The single greatest thing you could ever do for your writing career

In Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, she insists upon a daily ritual called “Morning Pages.”

I’ve been doing them for about seven months, and they’ve absolutely changed my life.

AND I PROMISE YOU: it’s the greatest thing you could ever do for your writing career.

Ever.

Here’s how they work:

1. First thing in the morning (even before checking email!) open a blank document, either on paper or on your computer.

2. Spew out every single thought and/or idea that’s running through your mind. Dreams, worries, fears, annoyances, ideas, what you did the day before, everything. (Most of it will be negative. Don’t worry about that.)

3. Keep writing until you’ve filled up three pages. You simply show up and write, “This is how I feel.”

4. When you’re done, don’t even read it. Just save it in a folder called “Morning Pages.”

5. Then, get on with your day’s work.

That’s pretty much it. That’s the best thing you could ever do for your writing career.

But don’t it from me.

Take it from Julia, someone who’s (not only) written 20+ books and taught writing and creativity, but someone who’s been writing morning pages every day for decades.

I’ve pulled a collection of passages from several of Julia’s books on this topic. All of these are direct quotes.

32 Reasons to Write Morning Pages.

First, here’s what they ARE:

1. They are time outs.
2. They are portable solitude.
3. They are rituals of reflection.
4. They are a form of meditation.
5. They are the first check-in of the day.
6. They are psychological holding environments.
7. They are gateways to inner and higher selves.
8. They are tools to help you listen to yourself.
9. They are moments of free association and celebration.
10. They get the shanks out and bring forth the good stuff.

Second, here’s what they DO:

11. Morning pages lend you stability.
12. Morning pages provide intimacy.
13. Morning pages prioritize your day.
14. Morning pages keep you grounded.
15. Morning pages give you a place to ventilate.
16. Morning pages give you the privacy you crave.
17. Morning pages reveal weaknesses AND strengths.
18. Morning pages render us present to the moment.
19. Morning Pages are places to examine many aspects of an experience.
20. Morning pages are places to reframe our failures into lessons learned.
21. Morning pages introduce us to an unsuspected inner strength and agility.
22. Morning pages allow you to spit out what is troubling you NOW, just when you “should” be grateful.
23. Morning Pages are places to approach our next challenge from an emotionally neutral or positive stance.

Lastly, here’s why they’re so EFFECTIVE:

24. You awaken your intuition.
25. You need to release thoughts.
26. You must train your censor to stand aside.
27. You can find out what you like and don’t like.
28. You keep your spirit from being parched and dry.
29. You can shape your lives by your authentic desires.
30. Your problems are exposed and solutions are suggested.
31. You draw to your attention those areas of your life that need your focus.
32. You discover that a little trickle of writing keeps the flow from closing down completely.

Because a writer writes. Always.

Lastly, as Julia says, “Only in writing do you discover what you know. And writing teaches you something: that you never write just what you know. You write what you learn as you’re writing. Ideas come to you and trigger other ideas. Thoughts crystallize and connect with others, and the combination produces a compound: an insight.”

Wow!

Morning pages. Best thing ever.

Start today. Never stop.

Thanks, JC!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s the best thing you ever did for your writing career?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Do Morning Pages every day for a month. When you’re done, email [email protected] and tell me how they worked out!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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How absurdities become antidotes

Every day when I slap a new nametag on my shirt, I remind myself of what Einstein once said:

“If at first your idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it.”

FACT: Einstein’s greatest scientific discovery sparked from a mental picture he had when he was 16 years old.

One day, while taking a walk, Albert envisioned himself riding atop of beam of light into outer space, traveling at 299,792,458 meters per second.

That ridiculous image helped him better understand accelerated motion.

Which helped him create the Theory of Relativity.
Which changed the world of science forever.
Which earned him the Noble Prize.
Which made him pretty much the smartest dude of all time.

All because of a totally ridiculous, totally humorous image.

Now, I’m not trying to compare myself to Einstein.

Still…

LESSON LEARNED: absurdities become antidotes.

In the book How to Think Like Einstein, author Scott Thorpe explains how this principle of melon motivating works:

“A brain has a mechanism that is the mental equivalent of an immune system – it rejects ideas that are foreign to it. But humor suppresses your mental immune system. So, if you treat a new idea humorously, you will be able to explore it more thoroughly because you wont immediately reject it. And your mind will be free to make other absurd connections with the seed idea, generating more concepts for solutions.”

How many crazy ideas have YOU had this week?

The answer is probably “not enough.”

ANOTHER FACT: as an entrepreneur, ideas are your major source of income.

So, a HUGE component of your professional success will be a function of three things:

1. How many of ideas you have.
2. How many ideas you write down.
3. How many ideas you put into action.

Wanna start thinking like Einstein and turn absurdities into antidotes?

Consider these three recommendations:

1. Observe. Grow bigger ears AND eyes any time someone says, “That’s funny,” “That’s weird,” “No way!” “Cool!” “You’re out of your mind!” or “Get the hell outta here!” This is your first indication that an absurdity might become an antidote.

2. Write it down. My three principles of idea capturing are always the same: 1) If you don’t write it down, it never happened; 2) That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable; and 3) Writing is the basis of all wealth. So, just remember: every time you choose NOT to write your absurd idea down, you’re losing money.

