The struggle of
entrepreneurship isn’t the financial uncertainty, but the emotional volatility.
The whipping between disappointment and exhilaration. 

In the beginning of any
given month, for example, I might experience several days or weeks of
confidence and inspiration, producing piles of great work in record time,
booking new clients like it’s going out of style. 

But by day twenty, I might
find myself completely unmotivated with nothing to say and zero faith in my own
abilities as a professional. And to make matters worse, because of the human
brain’s bias toward negativity, that low would erase whatever high came before
it.

It’s like it never even happened. 

But the solution to this entrepreneurial
struggle wasn’t necessarily to work harder, smarter and longer. That’s the
strategy I used to execute during low times, but what I found was, doubling
down usually only amplified my pain. 

Because time would continue to go by with
nothing happening other than my own continuing efforts. It was like multiplying
by zero. No matter how big the number was, the result was still the same. Zero. And that enraged me. 

Lately,
though, I’ve been taking a different approach. I’ve been learning new ways to
treat myself with compassion and patience. 

Instead of punishing myself without
mercy, I’m taking time to step back and recognize how hard it is for me in the
moment. 

Instead of ignoring the fact that I’m suffering and focusing
exclusively on solving my problem, I’m stopping to give myself care and
comfort. 

It’s a deeply vulnerable, surrender driven approach, but to my
surprise, it works wonders. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

How do you handle the emotional volatility of running your own business? 

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!

Here’s one of
the mantras I use to understand the propagandas of life. 

It’s just true enough not to be a lie. 

This new sports drink contains nutrients,
antioxidants, all natural ingredients, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, and
will help you flush out free radicals, toxins and impurities from your system. 

Not really. If you examine the label closely, the drink contains mostly
water, sugar, sodium, artificial flavorings and a heaping shit ton of
marketing. 

Unfortunately, because one half of one percent of the drink does,
technically, contain real fruit juice, the claim is legally substantiated. It’s
just true enough not to be a lie. 

Of course, big companies don’t have the
monopoly on mass delusion. People and organizations of all sizes and shapes
will use the tools of persuasion and influence and mass hypnosis to fit their
business needs. 

Years ago, I was seduced into working for a company that
positioned itself as a innovation studio. An inventor of disruptive
technologies. 

Which sounded sexy and interesting and fun. But six months into
the job, it was clear that they were just a glorified digital media agency. A
cadre of brilliant arseholes that made cool websites. Several of whichdidwin innovation awards. But
everything else was just hype. It was just true enough not to be a lie. 

Bernays, the founder
of modern marketing, put it best:

People are rarely aware of the real reasons
that motivate their actions. In almost every act of our lives, whether in the
sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking,
we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the
mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the
wires that control the public mind, who harness old social forces and contrive
new ways to bind and guide the world. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

What things in your life are just true enough not to be a lie?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!

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 021

01. Mascott. Pet friendly when you need to be

A service that partners with local animal shelters/rescues to bring adoptable pets into offices to boost morale, increase productivity and lower stress

02. All Ears. Living the heard mentality

A professional listening service staffed by compassionate, empathetic people whose sole job function is to let you talk and vent and feel heard

03. Decoro. Spend holidays celebrating, not working 

A holiday decoration storage company that keeps your lights, ornaments and delicate objects off your hands, and comes over to install them for you

04. Resignote. Helping people quit things publicly and proudly 

A certificate creation app where people can quit, resign from and give up the behaviors that no longer serve them, plus print out and share it an artifact for their transition

05. Dryy. Sober events that don’t suck 

An app that tells you about all the cool, non alcoholic events happening in your local community

06. Tranzlaysh. Making sense through dumming down

A language translation website where you can paste scientific text from technical industry materials and dumb it down into regular language real people can use

07. Idea Fund. Bank on your brain 

A credit union that accepts ideas as economic trade for monetary currency. Members submit ideas, the governing body assigns them value based on a conceptual metric system, credits their account with money, and then sells those ideas to their investors and donors, who use those ideas to improve the world

08. Sandbox. Jobs for people who hate people

A career search website and placement staffing agency for introverts, assholes and other professionals who don’t play well with others

09. Kintex. Work out, power up 

A franchise of fitness centers that converts people’s cardio machine energy into clean, usable electricity.

