“What counts isn’t the frame, it’s what you put in it.” – Otto Preminger, Dec. 5, 1906. I used to do it, too. Get caught up in whatever the next trend is, and think my fortune would be made by following suit. Write an ebook. Start a membership site. Do a joint venture launch. Then… Read More →
The Written Word Makes Audible Music in the Mind of the Reader
“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.” – Joseph Conrad, Born Dec. 3, 1857. This is why your work needs to read the way people speak. Because the mind’s ear… Read More →
Creation and Innovation Are Not the Only Way to Provide Value
“The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbours, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.” – Voltaire, Born Nov. 21, 1694. You don’t have to be an originator of ideas if you can be an effective communicator of ideas. Today… Read More →
The Illusion of Choice is Beneficial Oppression
“Language is legislation, speech is its code. We do not see the power which is in speech because we forget that all speech is a classification, and that all classifications are oppressive.” – Roland Barthes, born Nov. 12, 1915 Something vital to keep in mind when you are a persuasive writer is this: You are… Read More →
Winning Big Is Easier If You Rack Up Small Wins First
“Listen, if you don’t talk big game, you never get anywhere. If you don’t think big, you don’t get big. Some people call it egotistical, some people call it high hopes, some people call it confidence. It’s all in how you want to dissect it.” – Robert Van Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, Born Oct. 31,… Read More →
Make Them Get Their Hands Dirty if You Want to Sell Them More Dirt
“Within one hour of touching the brush to canvas for the first time, my students have a total, complete painting.” – Bob Ross, Born Oct. 29, 1942. This was Ross’s pitch. He empowered people who were intimidated to create art, and gave them the tools and shortcuts to get over that fear. Were the students’… Read More →
The Only Three Ingredients to Every Successful Human Endeavor In History (GUARANTEED)
“The tragedy of bold, forthright, industrious people is that they act so continuously without much thinking, that it becomes dry and empty.” – Brenda Ueland, Born Oct. 24, 1891. I’m so bored of the public positioning of “hustle” as a virtue, which one MUST pursue to find success. Success, to me, is a combination of… Read More →
The Secret of Making Sales Without Selling (Is To Distract People From Realizing You’ve Sold Them)
“I always aspire to that, where it feels like the film was made by the characters as opposed to the filmmakers. I try to be invisible.” – Spike Jonze, Born Oct. 22, 1969. When you create marketing messages for clients, it should be this way, too. You’re creating a message from the client to their… Read More →
One Sentence That Gives You The Keys to Your Reader’s Deepest Desires (And Unlocks Them for Money)
“Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.” – Eugene O’Neill, Born Oct. 16, 1888. This quote can give you a lot of insight into the consumer mindset. Let’s break it down. 1. Obsessed. That’s how people feel about the need to acquire… Read More →
An Education in Bad Language for the Beginning Potty-Mouth
“I just sit at a typewriter and curse a bit.” – P. G. Wodehouse, Born Oct. 15, 1881. Oh, Pelly-boy, that may have cut the mustard back in your time, but these days you have to be a complete artist. Cursing is when you wish ill upon your enemies. As in, I pray to White… Read More →
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