Shooting your shot means asking for something big even when a no is likely, then letting the other person decide. I got the idea to do it every week from TikTok posts where it seems to be a trend. I’m starting my own Friday asks on November 6, and this post is the plan plus my first ask.
Heads up: one link in this post is an affiliate link, so I earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. It’s for the labels the sticker sheet is sized for. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What does it mean to shoot your shot?
It means asking for the thing you want even when it feels a size too big for you, like a free stay, a guest spot or a meeting with someone you admire. You can’t get a yes on something you never asked for, so every ask you send is one more chance at one.
The weekly version of this comes from Alaina Booth’s F Around and Find Out series on TikTok. Every Friday she shoots her shot on something big and then tells her followers how it went. Hearing her go through what happened is the fun part, so I’ll let you watch it for yourself. Her series is the reason I made Big Ask Bingo, a free printable card of 24 big asks, and now I want to try the weekly version myself.
Why make a big ask when you’ll probably hear no?
I like to walk around thinking something amazing could happen at any moment, and big asks are how I get that feeling. Once an ask is out there, I get to wonder about it. It’s the same feeling I get after I enter a sweepstakes and catch myself thinking, “Oh my gosh, what if I won?”
Jobs are a good example for me. I’ve applied to a few jobs where I was reaching, and I didn’t get them. I still had a little window of time where I got to think about what would happen if I did. That window was fun, and it isn’t going to stop me from applying for the next one.
So when I picture a whole month of big asks, I’m not counting on every one of them coming through. I’m thinking, what if even one of them does? Or what if one of them opens a door to something smaller, something I didn’t ask for but wouldn’t have found without asking?
Can a big ask work out even if you don’t get what you asked for?
Yes, and those sideways results are some of my favorite parts of watching other people do this. Another creator, Angel (@creativelyange), shared her own version, and a few of her asks came back as something different from what she asked for. Her video is a good one to watch if you want to see how that plays out.
That’s the part of making big asks I believe in most. You get to pick what you ask for, but you don’t get to pick which door opens. Sometimes the yes comes from someone who only saw the ask in passing.
Isn’t it entitled to ask for big things?
Asking isn’t the same as expecting. I don’t think I’m owed a yes, and I won’t push when someone says no. I’m just being bold enough to say what I’d like, and then the other person gets to decide.
A good ask is easy to say no to. I keep mine short, say why I thought of that person, and don’t follow up five times. If the answer is no or nothing at all, I move on to the next Friday. Most of the people I’d ask are busy, and a quiet inbox usually means they’re busy, not that I did something wrong.
I believe the universe is paying attention, and I also believe you have to meet it halfway. Sending an ask is how I meet it halfway, instead of sitting still and hoping.
What’s my first Friday ask?
My first ask is to invite bigger creators to join my Jen Built It affiliate program, where they’d earn a commission for sharing the apps I’ve built. The program is new and it’s small, so asking creators with much bigger audiences than mine to sign on feels like a real stretch. If you’re curious how it works, I wrote about building the affiliate program on my other blog.
This week I’m making a list of creators whose audiences would get something out of my apps. On Friday, November 6, I’ll send each of them a private message or email. I’m not naming anyone here, because they didn’t sign up to be in a blog post.
I’ll keep making one big ask every Friday after this one. In about a month, I’ll write a follow-up post with every ask I made and what happened, including the no’s and the ones that never answered.
This week’s practice
Make your first Friday ask
- Write down one thing you’d love that feels a size too big for you right now.
- Next to it, write the name of one person or company who could say yes.
- Write the ask in three or four sentences: what you’d like, and why you thought of them.
- Send it on Friday, and write the date and the ask in your planner or notes app.
- Before the weekend’s over, pick next Friday’s ask. If you want ideas, the Big Ask Bingo card has 24 ideas.
I made a sticker sheet to go with this. Each Friday sticker says “My ask:” with a line to write it on, plus Yes, No and Not yet boxes to check once you hear back. They’re small enough to stick right on the Friday in your planner. There are 52, one for every Friday of the year, plus 8 for how it went, like “Got a reply” and “Proud I asked.”
Print them on Avery 5195 labels if you’ve got a laser printer, or Avery 8195 if you’ve got an inkjet. Avery lists both as the same template. Print at Actual Size (100%) so the stickers line up with the labels.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to shoot your shot?
Shooting your shot means asking for something you want even when a yes feels unlikely. That might be a pitch, a job application, a free stay or a meeting with someone you admire. You don’t control the answer, but you do control whether you ask.
What counts as a big ask?
A big ask is anything that feels a size too big to request, like a free stay, a podcast guest spot, a higher rate or a meeting with someone you admire. It’s big for you, not for anyone else. A small ask for one person is a huge one for someone else, and both count.
How do I make a big ask without sounding entitled?
Keep it short, say why you picked that person, and make it easy for them to say no. Asking isn’t demanding. If you hear no or nothing, thank them if they answered and move on to your next ask without pushing.
What if I don’t hear back from my big asks?
Silence is a normal answer, and it doesn’t mean the ask was a mistake. Give each ask a few weeks, then count it as quiet and keep going. The point of asking every week is that no single ask has to carry the whole thing. How to ask for what you want when a no still stings covers how I handle the no’s.
How often should I make a big ask?
Once a week is enough for most schedules. A set day, like Friday, turns it into a habit instead of something you wait to feel brave about. If weekly feels like too much, start with one a month and work up.
Where I am with this
My first Friday ask goes out on November 6, and I’ll report back in about a month with every ask and every answer. Shooting your shot once a week means there’s always something out there that could come through, and that’s the feeling I’m after. Pick yours before Friday.
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