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When you’re passionately telling people about your art, certain individuals will attempt to steal the wind from your creative sails. They will ask you questions like: “So, is art ALL you do?” “What’s your real job?” “And art pays the bills?” “What’s your other job?” “And you make a living doing that?” I know, I know. It’s frustrating, rude and assumptive AND blindly follows the starving artist script. But…

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!) AVOID Avoid agenda pushers. Because they don’t listen very well. Avoid comparison shoppers. Because they’re probably buying on price, not value. Avoid eye rollers. Because that’s when people stop listening to you. Avoid fitting in. Because you will get noticed, get remembered and get business. Avoid hideous headlines. Because it’s not good for your brain (or your heart). Avoid…

There are two kinds of publicity: 1. Being featured IN the news. This is publicity about who you ARE. And you need it regularly. 2. Being quoted as an expert BY the news. This is publicity about what you’ve LEARNED. And you (also) need it regularly. LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do you WATCH the news, or MAKE the news? LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “35…

You’re a creative professional. You make a living off your ideas. Your ideas are your major source of income. So, naturally, you want to have as many ideas as possible, right? Absolutely. The challenge, of course, is getting those ideas to come to you. Which sounds like a lot of work, but it’s really not. Because all you have to do is open your ears. AFTER ALL: Creativity the…

A tremendous amount of time, energy and money is spent on perception management. The perception in the eyes of your customers. The perception in the eyes of your competitors. The perception in the eyes of your constituency. Which is good. Perception TRULY is reality. But, here’s a counterintuitive question for you: What are you (not) perceived as? Because that’s just as important. For example: Maybe you’re (not) perceived as…

Here’s another question I get a lot. Usually from other writers. “How do you find the time to write?” Well, there’s a fundamental flaw in that sentence. It contains the word “find.” Which comes from the Old English term findan. Which means, “To come upon, alight on.” Which implies a search. Which means it’s possible that you might NOT find the time to write. Which increases the possibility of…

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!) Listen behind words. There’s always something (else) being said. Listen for intent. It may explain why they said what the said. Listen to listeners. That’s a great way to learn. Listen to yourself. Because you’re pretty sharp. Listen without advising. Especially if people didn’t ask for it. Listen without defending. It’s a form of emotional reactivity, and it builds…

It doesn’t matter WHAT your niche is. It only matters THAT you have one. AFTER ALL: Niches lead to riches. Now, there are three potential types of niches you can leverage: 1. Niche Expertise 2. Niche Market 3. Niche Supreme Having a Niche Expertise means you know a LOT about a SPECIFIC TOPIC that applies to a WIDE AUDIENCE. So, it’s the answer to the questions: 1. What, specifically,…

SECRET OF THE DAY: You aren’t your customer. So, whether you’re introducing a new service, a new marketing campaign or the new name of your organization… It doesn’t matter if YOU like it. It matters if CUSTOMERS get it right away. It doesn’t matter if YOU think it’s cool. It matters if CUSTOMERS remember it. And it doesn’t matter if YOU get excited about it. It matters if CUSTOMERS…

Your humor? Because laughing = agreeing. Your creativity? Because creativity people are magnetic. Your playfulness? Because playfulness brings out your inner child, and children are likable and approachable. Your love of music? Because music is a form of love, and love is approachable. Your storytelling ability? Because people don’t remember facts, they remember stories. Your obsession with sports? Because who doesn’t love a good sports metaphor? Your passion about…