Ideas are free, execution is priceless.

That’s been my mantra since day one of starting my business.

It’s also the title of a book I wrote a few years back. You can download it for free here.

But here’s the problem. I’m an idea junkie. Everything I look at in the world breaks down into a collection of ideas. I have about fifty new ones every day, and sadly, I can only execute so many of them. Even if I had all the resources and all the time in the world, I still wouldn’t be able to keep up with the whirlwind of insanity that gusts through my brain.

And that’s where you come in.

I believe ideas were never meant to stay that way. And so, in this new blog series, I’m going to be publishing a sample of them on a weekly basis, in the hopes that they inspire you to (a) execute them, (b) improve them, or (c) invent something completely different.

Remember, once an idea springs into existence, it cannot be unthought.

Even if that idea is ridiculous.

Enjoy! 

Steal Scott’s Ideas, Issue 004

1. Distractable, an audio program of white noise so performers can practice w/distractions .

2. Stickler, a food truck of only foods on sticks.

3. Recreative, a manual labor meditation for artists who hate sitting still, but need a break.

4. Ramental, a noodle bar whose waiters and bartenders are cognitive behavioral therapists

5. Sweat Equity, a crowd funding platform where people donate their time or talent.

6. Chirp, an alarm clock that identifies singing birds outside your bedroom window.

7. Amigo Slice, a guidebook for exorcising exhausting friends out of your life

8. Meow Rent, a sixty day cat rental service for mice infested apartments

9. Art Clock, a factory time clock and punch card system for blue collar minded artists.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How will you turn these ideas into I-dids?

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For the list called, “49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Louie once did an inspiring interview about his early work as a film director. 

His advice to young artists was, whatever project you’re working on, just start making it. Just give it a life. 

Which sounds rather simplistic, but the insight is actually quite accurate. Considering the current technological landscape, one in which creative resources are free and accessible to all, now anybody can do anything for nothing. Which means the only obstacle left is permission. 

And so, if you’re struggling to move forward on you idea, consider asking yourself a few questions. What psychological construct of notenoughness is holding you back? What is the story you’re telling yourself about why you don’t deserve to initiate your project? 

Once you’re willing to honestly work through those permissions, you can create the right environment for your work to begin. 

Personally, my obstacle was always youth. Having started my entrepreneurial journey at such a young age, I didn’t believe I had enough birthdays under my belt to say anything meaningful. And I bought into the maxim that it takes ten or more years of adult life to find something to say that tens of millions of people want to hear. 

But that’s simply not true. That’s just a story cynical old people tell to scare the off young. Ellis famously dubbed this cognitive distortion musterbation, a form of inflexible demand thinking where we obsessively tell ourselves that we must do things a certain way. Or in my case, not do things a certain way. 

The good news is, once I came to terms with the fact that age was nothing but a number, that it wasn’t the years but the mileage, execution ceased to be a problem. I just started making stuff. I just starting giving every project a life. Because that stupid little shoulder devil was no longer whispering words of notenoughness into my ear. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What parts of your creative life are you not giving yourself permission to live fully?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “8 Ways to Out Google the Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

As creators, we have to identify the truest form of our talents. We have to allow them to take shape and grow. We have to find worthy vehicles to take the full diversity of our talents on the ride they deserve. And we have to develop and nurture new talents to increase our value over time. 

But talent is not a panacea. It’s a commodity with a finite lifespan. What’s more important than talent are the renewable resources of commitment and discipline and creativity and resilience. Because the more we use them, the more we have. Each of us possesses an inexhaustible wellspring of power with which to increase those resources on a daily basis. 

And so, the majority of our training should be focused on contributing to our reserves of commitment, discipline, creativity and resilience. 

One of the smartest decisions I ever made as a songwriter was to start busking in public. I found the experience of performing music, in a public place, for complete strangers, for hours at a time, was a priceless training ground for contributing to my reserves. 

Showing up every weekend, regardless of temperature or temperament, developed my commitment. 

Practicing with constant distraction, from screaming children to barking dogs to urinating hobos, developed my discipline. 

Having a standing gig, one that locked me in writing new songs consistently, developed my creativity. 

Earnestly performing my own material, often out to rude people who treated me like I was invisible, developed my resilience. 

I’ll take that over memorizing pentatonic scales any day of the week.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How are you developing the intangible assets to buttress, multiply and leverage your talents?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of 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

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

You can’t execute with one foot in the
fantasy world and one foot in reality. Eventually, you have to cross the
invisible line that separates thought from action. You have to shatter the
glass wall in your mind that separates idea from execution. 

Maisel makes a
powerful point in his creativity book that if you want to raise the stakes
tremendously, it’s not enough to dream, you have to organize your life around
that dream. Only through that brand of commitment can you build real momentum. 

One of my clients recently quit an office job to start her own business. Naturally, she was terrified.
Because there was no guarantee that the entrepreneurial career path was
profitable, probable or even possible for her. 

And so, I recommended she spend
two months acting as if she was fully committed. Not merely dipping her toe in
the water, but diving completely into to her enterprise, treating the business
as a full time gig, even paying herself a modest salary from her savings, just
to feel what it felt like to work for herself. Just to see what she could
accomplish in sixty days if she committed whole hog.

