Waiting to be invited for that interview? Or to write a guest post? Or maybe just to a party? Try this.

Hoping it might happen one day? You might be noticed, called upon or even called?

It’s passive. It’s not active. How can you turn around the tables so you’re making the calls? Not just the phone calls, but you’re calling the shots?

That’s exactly it: turn the tables. Be the interviewer.Write the post. Throw the party.

Do what you’re hoping to be asked to do before you’re asked to do it. Show whomever it is you’re trying to impress that you can already do what they might not be aware that you can do and show them that you’ve done it.

1. Interview them: figure out a way to interview the person you’d like to be interviewed by. You obviously know them or about them, get creative on a way to interview them. One possible outcome is that they decline, but offer to interview you. Score.
2. Write the post (elsewhere): maybe it’s not your #1 idea that you’d like to pitch, but #2 or #3. Show them that you can do it and that you’ve already done it. Even boast about how you’ve done it for someone else but you could possibly do it for them as well.
3. Everyone wants to be invited to a party: it doesn’t even matter if they come. Just throw a party and invite those you’re hoping to be invited by. If that doesn’t do the trick, here’s a nuclear option: throw another party. Worst case? Other people invite you to their parties.

It’s one of those things that’s simple but not easy. It takes courage and guts and a bit of overcoming your fears. Think about what it is you really want, but then think about what it might be that they really want. See if you can overlap those circles and focus there.