Success doesn’t have a line.

No
matter how good we are, how long we wait, or how hard we hustle while we wait,
everyone’s career operates on a different clock. Much to our frustration, there’s
no democracy, no rational system of advancement and no standard set of rules
that determines when it’s our time to shine.

The
people who blow up aren’t necessarily better or more deserving than us. It’s
just that they were right person, in the right place, at the right time, with
the right product, in front of the right audience, with the right leverage.

Hootie
and the Blowfish was a group of unassuming, unpretentious everymen. But they
delivered emotionally charged, likeable, comforting pop songs in a music scene
that was dominated by cynical, anguished alternative rock anthems. And as a
result, their debut record became the fifteenth best selling album in history.

Timing
isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

And we
can bang our heads against the wall, resenting other people’s success,
wondering why them and not us, all day long. But a smarter investment of our
time would be to get over it, get back to work, get ourselves out there and get
ready to hop on the board when our wave comes.

Because
it might be a long time before what we do catches on.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Will you still be around when the world is ready for you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “157 Pieces of Contrarian Wisdom” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

In the world of freelancing, entrepreneurship and artistry, fear comes with
territory. And there are certain fears that are unique to our profession.

Financially, we fear the empty
calendar.It’s
a visual reminder of inactivity and, often times, an indication of financial
instability. Butwe alone control the
amount of work we do. We alone determine how busy we are.And if the fear of the work
drying up becomes very real and urgent,we
have to change the pattern. We have to stir the pot, leverage downtime, cut our
own path and find work for ourselves. Whatever it takes toposition
ourselves as someone worth paying attention to.

Creatively,
we fear the blocked brain.Compositional paralysis has ended more careers than rotator
cuff surgery. And when our work hinges on the ability to sit down and whip something
out of thin air, day after day, we have to become masters of our disinclination.
When the brain goes blank, we have to explore places where we’re complete
strangers. Throw ourselves into unfamiliar situations that demand a response.
This type of displacement provides colorful new dimensions to our work,
refilling the creative palette.

Physically, we fear the depleted
constitution.That we’re going to burn out and get
used up before our time, blowing our chances at a lifelong career. But ambition
doesn’t have tocarry
us away to an abyss of chaos. Not if we pace ourselves. Not if we reserve a
portion of our stamina to recover rapidly from disappointment. And even we if
we do experience the occasional bout of exhaustion, it’s better to burn out
than have no fire in the fist place.

Economically,
we fear the unwanted offering. There’s nothing more frightening than the prospect of
irrelevancy. That we’ll bare our soul, only to have the marketplace yawn at our
efforts.That’s why we ought to take a few
minutes each morning to remind ourselves why we rock. That the workwe create is necessary, relevant
and valuable to the marketplace. Armed with that attitude, fear will eventually
howl in protest and find somebody else to annoy.

Individually, we fear the jailed
expression. None
of us would have joined this freelance circus if we weren’tferociously
independent. That’s why we hired ourselves in the first place, for the freedom.
For the ability to turn our desks into cockpits.But minute we start asking permission, our lives are no
longer our own. The minute we start merchandising our souls to the highest
bigger, we’re toast. All we can hope is to stay surrounded by people who don’t
ask us to edit ourselves.

Egoically, we fear the rejected
deliverable.Because
we’re true professionals, the product people ask us to deliver only exists
because we’ve invested the time, money and energy to develop our capacity to
create it. So if the client doesn’t like it, if their face screams not
impressed, it feels like a spike to the heart. But if we’re smart, we build
expectational clarity early in the process. We telegraph our reliability by
delivering a series of small promises consistently, sowing a seed bed of future
understanding and delight.

The
thing about fear is, it’s not meant to be ignored – it’s meant to be invested.

There’s
nothing wrong with being scared.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What do you fear?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on
who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want
to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the
bottom of my heart.” —-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

Last week, I released eight new books, all for free.

The goal was to flip the digital bird to the mainstream publishing industry,
send a global message about the state of modern art and offer a thank you in
perpetuity to the audience that’s supported, shaped and stuck with me over the
past decade.

From a philosophical standpoint, I was ecstatic. The
outpouring of support and encouragement from my friends, fans, readers and
colleagues was tear worthy.

From a mechanical standpoint, I was frustrated. The downloading
problems, pricing issues and conflicting messaging confused a lot of people and
made me feel like a hypocrite.

But thanks to the generosity of my colleagues, especially
Daniel from The Ink Studio, most of
the digital kinks were worked out. And since my best way to cope is through
creation, I spent some time reflecting on the lessons learned during this
process.

Leading edge, bleeding
edge. When you’re the first in the industry to try something, sloppy
execution is inevitable. But it’s also forgivable. When people know that you
represent something important, they’re willing to overlook imperfection. If
your work creates spectacle, starts a movement, inspires a revolution, changes
popular culture, defines the norm and raises global consciousness, over time,
your mistakes will become a distant memory.

Failure isn’t fatal.
If you can’t fail, it doesn’t count. And
if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough. Fortunately,
failure is forgivable when you’ve already built a solid foundation of
goodwill with an audience who loves you. Odds are, when the shit hits the fan,
the people who matter most will respond from place of curiosity, not judgment.
Instead of complaining, they’ll reach out to make sure everything is okay and
find out how they can help.

Opening big is
overrated. Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness. In the
grand scheme of things, one isolated week that nobody remembers counts for absolutely
zilch when compared to the lifetime impact of a work of art. Especially now,
with the infinite shelf space, unlimited airtime and endless viewership of the
web. Nothing lives once anymore. It’s not about being a blockbuster, it’s about
busting through the blocks of resistance to make something worth making.

