“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 »
“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 »
“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 »
“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 »
“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 »
“When you stand alone and sell yourself, you can’t please everyone. But when you’re different, you can last.” – Don Rickles, Born May 8, 1926. There is no flavor that every tongue will find appealing. Hell, not even every taste bud on the same tongue will like every flavor it touches. But there are flavors
When Your Persona Is Your Product, You Must Give It a Flavor No One Else Has 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 »
“I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes.” – Edward Gibbon, Born Apr. 27, 1737. I’m really not qualified to give anyone financial advice. But here is some unqualified financial advice. For the freelancer or entrepreneur just starting out… freedom can cost less
The Overlooked Secret to Self-employed Freedom: Live Small Read More »
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci, Born Apr. 15, 1452. Y’all are making it too complicated. Drowning in options and possibilities? Start slapping some arbitrary limitations on yourself and see what you come up with. Innovation and elegance come from making the best solution out of what you have at hand. So
Over-complication Leads to Under-performance – So Simplify, Stupid Read More »
“If you’re too big to fit into fashion, then you just have to do your own fashion.” – Vivienne Westwood, Born Apr. 8, 1941. When I first went freelance and was trying to figure out this whole guruhood-as-a-business-model thing, I had a worry. What is going to be my “thing”? What is going to be
