I just went looking for the origin of the phrase “lightning in a bottle,” which is sadly lost in the mists of time. This post has a stamp of authority on it so particular to the British that I’ll consider the matter closed.
Which is a tangential side note to the major point of this blog post.
The whole notion of “viral” marketing – putting something out to the world that catches fire, gets shared millions of times over and elevates a product, brand, or idea to rock star status, has been likened to that “catching lightning in a bottle” idea.
It’s miraculous, unexpected, and utterly captivating, and the story of how it happened is often as compelling as the happening itself.
Our friend and uber-talented producer/sound supervisor Rick Sanchez of Post Haste Media just sent me this little note:
A story from the social media trenches. An ex-coworker writes a song, makes a video, posts it on YouTube on Jan. 1. It’s seen by Ashton Kutcher who then tweets about it to his million+ followers and in 4 days has over 20,000 views.
It’s early days yet in this story, but we’re going to be keeping an eye on how it progresses.
In the meantime, here’s the lesson for all of us, no matter what our business, passion, message, mission, or vision. It’s possible to catch lightning in a bottle, no matter how rare or random it might seem. Even if you’re not Ben Franklin. Or Ashton Kutcher.
From the mindset standpoint, here’s “all” you have to do:
1. Keep going out into the storm.
2. Stay consistent with your efforts.
3. Be open to trying new ways of making that magic happen.
That’s all…for now…updates as events warrant. 
