“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 […]
Become Yourself By Imitating All Your Heroes At Once Read More »
“A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.” – James Cash Penney, Born Sep. 16, 1875. Well, J. Cash, I think times have changed. Service is still key. But you no longer need to be concerned with serving “the public” at large. We
Figure Out Who You Will Serve, And Then Satisfy Them (Fully and Repeatedly) Read More »
“I finally got to the point where I decided I don’t care if it’s good art or bad art – it’s what I do. I enjoy doing it, and people like it.” – Margaret Keane, Born Sept. 15, 1927. There is a fear when people start a freelance career, especially in a field like copywriting.
The Only Opinions About Your Copy That Matter Are… Read More »
“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
Worry Less About Being Unique, Just Focus on Being Good (By Just Doing Good) Read More »
“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
Modern Tech Makes Many of Your Perceived Limits Into Bullshittery Read More »
“I can’t write without that urgency. Something is wrong if it takes more than five days to finish a screenplay. A story created this way will always be full of life.” – Werner Herzog, Born Sep. 5, 1942. Whatever you’re working on, you’re probably taking too long. Do it faster. Stop honking around. Focus on
If You Want to Write Better, Practice Writing Faster Read More »
“I think it’s healthy for a person to be nervous. It means you care – that you work hard and want to give a great performance. You just have to channel that nervous energy into the show.” – Beyoncé Knowles, Born Sep. 4, 1981. When I mentor people or consult with them, I frequently hear
How To Overcome Impostor Syndrome Forever: Kick It In the Jim-Jams and Bolt Past It Read More »
“If thinking men are few, they are for that reason all the more powerful. Let no man imagine that he has no influence. Whoever he may be, and wherever he may be placed, the man who thinks becomes a light and a power.” – Henry George, Born Sep. 2, 1839. Most people hate to think.
Use That Big Beautiful Brain to Build Your Business (Because Almost No One Else Does) Read More »
“Teaching is really very, very important. I always tell my students that you should find an opportunity to teach. When you teach others, you teach yourself.” – Itzhak Perlman, Born Aug. 31, 1945. This is really the core of what I’ve built my own business around. Plenty of others have, too. Hell. Entire multi-billion dollar
The Easiest Way to Internalize What You Learn (And Grow Your Audience, Too) Read More »
“One should never write down or up to people, but out of yourself.” – Christopher Isherwood, Born Aug. 26, 1904. Here is a magical shortcut to becoming a good writer. Learn to dictate. You don’t have to use digital dictation tools, but you could. I do sometimes. What I mean is to simply compose your
Sneakiest “Hack” For Writing That Creates Easy Reading Read More »
