Michael Uslan’s Inspirational Speech

A couple of hours ago I saw Michael Uslan talk about how he transformed his love for comic books into a full-fledged career in comic book writing and movie making (he’s the  executive producer behind the Batman movies).

Uslan talked about some really interesting things that I found really inspiring:

1. It’s worth following your passion even when it’s something unusual or even weird: People thought Uslan was crazy when he wanted to create a comic books course at Indiana University and when he wanted to buy the rights to Batman comics. But he knew it was his passion, and he’d find a way to turn that comic book into movies.

2. Even as you follow your passion, don’t forget to put your family first: Uslan and his wife raised their family in NJ, near his parents, rather than Beverly Hills. In the short term, it meant that he had to spend a week per month in LA, doing 10 meetings a day. But in the long run, it meant that his children were well settled, grounded, and  close to their grandparents.

3. 95 percent of people wait for opportunities to come to them; be part of the 5 percent that gets up and does something: This was an epiphany for me. It always seems as if you’re competing with SO many people to get a job or an opportunity, but it really is a small handful who’re focused, dedicated and want to get somewhere, who you’re competing with.

I have one beef with Uslan though: he’s the guy who wrote the Archie Comic series where Archie chooses Veronica! How awful. I sided with Betty all the way.

All in all, very awesome. If he ever speaks at a venue near you, make sure to go.