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PICTURE THIS: you plop down next to a friendly guy on the plane. After a brief greeting, he asks about your work. “I’m an author,” you say. “Cool! What kind of books?” he asks. So you tell him. And he becomes very excited. Obviously, he’s a perfect reader for you. “Wow, that sounds great,” he replies. “My entire office needs to read your book! You wouldn’t happen to have…

Today is a very special day. THIS IS MY 600th POST! Which means I’ve been at this blogging thing for about five years. (If you’re trying to do the math, I didn’t use to post every day like I do now.) Anyway, I can honestly say, blogging is one of the best things (if not THEE best thing) I’ve ever done for my business. Ever. Why? Well, this would…

PICTURE THIS: you get an email out the blue from a prospect. But not just ANY prospect … the perfect customer. Exactly the type of client you want to work with. The good news is; they want to hire you! The bad news is; you’re booked solid. Looks like you’re going to have to turn down their business. What do you do? Well, first of all, saying no isn’t…

You’re a creative professional. That means you make a living off of your ideas. SO, HERE’S THE BIG QUESTION: how do you deal with people stealing your material? Tough issue. Has been for a long time. Plagiarism comes from the Latin plagiare, meaning, “to kidnap.” It’s defined as “the practice of claiming, or implying, original authorship or incorporating material from someone else’s written or creative work, in whole or…

The most successful artists, innovators, entrepreneurs and inventors of the world aren’t One Hit Wonders. Rather: they have HOT bodies. …of WORK, that is. Let’s explore five examples across several disciplines and decades. (Keep your eyes open for commonalities…) HOT BODY #1 When you think of the word “inventor,” one name comes to mind: Thomas Edison. Talk about a HOT body! He holds about 1,800 patents. It’s also no…

Artists. Authors. Rockstars. Cult leaders. Presidential candidates. American Idol contestants. What do all these people have in common? They’re all building a following. HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: so can you! That’s the beauty (and ironically, sometimes the horror) of the Web: anyone with an idea can share it with the world and build a following around it. And they can do so quickly, powerfully and through a variety of…

You’re self-employed. You work out of your home. You’re the only person at your company. So, how do you convince yourself that you actually have a real job? Good question. As a Professional Fake Employee for the past five years, I’ve discovered many secrets for doing so. Let’s take a look at eight “GETS” for self-employed success: GET UP! An hour earlier. Doing so will instill a sense of…

There are no cover bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Why? Because cover bands are imitations. Copies. Replicas. Fakes. Designer imposters. In other words, echoes. An echo is defined as a “repetition or close imitation.” And if you take a quick look around, you’ll notice a WHOLE lot of companies, products, people and ideas are just that – echoes. FIRST EXAMPLE: in the mid 90’s when…

When you make yourself uncomfortable, you grow the most. As a person. As a professional. When you make yourself uncomfortable, you learn the most. About others. About yourself. About the world. When you make yourself uncomfortable, you expand the most. Because you meet new people. Because you experience new things. SO, THE BIG QUESTION IS: Are you practicing intentional discomfort every single day? Me? I’m kind of a discomfort…

Sticky notes. Pretty much the greatest invention ever. Especially when you post them on your: Wall. Desk. Door. Mirror. Fridge. Wallet. Pantry. Planner. Computer. Dashboard. Bulletin board. Laundry machine. The possibilities for self-motivation are endless! And even if you’re not a visual person, here are seven variations to become a Sticky Note Superstar! 1. Self-Assessment Questions. If you continuously ask yourself the same few questions every day, you will…