I write things
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When People Who Aren’t Your Target Market Read Your Work
It was midday when I saw it. His name came through and I thought, “Whoa. I am a big deal now.” Like an idiot, I was still getting every email subscription notification sent to me personally and was watching them come in like a teenager waiting for her crush to call. I barely had 200 (…)
The 5 Best Marketing Blogs That Will Make You A Better Marketer
When it comes to marketing, there is a lot of content out there. But there aren’t many platforms that consistently provide high-quality content year after year. As someone who’s spent the better part of the last decade reading marketing blogs, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing an enticing headline that immediately lets you down once you get to the content. (…)
The New Rules of Gift Giving
It was awkward. The couch was sweaty. Probably because I was nervous. I don’t know. All I knew was it was uncomfortable. We’d decided not to do gifts that holiday season. It felt like a scene out of 20th century England. No one said anything directly, but their faces were judging us. We’d made a (…)
The Dangerous Problem of Lazy Content
There’s a scene in the new Ghostbuster’s movie where Abby points to the reality TV show “Ghost Hunters” and goes, “See! This is why people don’t take us seriously!” That’s how I feel every time I open my browser and see headlines like “3 Ways To Make More Money By the Holidays.” It’s not a bad headline. On the contrary, (…)
Why Good People Need To Get Comfortable With Wealth And Power
At the end of every Tim Ferriss Show episode, Tim asks his guests the same question: “When you think of the word ‘successful,’ who is the first person that comes to mind and why?” Listeners love it when the guest says, “My father. He worked 40 hour days at the car shop, didn’t speak any English, (…)
Kevin Smith’s Advice On Content Contradicts Everything You’ve Ever Read
Usually, when you have a celebrity at a niche conference it’s the event organizer’s way of apologizing for the lack of good content. “Don’t come for the marketing stuff, come see Mandy Moore!” #facepalm That’s how I felt about Kevin Smith, who was the keynote at Converted this week. Turns out, I was wrong. At 4:45 PM, (…)
Why You Shouldn’t Have a Marketing Department (Have This Instead)
You know how you aggressively brush your teeth the night before a dentist appointment? Like, if you just brush REALLY hard, your dentist won’t notice that you haven’t been flossing those back teeth for months. It never works. Your dentist always notices because she’s a dentist. It’s her job to know you’ve been half-assing your (…)
The Real Reason Things Go Viral (It’s Not The Algorithm)
For 24 hours this week, I lost my mind. I read this article and my brain went, “STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. TELL EVERYONE TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!!” like it was some sort of content emergency (it wasn’t). Text. Email. Slack. Heck, I’m sharing it with you right now. Turns out, 49,000 other people also lost their (…)
Why It’s Not Enough To Follow Your Bliss
Been hearing a lot of “Do what you love and the money will come” bromides lately. Build the audience first, worry about sales later Love your customers, don’t focus on metrics Follow your passion and the money will find you No. No no no nonononononononoooooooooooo Money doesn’t “come.” It doesn’t find you. It doesn’t fall (…)
This Is What Happens When You Let Other People Get In Your Head
This week I’m in Houston staying with my parents because I’m a great daughter and winner of all brownie points. I was meeting a friend for dinner when my mother said, “I’m not sure you should take the car. You haven’t driven in a while.” She was right. Living just outside Manhattan I never drive, (…)