of getting up and meeting your own greatness, and being brave in all of your endeavors.
GET HELP TODAY
By Zack Greenfield • September 29, 2026
Every missed call is a missed paycheck. Discover how Scottsdale service businesses — restaurants, medical practices, and more — are using AI receptionists to stop losing customers to voicemail 24/7.
Three colleagues in a meeting, one pointing at a laptop screen in a bright office by a window.
By Zack Greenfield • September 22, 2026
AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are replacing Google searches — and if your Scottsdale business isn't optimized for them, you're already losing customers. Here's how GEO works and what to do about it.
By Zack Greenfield • September 18, 2026
Your website traffic didn't fall off a cliff by accident. AI Overviews are answering your customers' questions before they ever click. Here's how Scottsdale business owners can fight back and recover lost leads.
By Zack Greenfield • September 17, 2026
Running a med spa in Northern, AZ and tired of being outranked by spas in Scottsdale? Here's the straightforward marketing guide you actually need to attract more clients locally.
By Zack Greenfield • September 15, 2026
Discover how AI chatbot customer service can help local service businesses in Scottsdale capture leads, answer FAQs, and book appointments 24/7 — without hiring another person.
By Zack Greenfield • September 8, 2026
Posting beautiful food photos but still seeing empty tables? Your Instagram strategy isn't the problem — your local discovery strategy is. Here's how Scottsdale restaurants fix it.
People working on laptops in a bright café with large windows and indoor plants
By Zack Greenfield • August 28, 2026
Your website isn't the first thing people see anymore — your Google Business Profile is. Learn how to optimize your GBP for AI-driven local search in 2026 and stop losing customers to competitors who figured this out before you.
By Zack Greenfield • August 18, 2026
Tired of marketing that doesn't move the needle? Discover what a medical practice marketing agency in Scottsdale should actually be doing to grow your patient base, dominate local search, and stop wasting your budget.
By Zack Greenfield • August 13, 2026
Still running your Scottsdale business on gut instinct and spreadsheets? Intelligent System as a Service gives small businesses enterprise-level marketing power without the enterprise-level headache. Here's how it works.
By Zack Greenfield • August 12, 2026
Explore why 2025 is the year AI agents dominate marketing. See how to leverage agentic automation for smarter, faster business growth.
Show More