Then, once the trial
period was over, she could make her career decision from a more informed place.
It was a tough gift to give herself, but it’s exactly what she needed to
discover what was possible for her. 

Proving, that you don’t know what you have
until you sleep with it. 

The flesh
doesn’t lie.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What experiment could you run to see if you’re committed or merely interested?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “37 Things Not to Do This Year,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

The existential imperative is to make use of everything you are. To finding a home for all of your talents in the service of the world. 

And so, as you evolve your skillset, it’s important to consider each new ability in the context of overall satisfaction. To constantly look for ways to express that ability to make a difference in all parts of your life. 

When I came out of music hibernation in my early thirties after years of not playing songs in public, I had an epiphany. If I could just give my musical ability a more prominent place in my life, I could use it to create value in the world, bring joy to my friends and family, and even grow my business in new and exciting ways. It was a no brainer. 

And so, the first thing I did was apply to teach local class in basic songwriting. With twenty years of experience and five full length albums under my belt, it seemed like the perfect fit. Turns out, that experience was not only fun, challenging and rewarding, but it also planted seeds for several future projects. 

Including my new music website.

I’m reminded of an interview with an award winning actor, who said that talent is a little pet that needs to run, something with a life of its own. 

Leave no asset unharvested. Find the right environments for your abilities to play, and take your talents on the ride they deserve. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How will you express your new ability to make a difference in all parts of your life?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “8 Ways to Out Question Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

All creativity begins with the moment of conception.

That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here.

And so, in this blog series, I’m going to be deconstructing my favorite moments of conception from popular movies. Each post will contain a video clip from a different film, along with a series of lessons we can learn from the characters.

Today’s clip comes from the octopus scene in Jiro Dreams of Sushi:

 

Focus on building a life that you wouldn’t trade. Confucius said that if you find a job you love, you’d never work a day in your life. But I’m not sure that’s true. In fact, I think it’s reversed. Because in my experience, when you find a job you love, you’ll work every day of your life. Maybe not the full eight hours. Maybe not as much on weekends and holidays and vacations. And not to the point where you neglect your health and your relationships. But passion and meaning and productive obsession have a funny way of creating amnesia. When you’re fully engaged, it doesn’t matter what day it is. You just want to get up and get to work. Because you’ve built a life you don’t need to escape from. I’m reminded of a great novel I read about a photographer. Jordan says that you could put her on a beach, and she is framing shots in her mind, probing the eyes of waiters or passersby, looking for the life behind life. She says sometimes she thinks she’s actually become a camera, an instrument for recording reality, and that the exquisite machines she carries when she works are but extensions of her mind and eye. For her, there is no vacation. If her eyes are open, she’s working. Now, this lifestyle might sound exhausting to some people, but that’s just the nature of passion. You do what you because you can’t afford not to. Because that thing makes life possible for you. You do what you do because you’re ugly when you don’t. What’s your definition of a job worth loving?

I want somebody who says this is just the beginning. Jiro has been making sushi for nearly a century. The sheer amount of hours he’s logged can make a beginner feel like they’re ten inches tall. But we can’t allow that reality to discourage our efforts. We can’t allow another person’s success to be a detractor from achieving our own. Otherwise bitter jealousy becomes yet another mask for procrastination. Instead, we need to surround ourselves with people who have good long term vision. People who can see what we’re too close to ourselves to see. Even if it’s just one person, that’s usually a strong enough spark to initiate our momentum. When my first book went viral, I received a call out of the blue from a guy who had seen one of my television interviews. As I picked up the phone, first five words out of his mouth were, way to fucking go, kid! Turns out, he was a bestselling author. A veteran writer who had been in the publishing game longer than I’d been alive. And he was just calling to say congratulations, introduce himself, and most importantly, remind me that this is just the beginning. That phone call initiated my momentum. Jeffrey’s encouragement helped me move the story forward and execute on my vision. And we remain friends and colleagues to this day. Proving, that you don’t need that many people to believe in you. What was it about you that will allow great mentoring to happen?

Love is the master power of the world. Jiro never once hated this job. He found something he loved and it loved him right back. That’s why he never plans to retire. And so, his journey to mastery not only inspires us to eat sushi, but also motivates us to treat our creative work as a delivery mechanism for our love. Because deep down, that’s what customers come to the counter for. It’s no secret that love is what everybody secretly wants. The question we have to ask ourselves is, what’s the packaging? What is the wrapper for our love? My grandfather has worked in the closeout business for more than fifty years. His products mainly consisted of liquidated inventories, discount merchandise and discontinued items. But because the closeout industry was traditionally viewed as cheap goods, his company became known for its classy service, positive attitude, transactional integrity and loyal relationships. That was the packaging for his love. And it’s what kept his brand alive for more than a half a century. A powerful reminder that business is best when it’s about the service above what you really sell. The product is only the beginning. Focus on the loving service ecosystem around it, and customers will come from around the world to sit at your counter. How will you create an exhibition of love through your art?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What did you learn from this movie clip?

