You may have seen many of the billboards, painted buildings and banners around town with the hashtag #besomebody. I was curious what it meant but never took the time to actually investigate it. Then I met the man behind the movement, and my eyes were opened.
Kash Shaikh, an Austinite who helped bring the GoPro camera into existence, is one really inspirational guy.
You are reading “Chica About Town,” a blog by Vicky H. Sepulveda.
In his office located in east Austin, I listened to his story and the evolution of what started out in 2011 as a personal blog. In the vision area of the blog, the #BeSomebody, Inc. founder wrote: “I don’t really know what the hell this is or where we are going or where it’s going to lead but all I know is that I want to make people feel something. I want to be that spark that ignites the flame that everybody has inside of them.”
The purpose of #besomebody is truly quite simple: Be passionate, do what you love, and share the passion and positive energy with the rest of the world. In other words, the #besomebody team’s aim is to recreate the universe with passion at the center.
That’s why they have created a platform designed to help people unleash their passions. Better yet, the #besomebody app even helps people monetize those passions.
Kash Shaikh. Photo: Courtesy, #BeSomebody.
If you have ever thought of doing something different, like trying to become a writer, teach yourself photography, or hone your dancing skills, the #besomebody app can help. You can now book any experience through their interface and begin taking concrete steps toward enhancing what your knowledge.
Of course, sometimes life gets in the way of our dreams and we put them on the backburner. Another helpful feature of the #besomebody app is that it offers a community to bring you back when life sidetracks your dreams. Thanks to Kash and crew, now there is a place where people will encourage you to make your dreams come true. You can even give back, sharing some of your experiences to help inspire others. Remember it won’t be easy, but if you are doing what you love and sharing your passion with other people there is no limit to what you can do.
Kash told me there were many signs along the way that confirmed he was on the right path with #besomebody. One of the signs that really stuck with him was a stranger that Kash met one day who seemed to appear out of nowhere and leave just as suddenly. Kash said the stranger told him: “Sacrifice is just the first step. After the sacrifice comes the struggle, after the struggle comes the suffering, and then after you suffer then you will succeed.”
He realized that most people give up at the suffering stage. After all, let’s face it: Who likes to suffer? But Kash also understood that even while you’re suffering, you’re just one step away from success. That’s when you’ve got to “cover your ears to other people’s fears,” he said.
Our 60 minute conversation was truly one of the most inspirational of my life. I left Kash’s office believing I can make my dreams come true and inspire others to do the same. But, it wasn’t just that. Our brief conversation showed me that I can not only just inspire others, but I can help the people I come across make their own dreams come true.
Kash Shaikh. Photo: Courtesy, #BeSomebody.
“Do what you love and gift it away,” Kash told me. “I always say gift not give, because sometimes when you think about giving its good, but sometimes you give when you don’t want to. Sometimes you give because you feel obligated. Sometimes you give because you feel it’s the right thing to do. When you gift something it’s with purpose, an intention, and you do it with the explicit reason to make somebody feel good. And if you can do what you love and then gift it away to other people, it’s such a beautiful thing because you’re happy, you’re making other people happy, and then you are inspiring them to do the same thing.”
If more people followed this code, we could all truly #besomebody.
Cheers,
Chica
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Featured photo: Kash Shaikh speaks at TedX UWMilwaukee, via YouTube.
