“People on the outside think there’s something magical about writing, that you go up in the attic at midnight and cast the bones and come down in the morning with a story, but it isn’t like that. You sit in back of the typewriter and you work, and that’s all there is to it.” – […]
Either You’re Born a Writer or You Aren’t – But Going Pro Is a CHOICE Read More »
“If you do it right 51 percent of the time you will end up a hero.” – Alfred P. Sloan, Born May 23, 1875. I want you to know how low the bar is set. It’s set so low that primarily what it takes to succeed is basically just persistence. Whether by discipline, or by
How Much Can You Totally Screw Up and Still Be Successful? Read More »
“My real life helped me sell a lot of records.” – Christopher Wallace, Born May 21, 1972. In this age where “authenticity” is a buzzword, lots of brand wonks will tell you that what you need to do is just be yourself. Wrong, friendo. That skips a step. Step 1: Be awesome. Step 2: Be
How To Become Awesome Enough To Succeed Read More »
“An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore.” – Edward de Bono, Born May 19, 1933. If you want to be perceived as an expert in your field, the way to do it is not by actually accomplishing things
People Will Buy Ways To Work Faster So Invent Some Shortcuts To Sell Read More »
“Books are like a mirror. If an ass looks in, you can’t expect an angel to look out.” – B. C. Forbes, Born May 14, 1880. Sure, studying is good. But that book or video or course that is the hot new thing to buy? That’s not gonna change you. You’re not going to magically
Study Without Execution Is invisible And Intangible And Does Nothing For Anyone Read More »
“I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.” – Florence Nightingale, Born May 12, 1820. This quote can be taken as kind of funny – since for us, making words out of feelings IS the action that brings results. But let’s say that Flo
Productivity Hack: Shut Your Yap And Move Your Hands Instead Read More »
“The fact is, you don’t know what directing is until the sun is setting and you’ve got to get five shots and you’re only going to get two.” – David Fincher, Born May 10, 1962. One good thing I learned in art school is that a hard deadline is remarkably inspirational. You learn to make
Sunset Is Your Daily Deadline, So Make Hay While it Shines Read More »
“Everyone who achieves success in a great venture, solves each problem as they came to it.” – W. Clement Stone, Born May 4, 1902. Generally, Stone is full of shit. But this is a good quote, and true to boot. Preparation is good, but it will not remain intact in the face of executing those
Future Possible Problems Aren’t Real – Only Present Problems Deserve Attention Read More »
“A hero is one who knows how to hang on one minute longer.” – Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenber (aka Novalis), Born May 2, 1772. There is a lot of talk in our line of work of becoming an authority figure in a market – a recognized expert. And this quote speaks to the
Stick it Out, Take it Further, and Discover Something Worth Selling to Other Seekers Read More »
“I really don’t think records should be made in the manner where you sit and write, and when you’re finished writing, you start recording. That just seems conventional and old-fashioned to me.” – Jay Reatard, Born May 1, 1980. Writing for the internet, for yourself, is pretty fucking punk. You don’t have time to engineer
You’re Not a Classical Composer – You’re a Punk Rock Shredder Read More »
