From Game to Fame.

Today’s Marketing cookie is about embracing the journey and managing the attention and praise that can come with success.

In 2011, my children surprised me with an unusual Christmas gift: an electric guitar, a special USB cable to connect the guitar to the Xbox, and a video game called Rocksmith that teaches you how to play.

I was hooked. I played the game tirelessly every day. Within the next five years, I had logged at least 5,000 hours into the game. Every Sunday morning, I played for my friends on Facebook, started a rock band program at work, and performed in several charity concerts each year.

One day, Rocksmith announced a 5th anniversary contest. They asked millions of their players to make a video sharing their Rocksmith story, with the promise that the lucky winner and a guest would be flown to San Francisco to play in a big rock show on stage with a live band. The show was to be hosted at Slims, a famous venue where a wide range of rock stars like Beck, Bruno Mars, Chaka Khan, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, George Clinton, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Prince, Radiohead, Sheryl Crow, and Snoop Dogg had played.

I submitted a video of my Rocksmith story and, a few weeks later, was informed that I had won the contest! About a month later, my wife and I flew to San Francisco. We had rehearsals at Fantasy Studios, where Journey, Santana, Green Day, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tony Bennett, and so many others had recorded their hit albums. At Slims, I waited in the greenroom until they called my name. Then the moment came. I walked on stage and played my heart out in front of 500 people. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Before and after the trip to San Francisco, the praise and support from my family, friends, and co-workers were overwhelming. I remember opening a conference room door for a colleague whose hands were full with her laptop and a cup of coffee. She said, “Thank you.” Then, as she walked into the room, she motioned back at me and remarked to the other meeting attendees, “A rockstar just opened the door for me.” Another added, “I feel like I know someone famous.” Something had changed—my co-workers and friends were treating me differently, and I wasn’t sure what to think about it.

A week after I returned home from San Francisco, a trade publication for the credit union industry heard about my concert experience and obtained a copy of my set list, which began with “Living On A Prayer.” The next day, they ran a headline that said, “PSCU Employee Plays On Stage With Bon Jovi.” Whoops!

Suddenly, I was getting hundreds of LinkedIn connection requests and congratulatory messages from complete strangers in the credit union industry. People asked if Bon Jovi was a nice guy or shared their experiences of attending his concerts. Coincidentally, a few days later, Bon Jovi played a fundraiser concert in Clearwater, FL, near where I lived. This prompted a second wave of LinkedIn messages and connection requests. Even though I asked the trade publication to issue a correction and told people I had never met Bon Jovi, they still approached me at credit union conferences to ask about him.

It's been several years since the Rocksmith concert adventure. As I reflect on the whole experience, I can say that during my very short-lived brush with fame, the praise, encouragement, and accolades from friends and strangers alike were quite flattering and absolutely overwhelming. People lifted me up, and at times, I felt like I was floating on air.

Eventually, people focused their attention on actual rock stars, and I was allowed to quietly coast back down to earth. While I noticed that my friends and colleagues treated me differently at that time, I hope I handled the praise well and followed the wisdom of today’s fortune that says, “Keep your feet on the ground even though friends flatter you.”