Feedback is the best
fuel. Every complaint is a chance to engage with your marketplace. It’s an
opportunity not to leave them hanging in a moment that counts. And it’s a tool
to make the business smarter. Especially when a barrage of criticism comes
crashing in. Try treating every new complaint as a piece of content. Literally
keep a tab. Then, embed those thoughts into your evolving apology topreempt
future dissatisfaction. This keeps a finger on the pulse of the problem and
builds greater empathy in your interactions.

When in doubt, create
a placeholder.Anything that’s a barrier to getting
your work in people’s hands is a problem. If the evil forces of technology
decide to screw up your launch, find a way to offer a standby version until the
problem is resolved. Give people something to nosh on while you’re scrambling
in the kitchen. Then, once you restore the issue, they can keep both. By
intentionally creating this service event, you deliver bonus value and come out
stronger than if nothing happened.

Compete
with yourself.Years ago, a colleague of mine advised
against writing too many books. He said they would cannibalize each other. But
in my experience, I found the opposite. Turns out, the best way to beat
the odds is with massive output. The best way to beat the competition
is by owning every team in the league. By releasing eight books on one day, I
put myself in a position where losing was a mathematical impossibility. I’m not
trying to get on the bestseller list, I’m trying to share what’s important to
me.

Anyway, that’s what I learned.

It’s not about the books, but the
person you become by writing them.

You can still get them for free right here.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

You don’t need more time, you need a better routine.

Here
are a few I’ve adopted over the years:

Set a reverse curfew.Make a daily bargain with
yourself that you will be out of the house by a certain time. Say, at the
coffee shop by ten. That way, you put yourself on a deadline. Otherwise your
morning will slip away.

Use rituals to carve a pathway.Set a daily appointment with
yourself to honor your work intention. Say, five minutes of meditation. That
way, your instrument is tuned for the world to move through me. Otherwise your motivation
will never hit the ground running.

Book blank time.Create silent intervals for
your personal reflection needs. Say, having coffee on the terrace. That way,
you can be alone with your own heart. Otherwise your thoughts never get a
chance to breathe.

Practice forced vomiting.Create a private container of
safety for emotional release. Say, writing morning pages. That way, you can
honor your inner reality. Otherwise you never dig deep enough to the find the
truth.

Install a micro accountability.Have a daily obligation that
meets your meaning quota. Say, publishing one blog post. That way, you’re never
condemned to a meaningless existence. Otherwise the anxiety of
inconsequentiality comes crashing in.

Seek mental decompression. Move the body so the mind can
disengage and renew. Say, going for a run. That way, the rhythmic, repetitive
action transfers the locus of your brain energy. Otherwise you never experience
a shift in headspace.

Take time to inhale.Expand your reservoir of human
experience by. Say, by eavesdropping on stranger conversations on public
transportation. Otherwise your perspective will continue to bounce off a thin
wall.

Instead
of trying to make more time, consider which routines you might adopt.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What have you declined this week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

You’re an artist.

You’ve chosen an uncertain path.

You’ve adopted an inconvenient lifestyle.

And you’ve decided to go your own way.

But if you want to arrive in one piece – and one peace – you
have to delete the amateurism out of your life.

This is the critical crossroads – the emotional turning
point – in the life of a young artist.

I’ve been there myself. I’m
still there myself.

And it turns out, when you’re ready to play for keeps; your
work will never be the same.

It’s time to show the world that your art isn’t just another
expensive hobby.

Dabbling is done.

Please welcome to the family:

Playing For Keeps:

A Young Artist’s Guide to Going Pro Without Going Broke

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

It’s all about increasing the probability.

Of getting noticed. Of getting remembered. Of getting what matters most.

And for a lot of
people right now, that means getting a job.

And after tens of thousands of conversations with professionals
worldwide, I’ve now written extensively on the relationship between
approachability and hireability.

This book is a compendium of that work.

Much of it comes from my regular column on www.theladders.com. If you haven’t had the
pleasure, they are the world’s largest community of professional job and job
seekers. Their amazing platform of more than four million users has secured
jobs for countless businesspeople worldwide. And because of their intelligent and
interactive community, this book has come to be.

Please welcome to the family:

You’re Not There To Answer Their Questions:

And Other Thoughts On Making Yourself More Hireable 

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

In 1957, the New York Herald Tribune published an article that changed everything.

The headline said it all:

“Doing business
without marketing is like winking in the dark.”

That sentence changed me forever.

Because no matter how smart you are, how valuable your
product is, or how hard you work – if the people who matter can’t see you, you
lose.

Visibility wins. 

To compete in an attention economy, sticking yourself out
there is the only option.

Please welcome to the family:

Winking In The Dark:

The End of Anonymity As We Know It

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a Winking In The Dark for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Eye candy.

It’s is an idiom of
physical attractiveness that means someone with high visual appeal, yet little or
no substance.

Brain candy.

It’s an idiom of
psychological attractiveness that means someone with high mental appeal and
significant substance.

Which one describes you?

Hopefully the latter, as it’s more enduring, more
attractive, more equitable, more marketing, more memorable and more
approachable. The best part is, eye candy eventually loses its flavor. But brain candy stays
sweet forever.

Please welcome to the family:

One Smoking Hot Piece of Brain Candy:

Beguiling Success by Building a Beautiful Mind

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]