“The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well.” – Horace Walpole, Born Sep. 24, 1717. This is also a decent philosophy for thinking about your core content that you will use to build an audience around. You choose your central, main topic. And then […]
“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
Put a Pin in Those Excuses. Instead: Produce. Publish. Profit. Read More »
“There is no magic in all the world like that magic when you sell your first bit of writing.” – Rosamunde Pilcher, Born Sep. 22, 1924. Oh Rosamunde, you poor dear. The magic that exceeds your claim is the feeling when your words can sell things – yours or those produced by others – sell
If Your Wish is for Riches, Rub Pencil to Paper Instead of Polishing Magic Lamps Read More »
“The rules are simple. Take your work, but never yourself, seriously. Pour in the love and whatever skill you have, and it will come out.” – Chuck Jones, Born Sep. 21, 1912. So many people WANT success. But they don’t want to succeed. Because “succeed” is a verb, and that means you have to DO
“Success” can be a Dream, but SUCCEEDING is an Action Plan Read More »
“If you really don’t care what an audience thinks, make a home movie and show it on your wall.” – Ned Tanen, Born Sep. 20, 1931. Maybe some kind of artist types can get away with not caring what an audience thinks of their work. But most artists care. And business people definitely should care.
Caring About Customers, And Showing It In Writing, Are Two Different Things Read More »
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot, Born Sep. 19, 1888. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If you have a massive project, which will take days (if not weeks) to accomplish, many people lack the organization and willpower
Success Might Seem 1000 Miles Away, But How Many Miles Did You Walk Today? Read More »
“We’re living in primate heaven. We’re warm, dry, we’re not hungry, we don’t have fleas and ticks and infections. So why are we so miserable?” – Steven Pinker, Born Sep. 18, 1954. Why not, Steve? Because we are all damned with the inescapable knowledge of our own eventual demise. It’s a pants-shitting fear that constantly
Why We Buy: To Forget We Will Die Read More »
“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 »
