“The wise man is he who knows the relative value of things.” – William Inge, Born Jun. 6, 1860. I’d be willing to say ALL value is perception based, and is therefore relative. And perception of value is based on RELATIVE comparisons rather than any objective absolutes. For example, something that costs $50 might seem […]
Proper Pricing is All Relative – Position Properly, Please Read More »
“An object imbued with intent – it has power, it’s treasure, we’re drawn to it. An object devoid of intent – it’s random, it’s imitative, it repels us. It’s like a piece of junk mail to be thrown away.” -John Hockenberry, Born Jun. 4, 1956. People seldom desire an object for the physical properties of
Stories Infect Anything They Touch With Value (If You Tell Them Right) Read More »
“No one can read with profit that which he cannot learn to read with pleasure.” – Thomas Hardy, Born Jun. 2, 1840. If you are someone trying to learn a thing for the purpose of improving yourself: don’t try to learn anything from someone boring. Don’t beat yourself up for not consuming and executing on
The Secret Tactic For Writing Engaging Work: Inside Read More »
“I guarantee you that two directors that are any good can take the same story, change the name of the characters, change the name of the town, and make an entirely different picture.” – Howard Hawks, Born May 30, 1896. I think Hawks is selling himself short. Anyone who is good at spinning tales can
Why Stories Are Infectious And What Makes Them So… Read More »
“The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton, Born May 29, 1874. The trite way to look at this quote is to see it as a claim by the traveler of superiority over the tourist. But what I want to tell you is that
Are You a Tourist In Your Niche, or a Traveler? Read More »
“If you wish to be loved, show more of your faults than your virtues.” – Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, Born May 25, 1803. Someone who is perceived to be predominantly virtuous is going to be well-liked. Admired, even. But also, such people are secretly resented. Because people always resent their superiors, at least a little bit.
People Secretly Loathe Perfect Heroes, And Deeply Love Flawed Ones Read More »
Serve the dinner backward, do anything – but for goodness sake, do something weird.” – Elsa Maxwell, Born May 24, 1883. There are two important parts in this lesson, but let’s talk about the obvious one first. I think a lot of people struggle unnecessarily because they try and do something completely creative, or completely
Be Weird, Work Weird, Succeed Weird – But Only a Little Bit Weird… Read More »
“I’m not famous; I am simply very well-known to certain people. Famous is something different.” – Anton Corbijn, Born May 20, 1955. Many seek fame when they get into this game. Some because they truly desire fame for its own sake. But many do only because they think it’s somehow required to succeed. But really,
How To Become An Influential Micro-celebrity (And Make Macro-money) Read More »
“If your mind is empty, it is ready for anything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” – Shunryu Suzuki, Born May 18, 1904. One of the big mistakes a lot of new consultants and beginning freelance service providers make is to overplay their hand. The prospect
Expertise Is Knowing What To Leave Out, Instead Of What Is Possible To Add In Read More »
“Guitar solos, to me, should be a really articulate way to make fun of guitar solos.” – Josh Homme, Born May 17, 1963. Dear little baby gurus. Let me tell you what the most valuable thing is when it comes to making yourself into a lasting – even generational – personality, loved and admired by
The Secret To Lasting Relevance Is Letting Yourself Be The Punchline Periodically Read More »
