WARNING. If you’re an animal lover and haven’t heard of Roman McConn yet, get ready to cry. Don’t worry, I promise it won’t be a bad cry. It’ll be a good cry, the kind you needed today, the kind we need everyday, the type of tears the whole world needs more of. But still, you’re definitely going to cry all the same, so don’t act like I didn’t warn you.
Roman McConn, a seven year old little boy from Georgia, is the ASPCA’s 2018 Kid of the Year. In 2016 he started the non-profit Project Freedom Ride with his mom. Their mission is to rescue dogs from kill shelters in Texas and find them homes with families in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2016, they’ve saved and found homes for over 1,400 dogs.
Roman is an inspiration. From the moment you see him, you can tell this is a child with a special spark. It’s not simply his enthusiastic energy, he has a deep inner sensitivity to him as well that shines through in every interaction. Watching him on screen I found myself immediately trusting him, no artifice or mask to penetrate, just a little boy who was sincerely passionate about his already defined mission in life. This I eventually realized is the genius of Roman McConn. He’s a fucking amazing salesman.
One of Roman’s strategies for getting animals adopted is to make videos with them. He’s not the first person to try this tactic, but he’s almost certainly the most successful. Every animal that Roman’s ever made a video for has gotten adopted. Every. Single. One. For those who are mathematically challenged like myself that means Roman McConn has a one hundred percent success rate. He makes every shot he takes (even LeBron can’t say that). It’s truly staggering to think about. Roman is like the Billy Mays of dog adoption. He’s gotten to the point where it’s not about the actual product he’s selling, but it’s about who is selling it. People like Roman. People trust Roman. People want to say they got one of “Roman’s dogs”. It’s gotten to the point where people will adopt dogs sight unseen simply because they know that Roman has vetted them. Can you imagine doing that with any other product? Clothing? Furniture? I mean, even before seeing a movie, who doesn’t watch the trailer first?
This in a nutshell is the power of video. It connects us in ways that pictures and text never can. Roman’s videos also teach us that pure passion and authenticity will always nourish the viewers soul more than the empty calories of hollow cinematic flash. Roman’s videos are simple in their delivery. The videos are handheld, shot on an iPhone, just Roman and the animal. He doesn’t need digital bells and whistles to sell this product. He just needs your attention. Because after watching for thirty seconds you can tell his feelings and words are genuine. This little boy LOVES this animal. And he wants you to love it just as much. And you do. Every time.
Since winning the award from the ASPCA, Roman announced his new goal of getting every stray dog in America adopted (Put this kid in the Oval already, he has my vote ). He appeared on Ellen where she gifted him a $20,000 check to help with this mission. Whether Roman eventually completes this ambitious goal or not, it clear that he’s going to do a lot of good for a very long time to come. This all got me thinking about how Roman’s marketing tactics and innocent wisdom could be transferred to other important issues. Child Adoption, Homeless Employment, Refugee Families, the list goes on. All critical issues that need their own Roman McConn to shine a light and lead the way. A seven year old has shown the world the power of video when employed with genuine joy, unbridled passion, and commitment to improving society.
Which makes one ask the toughest question of all… What’s stopping you from doing the same?
written by:
Janice Smith
Owner, Storyteller, & Chief Dog Lover