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For a copy of the list called, “11 Ways to Out-Market the Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

As almost every marketplace becomes more saturated and noisy and homogenous, the possible areas of differentiation are becoming fewer and fewer. 

Except, of course, for the creators who lead with the how. The ones who put their process on a pedestal. Because in a commoditized world, people don’t just buy what we make, they buy the way we make it. That’s part of the value proposition. The how behind the what. 

One of my favorite business writers recently released a new book, but with an interesting production twist. Three highly successful consultants interviewed him over the course of a year to distill his worldview, advice and insights. This work, adding up to over forty hours of audio, was distilled down into a massive volume of new material that exceeded five hundred pages. 

And as expected, the content was stellar, but what really inspired me was the way in which the content was created. Alan’s book was leading with the how. To me, that trumped the what. 

An innovative reminder that if our product is the process, if what we sell is the way in which our art is made in addition to the end result, our brand is significantly more sustainable. What’s more, we protect our work from being stolen, repeated or reverse engineered. 

Because nobody can say what we have to say, in the way that only we can say it, except us.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you a leader in the new frontier of conduct?

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For a copy of the list called, “194 Books in Scott’s Success Library,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Relentless resourcefulness is about finding the people who can help you become what you need to be, but it’s also about finding the right tools that can help take you where you want to go. 

Even if you have to trick, trap, tease or hack yourself. 

Jason, my cartoonist friend, has a busy travel schedule and hectic home life that doesn’t allow him to be as disciplined as he wants to be. And so, he often spends a weekend locked in a hotel room on a writing retreat. The hotel is only a few miles from his house, but it’s literally the only way he can achieve complete freedom from distraction. 

The good news is, after few days in complete seclusion, jacked up on coffee and silence, he manages to accomplish the equivalent of three months worth of work. 

Because creators do whatever it takes. 

It doesn’t matter if your tool is dopey or dramatic or extreme, as long as it gets you one step closer to your dream, it’s worthwhile. As long as it advances your ability to do what you love, it’s worthwhile. Just watch what happens in your life as you spend more money on your creative expression. 

The only caveat is, make sure you’re not hiding behind your tools. Delaying progress because you don’t have the perfect equipment. Don’t be tempted into to buying state of the art equipment to preserve the illusion of professionalism, productivity and success. 

Like the amateur golfer who tries to buy himself a lower score with an oversized zero gravity titanium driver with the expanded sweet spot for slice correction, creative materialism will get you nowhere. 

Make sure you’re not making gods out of your tools. It hurts your work in the long run. McLuhan was right when he said first we shape our tools, then our tools shape us. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Do you have a tendency to underestimate your own resourcefulness?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “79 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Marx once said that power belongs to those who control the
means of production. 

This is especially applicable to artists and
entrepreneurs. 

You must own your own land. When you sharecrop, you can’t expect
to be treated fairly. 

I once had the opportunity to write a course curriculum
for a renowned university. The project seemed interesting and challenging and
different and I was excited to move forward. 

Until I discovered that it not
only paid zilch, but the university planned on retaining full ownership of my
intellectual property. And that truly scared me. The prospect of creating
something from whole cloth, something substantial that I was truly proud of,
but not being able to call it my own,
literally made my stomach hurt. 

And don’t get me wrong. I’m all for
institutionalizing my content. I’m happy to sell an organization the rights to
take my intellectual property forward. 

But at the end of the day, my work
belongs to me. Call me a control freak, call me a stubborn idealist, call me a
fierce individualist, but I’m not going invest in anything that I can’t
directly control every aspect of. 

I’m reminded of an inspiring book about the freedom of
blogging, in which the author explained, by owning your own media, you own your
own platform. Own your own platform, and you own your own career. Own your own
career, and you own your own life. Own your own life, and that, my friends, is
what freedom is all about. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What are you doing today to increase your freedom tomorrow?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “11 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Stravinsky wrote in his autobiography that composition was a daily function he felt compelled to discharge. He made things because he was made for that and could not do otherwise. 

Most artists can relate to that impulse to originate. They’re hardwired for creation. Regardless of schedule or mood or location or day of the week, they get up in the morning and listen to what they’re supposed to make next. We can think of it as work, but it’s really just the most natural way for them to engage with the world. 

Every day, they need to use their brain for real stretches of time. Every day, they need to enjoy the feel of their own mind at work. Every day, they need to return to the place where they’re most powerful, which is their own minds. Because every day, they need the intellectual and emotional stimulation that can only come from the act of putting down their ideas on a blank canvas. 

I was reading an article about one of my songwriting heroes, who told the interviewer:

You are not talking to a person who wants to make music, I fucking make music. It’s a spiritual and personal quest for me that is flesh and blood and everything I am. I’m going to do it. It’s what I do. I do this because I found this, and when I found it, it was me. It’s just how I communicate. 

Do you think that songwriter has any challenges with employee engagement? Do you think he stays up at night wondering about happiness in the workplace? 

Never. Because his reality is a beautiful and loving extension of the groundwork laid in the inner space of his mind. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your work manifesto?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “27 Things to Do First,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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

Now booking for 2015-2016.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!