How to Get Away With Embellishment: Admit To It Proudly!

Joseph Barber Lightfoot

“There is no persuasiveness more effectual than the transparency of a single heart, of a sincere life.” – Joseph Barber Lightfoot, Born Apr. 13, 1828. Let’s define a term temporarily for the purpose of this piece. I’m talking about your average bullshitter. And by “bullshitter” I mean the kind of person that is just always […]

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The Difference Between Fiction and Copy is in Where You Put the Confusion…

Scott Turow

“The purpose of narrative is to present us with complexity and ambiguity.” – Scott Turow, Born Apr. 12, 1949. Scott writes fiction, unlike us. But his point holds, because we DO use complexity and ambiguity. The purpose of narrative in copy is to give COMPLEXITY to the problem the prospect is facing. We give it

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Decide what to do, and do it now. End indecision and procrastination IMMEDIATELY.

George Canning

“Indecision and delays are the parents of failure.” – George Canning, Born Apr. 11, 1770. Do you have these problems? Procrastination? Overanalyzing? Thinking too much? Over-planning? Inability to just get started on your grand plans and possibilities? It all boils down to what old George is saying. Indecision, and delay. If you can’t decide WHAT

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To Gain Persuasive Power, Practice Practical Lying in Person…

Clare Boothe Luce

“Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.” – Clare Boothe Luce, Born Apr. 10, 1903. Lying is powerful. Whether you call it telling tales, self-delusion, pretending, make believe, whatever – if you want to get good at what we do, you need practice. If you want to

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Your Style Is Discovered Through Copying Others and Throwing Out What Doesn’t Work For You

Vivienne Westwood

“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

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Speaking Publicly is the Shortcut to Authority on Any Topic (If You Don’t Do It Wrong)

Lowell Thomas

“The ability to speak is a short cut to distinction. It puts a man in the limelight, raises him head and shoulders above the crowd.” – Lowell Thomas, Born Apr. 6, 1892. Getting on stage to teach copy at marketing events was easily the biggest factor in my rapid rise to recognition and success –

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The Secret of Creating Unique Material for Products, Content, Whatever, Etc…

Pharrell Williams

“You don’t know what people are looking for. What you know is what you feel like might be missing.” – Pharrell Williams, Born Apr. 5, 1973. Here is one that people always struggle with. Folks like us know we want to gather an audience, but we don’t know what will attract them, and what will

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Emergent Challenges Aren’t Obstacles, But Opportunities to Make Better Work

Andrei Tarkovsky

“An artist never works under ideal conditions. If they existed, his work wouldn’t exist, for the artist doesn’t live in a vacuum. Some sort of pressure must exist. The artist exists because the world is not perfect. Art would be useless if the world were perfect, as man wouldn’t look for harmony but would simply

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