We have recently been looking at the importance of each person creating a vision for his or her personal growth and financial progress. I believe that Jamaica’s future economic development will be dependent on the ability of all of us to take charge of our own destinies, instead of waiting around for someone else to create change.

An unfolding Internet phenomenon has substantiated my belief that one person with a passionate dream for a better life can influence others to join in the vision. Clifton Brown, resident of Mavis Bank, St Andrew, was interviewed on a local television news programme about the woes caused by the recent inclement weather in his community.

Whenever heavy rains fall, the Yallahs River overflows and becomes a raging current across several roadways, including the Robertsfield main road, leaving the citizens marooned. Brown explained that people had to pay to be carried over by skilled persons, or by trucks or buses which could manage the flow. He appealed for a bridge to be constructed to rectify this perennial problem.

The vision becomes viral

I am sure that Brown had no idea that his impassioned plea captured on the television show would have led to him achieving celebrity status. His enthusiastic speech drew out the creativity of a young university student, Kevin-Sean Hamilton, who used clips of his interview to make an amusing music video that spread quickly on the Internet.

This video, showcasing Brown’s unique speaking style and Hamilton’s inventive production, has received nearly half-a-million views on YouTube, has been featured on a comedy channel and even carried on an international TV station. Reporters and other persons have visited Brown’s district to find out more about the problem that motivated him to express his views so passionately.

In a few weeks, Brown’s catchy phrase — “Nobody canna cross it,” — has been repeated on thousands of lips and is regularly used in conversations. Enterprising persons have capitalised on his fame by creating T-shirts, playing the theme music at parties, using his story to promote events, and even creating a Facebook fan page in his honour.

While the entertainment value of the video may initially have been the driving force for its popularity, it has succeeded in dramatically highlighting the plight of the citizens of Mavis Bank, who have been suffering for decades. As he eloquently describes the challenges being faced and pleads for assistance, Brown’s desire to improve his community becomes infectious.

Others share in the vision

In response to Brown’s viral message, a Jamaican living in New York recently wrote a letter to The Jamaica Observer to express her support for his dream. Lavern McDonald indicated that diaspora support may provide a solution, as she declared, “Perhaps we may join together to actualise the remedy Mr Brown articulated: let us build the community of Robertsfield a bridge!”

McDonald envisioned that Jamaicans living on and off the island had enough financial wherewithal and technical know-how to bring this project to life. She advocated for a team comprising diaspora volunteers, local government personnel, businesses and civil society groups to contribute to a fund that will support the construction of a bridge.

Time will tell if Brown’s dream gone viral will lead to the fulfilment of his wish for the development of the infrastructure in his community. However, his story is a powerful testimony of how one person, fixated on purpose and filled with passion, has the potential to inspire thousands of people. Who says one person can’t make a difference?

Brown’s story shows that in today’s technologically-driven society, it is possible for ordinary persons without the benefit of big budgets to make others aware of their dreams. With the openness of the Internet, anyone with an original business idea or a progressive viewpoint is free to use this viral medium to spread a message.

What does it take to go viral?

Unlike traditional advertising in which a company creates promotional campaigns to sell you the perceived benefits of its products, viral marketing depends solely on the power of the social media and word of mouth. In the same way that a rumour spreads, messages become viral when one friend tells another, who passes it on to three or four; and very soon, the word is relayed to ever-expanding circles of acquaintances.

For your business or social idea to become viral, it must appeal to the sensibilities of many different people. This may be done by exposing human interest stories, providing exceptional comic relief, or creating a truly innovative solution that meets a long-held need. To take your dream viral, you have to be authentic, believable and likeable.

As Clifton Brown and his viral vision have demonstrated, you don’t have to have all the answers at first. Sometimes speaking up and making your voice heard, searching continually for someone to respond to your ideas, or just doing what you can with the resources you have in hand can be enough to start you on the road to progress.

Copyright © 2011 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, June 30, 2011

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Make your dreams happen in 2011

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Cherryl is a financial consultant and coach, founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.financiallyfreenetwork.com and www.financiallysmartonline.com. Contact Cherryl