10. Smoothlee. Dry humping never felt so good 

A line of latex underwear for people seeking safe, intimate sexual activity without skin to skin contact

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How will you turn these ideas into I-dids?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

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 2017-2018.

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

Some people
are addicted to being rescued. 

Their drug of choice is the euphoric experience
of being dragged out of the tempest, thrown into the lifeboat and saved from
certain danger. 

The irony, of course, is that they never make it to shore.
They always end up back in the water. Because deep down, they don’t really want
to be saved. 

That would mean they’d actually have to change. And take
responsibility. And surrender their victim position. 

No thanks. That’s too much
work. 

It’s the same theory behind books and apps and coaching programs about
productivity. People often buy them, but they rarely use them. Why would they?
Becoming productive would only get them that much closer to having to actually
do something. 

I have a friend who volunteers as a sponsor for alcoholics in the
twelve step program. He often gets phone calls, sometimes very late at night,
from people in recovery who have a difficult time changing. 

But he often won’t
say a word. His job isn’t to rescue people, his job is to listen to them. In
fact, he has a great mantra that I try to practice with my own coaching
clients. 

Sometimes you can’t get people to listen
to you until you stop talking. 

And so, if there’s a person in your life for
whom you’re tired of being an unpaid, part time therapist, set the boundary of
silence. Try not rescuing them and see what happens. 

Maybe they’ll change on
their own clock. 

Remember, you can’t take people where they don’t want to go. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

Whom are you trying to rescue that doesn’t want to be saved?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!

Part of being a compassionate, empathetic person is learning to step out of the mindset that everything begins and ends with yourself. 

Always assuming that most people are fighting a battle you know nothing about. And remembering that there are a multitude of internal and external forces at work at any given moment, most of which have exactly nothing to do with you. 

Selling is the perfect venue for practicing this principle. Because you can only follow up with people so many times before crossing the line from persistence to stalking. 

I once had a prospective client reach out to me about conducting staff training for their frontline employees. We chatted on the phone for an hour, had a deeply engaging conversation, and continued to email back and forth a few weeks thereafter. She was my champion. 

But then suddenly, she vanished. Sight unseen. For six months. The woman was completely unreachable via every medium of communication. 

Of course, being the hypersensitive love addict that I am, I stepped into the mindset that everything begins and ends with me. That my prospect’s unresponsiveness was a rejection and a personal attack and a slight against my work. 

And so, I phoned her office, partly out of curiosity, partly out of frustration, to find out what was going on. Then the receptionist said three words that I’ll never forget. 

Oh, she retired. 

Turns out, after thirty years of faithful service to the organization, this beloved employee was happily moving onto the next phase of her life, and the entire office was mourning her absence. 

And all I could think to myself was, so, are you guys still going to hire me or what? 

I’m so vain, I thought the song was about me. 

The point is, the disappointments in life accrue faster than we can find external forces to blame them on.

We may as well confront the reality of our limited control and just move onto the next one. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

Are you so vain that you think this song is about you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!

Fletcher was the most highly regarded and prolific graphic designer of his generation. 

In his bestselling book on visual intelligence, he famously wrote that the first move in any creative process was to introduce constraints. 

And most artists would agree. A little structure won’t kill your free spirit. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Without some kind of constraint, there’s nothing to lean against. No boundaries against which to bounce your brilliant ideas. 

Besides, facing a blank canvas is hard enough already. Imagine one that didn’t have borders. Yikes. 

What’s interesting is, this same principle applies to non artistic pursuits as well. It’s the universal human anxiety of having too much freedom. The paralyzing fear of having no constraints. 

I’m reminded the heartbreaking story about the developer of the most popular video game of all time. Microsoft bought out his company for two and half billion dollars. Shortly thereafter, he relocated to a twenty thousand square feet, seventy million dollar mansion. 

