“Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.” – Malcolm Forbes, Born Aug. 19, 1917. You know what makes diamonds? Start with carbon. That’s you. You’re mostly carbon. Carbon based life forms, they call us. And then you add two ingredients: pressure and time. In the bowels of the earth, […]
Conquering Challenging Work Is How You Increase Your Awesomeness Read More »
“If there is some art involved, I’d like it to be that it came through the cracks of daily work.” – Martin Mull, Born Aug. 18, 1943. Routine is important. Consistency is important. You want to be elbow deep in work when the muse shows up with inspiration. Because she won’t wait for you to
Be Busy When the Muse Arrives Or Else She Stops Coming By Read More »
“A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.” – Samuel Goldwyn, Born Aug. 17, 1882. Are you getting too caught up in the details of your project? The little things. Tripping over word selection. Alliterative names. Logo design. Etc. If you are even thinking about that stuff before the core
The Emperor Doesn’t Need New Clothes if He Is Buff and Badass Read More »
“Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sister star in it. Put your name on it as director. Now you’re a director. Everything after that you’re just negotiating your budget and your fee.” – James Cameron, Born Aug. 16, 1954. People
Call the Copy Cops to Check This Guy’s License!! Read More »
“Real success is being totally indulgent about your own trip. You put your blinders on about the garbage and go full speed ahead.” – Betsey Johnson, Born Aug. 10, 1942. Are you doing what you really want to do with your business and/or career? Or are you just chasing the money? Hey, money is good.
“Their” Understanding Is Not Required For YOUR Success Read More »
“Play is the answer to the question, ‘How does anything new come about?’” – Jean Piaget, Born Aug. 9, 1896. One of the wonderful things about working in marketing and advertising – especially the creative end of the business – is that you get paid to play. But even though it’s play, you have to
Play With Your Work And Uncover Hidden Treasure Read More »
“I do a lot of things for effect, which is not to say I am superficial, but that I know how to put ideas across.” – Sebastian Horsley, Born Aug. 8, 1962. Our job is to put ideas across. And to that end, we need to be deliberate about our use of every possible aspect
On Presentation: Be Deliberate, Never Accidental Read More »
“Whether you’re a programmer or a seamstress, it’s all about new techniques, simplifying old techniques, and consolidating steps. Making things go faster – but not worse.” – Martha Stewart, Born Aug. 3, 1941. Whatever it is you do more than once, you should always be looking for efficiencies and tricks to make that task easier
Never Do Anything The Hard Way Twice – Simplify It the Second Time Through Read More »
“I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.” – Yves Saint Laurent, Born Aug. 1, 1936. You ever suffer from making things too damn complicated? Too specialized? Too refined and too hard to adapt? That can make it seem like you
Blue Jeans: The Secret of Replicability, Scalability, and Success Read More »
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” – Henry Ford, Born Jul. 30, 1863. Everyone knows this. It seems like something Ford would have said as a throwaway, knowing he pioneered assembly line manufacturing. But don’t let this one slide by without considering it. Every big, ambitious project that you want
Build Your Fortune As You Build Your Business: Word by Word Read More »
