“People ask me how far I’ve come. And I tell them twelve feet: from the audience to the stage.” – David Lee Roth, Born Oct. 10, 1954. This one is for the little baby gurus out there. The people who want to become a “somebody” in their field, turn their experience and knowledge into content… Read More →
Decide What You Want To Be and Then Tell Everyone All the Time
“In America, the race goes to the loud, the solemn, the hustler. If you think you’re a great writer, you must say that you are.” – Gore Vidal, Born Oct. 3, 1925. If you write copy for a living, this is something you should know. The people hiring you don’t know if your copy is… Read More →
Avoid Idiots In Your Business and Life By Earning the Power of “No”
“I never invite idiots to my house.” – Elizabeth Montagu, Born Oct. 2, 1718. I’m not saying they don’t squeak in from time to time, but I try to run this “cult” community of ours as an idiot-free environment. And I’ve tried to create products and content at my own level, rather than aiming at… Read More →
Writing Even Your Brain Farts Down Will Change Your Life
“For my stand-up, I always have my notebook with me and if something strikes me, I’ll write it down.” – Janeane Garofalo, Born Sep. 28, 1964. Some of these essays go for deep, profound quotations. But this one is just a great, compact piece of professional advice that will have a PROFOUND impact on your… Read More →
It’s Easy to Stand Out When Everyone Else is a Copycat of Some Long-Dead “Guru”
“Is it not dangerous to have students study together for years, copying the same models and approximately the same path?” – Theodore Gericault, Born Sep. 26, 1791. People who study marketing WITHOUT doing much ACTUAL marketing will all learn the same way. They read the same books. They copy the same winning ads. They learn… Read More →
Stuff You Choose Today Must Bear Fruit in the Future (Or Else Don’t Waste Time)
“I started doing ’30 Rock’ and started writing ‘Mystery Team’ at the beginning of that. While I was doing ‘Mystery Team,’ I started practicing stand-up. While I was doing stand up, I got ‘Community.’ It’s like I planted trees six years ago, and now they have fruit.” – Donald Glover, Born Sep. 25, 1983. Here… Read More →
Put a Pin in Those Excuses. Instead: Produce. Publish. Profit.
“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere.” – John Coltrane, Born Sep. 23, 1926. Don’t let anything be an excuse that keeps you from doing what you want to do. “I only have an hour a day.” “I need a better computer.” “I’m working on my game plan.” “I was busy this weekend.” “I… Read More →
Become Yourself By Imitating All Your Heroes At Once
“I was a pretty good imitator of Roy Acuff, but then I found out they already had a Roy Acuff, so I started singin’ like myself.” – Hank Williams, Born Sep. 17, 1923. When you get started in a field you want to pursue, it’s completely valid to begin as an imitator of the most… Read More →
Worry Less About Being Unique, Just Focus on Being Good (By Just Doing Good)
“Don’t try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough.” – Arthur Freed, Born Sept. 9, 1894. I don’t know that I agree exactly with this. Being different can definitely be valuable. But I don’t think you have to worry about being unique or special in that way when you’re starting… Read More →
Modern Tech Makes Many of Your Perceived Limits Into Bullshittery
“But the power of science lies in open publication, which, with the rise of the Internet, is no longer constrained by the price of paper.” – Michael Shermer, Born Sep. 8, 1954. This technological fact of publication has changed the face of advertising, too. No more paying for printing prep. No more collating. No more… Read More →