And yet, he still wasn’t happy. In fact, he was profoundly depressed. What happened? 

According to a public statement from developer himself, the problem with getting everything you ever wanted is, you run out of reasons to keep trying. Human interaction becomes impossible due to imbalance. And you just sit around, waiting for your friends with jobs and families to have time for you, watching your reflection in the monitor. 

That’s the curse of having no constraints. The danger of having too much freedom. You wind up avoiding all human contact and natural sunlight in favor of disappearing down the rabbit hole of your own bullshit. 

It’s insidious. Nobody warns you about it. 

And so, if you’ve been feeling an overwhelming sense of emptiness, disconnection and imbalance, find a way to introduce constraints into your life. Create borders and structures and routines and schedules. Make a special effort to deepen your direct participation with the world. And keep building your relationship network that provides a sense of identity and esteem and allows you to give and receive support. 

Otherwise it will become too easy to hide. 

Prince, rest in peace, said it best. Too much freedom can lead to the soul’s decay. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

How are you battling your antisocial tendencies and creating a more direct relationship with the world? 

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!

I’m nostalgic for a time when my ideas were considered interesting enough to make headlines. 

Back when I first started my career, my story went viral before viral was viral. And I barely even had to do anything. On multiple occasions, my book would steal the spotlight and capture the media cycle for a few days at a time, simply by telling the press about some guy who wore a nametag everyday. 

And that was with a war going on. 

But now, it feels like everyone is wearing a nametag. Everyone is interesting. Everyone has their own little personal brand that’s unique and memorable. 

And that infuriates me. Because I was ahead of the game for fifteen years, and now it feels like the world has finally caught up. 

Of course, that’s the structure of evolution. All organisms must keep changing just to stay competitive. And if we fail to adapt, nobody is going to catch us when we fall. 

We’re just going to keep running faster, only to remain in the same place. 

But the upside to evolution is, nobody is standing in the way of our ability to generate value. As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt. 

And so, if we want to create new value in the world, we have to surrender our case history and bow to the door of next. 

To coin a phrase, we have to live larger than our labels. 

Pardon the pun, but that’s literally true for me. Because in my world, the nametag isn’t enough. Not anymore. But that’s fine.

I accept that what got me here won’t get me there. 

I accept that what identifies me doesn’t define me. 

I accept that the work I’ve already done matters little beyond the fact that it brought me here. 

I accept that the past I am used to may not be my best future. 

Onward. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

Are you still down on yourself for not standing out and being special in your work?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!

When you feel bitter, it’s difficult to put your life in perspective. 

No matter how many gratitude lists you create, no matter how many positive affirmations you receive from people you love, and no matter how many entries you write in your victory log, sometimes, it’s simply not possible to delight in what’s wonderful about your life. 

And that’s okay. Everyone has permission to feel lousy. There’s no shame in sitting with the anger. And there’s no positivity police that’s going to arrest you for having a bout of sadness. 

Your feelings are real and valid and nobody can take away your right to experience them fully. Even if they’re inconsistent with this precious little identity you’ve crafted for yourself. Even if the modern happiness industrial complex seems bent on eradicating all traces of melancholy. 

Try not to outrun your misery in times of pain. Not to embark on yet another obsessive personal development mission to fix yourself, just because you’re an incurable individualist who sees it a sign of weakness to feel the gravity of your own struggle. 

I’m reminded of my therapist’s words. She once told me:

It’s worthwhile to let everything register. Try staying with the situation and let it carry you to a new place. Because there’s a fine line between wallowing in your sadness and moving through it. 

That, ironically, is what makes you feel better about my life. Remembering that all emotions are just weather patterns. 

Natural, distinct, subtle, fast moving, ever shifting, seasonal forces. 

It can’t rain forever.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

What overwhelming feelings do you have no healthy coping mechanism for? LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” 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 2017-2018.

Email to inquire about fees and availability. Watch clips of 

The Nametag Guy in action here!