I see a lot of blogs and Facebook conversations about “earning the income you deserve” and “charging what you’re worth.”
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Blog post vs. email — the death match
What should go in my emails and what should go on the blog? Can they overlap? Should they be the same, or different? I struggled with this one for a long time. Here’s what I used to do:
KEEP READINGHow to sell art, photography, jewelry, luxury goods, entertainment, cupcakes, and anything else that doesn’t "solve a problem."
Have you noticed this? Entrepreneurs* love to get on the digital soapbox and yell, “YOU HAVE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM! IF YOU DON’T SOLVE A PROBLEM, YOU DON’T HAVE A BUSINESS.”
KEEP READINGHow to tap your talent
At my first job that didn’t involve cutting lemon wedges and pouring draught Beer for drunk, off-duty doormen, my father came to meet me one day for lunch.
KEEP READINGDO be all "look at me!" (How to be a leader and a star)
There’s this woman Georgia in my dance class — by that, I mean my instructor Cebo’s dance class, which I take, not teach — who’s amazing.
KEEP READINGHow to keep it real when you "blow up"
When I was on the final panel at Unfair Advantage Live a woman asked a question I didn’t think she had to worry about.
KEEP READINGMake your name by doing the unsexy work. (AKA Puff Is Pissed, AKA Grownups Eating Ice Cream And Crying)
At the company off-site, they had tubs of ice cream waiting for us first thing in the morning. Breakfast of cry-babies.
KEEP READINGHow to follow up without being a nagging, passive-aggressive psycho
I had a housemate in college who’d leave messages on my answering machine like this: BEEEP! “Hey, just checking in, I was just wondering what you were planning to do with the spaghetti pot and some of the other stuff you left out on the counter. I’d clean them myself, it’s no big deal, but with […]
KEEP READINGAfraid to repeat yourself? Take a tip from every dumb ’80s sitcom.
It’s not just me, right? I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s rewritten a perfectly good talk because one person – repeat, ONE PERSON – who’ll be in the audience was there last time and heard it already. (I’m not, right?) And lord knows it’s not only me who’s thought, “Oh no, what if […]
KEEP READINGEasiest money you ever made?
The easiest buck I ever made was in 1994. Before I tell you what the job was, let’s talk about easy money. I often see business coaches posing this question: “Do you feel guilty charging for work that feels easy?” They post it on Facebook and Twitter, offering to help people break through this so-called “money […]
KEEP READINGHow to create valuable content (it’s not what you think)
“Add value.” “Deliver value.” “Provide massive value.” It’s not a new word, this “value.” But if you’re new to the online marketing space (AKA “The Space”) you might be newly inundated with it. ‘Round these parts, they use it out the ying-yang. “If you want people to buy from you, get known for delivering tons of […]
KEEP READINGHow to promote yourself on social media without annoying the shit out of your friends
“You have to put yourself out there!” “If you don’t promote yourself, you’re stealing from those who need you!” “Marketing and selling are an act of service.” You’ve probably heard these things. They’re all true. You might’ve also heard: “If your friends are annoyed by your success, they don’t deserve to be in your life.” […]
KEEP READINGThe F-word I don’t use (and maybe you shouldn’t, either)
“Are you a freelancer?” When someone asks that, I nod yes-ish and answer, “I have a copywriting business.” I’ll call myself a consultant, a professional copywriter, an independent contractor. I’ll say I’m for hire. A free agent. Available for projects. A business owner. But I don’t say “freelancer.” Why? Because it sounds poor. Poor, and […]
KEEP READINGThis one’s for the late bloomers.
It’s my birthday! [Update: It was. When I wrote this. If you’re reading this on October 30th, it is again!] I was supposed to arrive on October 25th. My mom took a chance and went to a Bar Mitzvah on the due date. There’s a picture of her in the parking lot of a synagogue, […]
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