3. Stick with it. Einstein once said, “I’m not smarter than anybody else, I just stick with it longer.” So, understand that your absurd ideas WILL be met with resistance – from coworkers, bosses, colleagues and competitors, even friends! And odds are, that resistance stems from jealousy, ignorance, fear, or some combination thereof. Which basically means, don’t sweat it. Instead, stick with it!

If you can remember those three keys, you’ll be certain to turn absurdities into antidotes!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go wash the adhesive gunk out of the upper left side of all my shirts.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you turning absurdities into antidotes?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Think about your three craziest ideas, and what each of them led to. What commonalities do you observe?

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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How to read a book

Have you ever bought a book, read it, then threw it on your shelf and never thought about it again?

Yeah. Me too.

It’s OK. Everyone’s done it before.

SO, HERE’S THE CHALLENGE: how do you read a book … effectively?

ANSWER: by using three different pairs of eyes.

First, your Superficial Eyes.

They don’t require much. All you have to do is, um, read the book!

You don’t need to read every word.
You don’t need to devour every page.
You don’t need to understand every concept.

Just get the key ideas. Figure out the ONE thing the author is trying to get across to you. And when you’re done, think (and rethink) about how it applies to your life.

That’s it. Pretty cut and dry.

Second comes your Student Eyes.

They require more of you. Namely, learning how to become a better writer yourself.

Now, it’s possible you’re thinking, “Yeah, but I’m not a writer! Who cares?”

Wrong-o, Shakespeare! Everyone is a writer. Whether you like it or not, whether you know it or not. Writing is the basis of all wealth.

For that reason, use your Student Eyes to observe the author’s writing style, vocabulary, page structure, sentence variation, and of course, unique voice.

Then, think about your own writing style.

ASK YOURSELF: How could I make my writing more effective, persuasive and creative?

Pick out little things and trends you noticed from other authors and adapt them to your own writing.

NOTE: that doesn’t mean copy! That means be inspired by someone else’s unique style to develop one of your own.

Lastly, use your Creative Eyes.

They require the most out of you. See, while you’re reading, you also need to watch, listen, associate, brainstorm and create related ideas of your own.

For example, let’s say you read a book in which the author says something powerful like, “The future is your property.” (Dan Sullivan actually says that in his awesome new book.)

Here’s how to use your Creative Eyes to “pluck” this scenario:

1. Stop reading.
2. Highlight or underline the key passage.
3. Put the book down.
4. Make a list of all the reasons, examples, ideas and stories that come to mind when you apply that idea to your own life.
5. Save that document in its own folder.
6. Come back to it later and expand on what you read.

That’s called Plucking. And it only works with the help of your Creative Eyes.

HOW I KNOW THIS: I’ve been writing books, articles, speeches and training materials for about five years now. And I can attribute HUNDREDS of ideas, chapters, articles and modules these very three principles.

PROMISE: they WILL work for you! And if you to begin reading books with Superficial, Student AND Creative Eye, you’ll speed up your learning curve faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Man, that really IS a long word.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you read books?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best techniques here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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Become an expert at learning from your experiences

“We learn not from our experiences, but from intelligent reflection upon those experiences.”

My mentor, William Jenkins, taught me that when I was 17.

I never forgot it.

AND THE BEST PART IS: over a decade later, his philosophy still holds true.

See, I make a living writing and speaking about my experiences of wearing a nametag every day.

A nametag!

And I don’t have a master’s degree. I don’t have a PhD. Nor I don’t have any scientific data to back up my knowledge.

But I DO have thousands of experiences.

Which means it’s all empirical. It’s all experiential.

And sometimes, that’s the best teacher of all.

However.

When it comes to experiential knowledge, there are two categories of people:

1. Those people who simply HAVE experiences.

2. The people who (not only) have experiences; but reflect upon them, figure out WHY they happened and then WRITE DOWN the lessons they learned.

Sadly, too many people find themselves in the first category.

Here’s a list of four actions you can take TODAY to become an expert at learning from your experiences:

1. Prepare yourself. Every day, every moment, every experience, you need to be open and prepared to learn. Embrace the irrelevant! Cherish the mundane! No matter how miniscule or seemingly unimportant, you must maintain an attitude of continuous improvement in all situations an encounters with others.

SAY TO YOURSELF: “This is going to be great! I can’t wait to see what I learn from this experience…”

2. Listen. For the clues, tips, ideas, take-aways and life lessons learned. Pluck them as they occur. Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities. Watch out for things to say YES to. Those are the biggies.

SAY TO YOURSELF: “Oh. So, THAT’S why that happened to me! Got it.”

3. Write it down. When you’ve finished an experience, sit down and force yourself to make a list of the stuff you just learned. This is a must! Because writing is the basis of all wealth. Because that which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable. And because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

SAY TO YOURSELF: “Alright, what lessons could I learn from what JUST happened to me?”

4. Reflect & Revise. Go back through your notes. Think back about what (else) you learned since writing down the original lessons.

SAY TO YOURSELF: “What else (over time) happened as a result of that experience? And what can I learn from that?”

Ultimately, if you consistently practice these four keys to experiential learning, you’ll get to know yourself better AND exponentially increase your learning curve.

Because you learn not from your experiences, but from intelligent reflection upon those experiences.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you an expert at learning from your experiences?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Pick something that happened to you last week. Post three things you learned from that experience here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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24 reasons why content is KING

“Hey Scott, how do you get 35,000 hits a day on your website?” I’m often asked.

Google Adwords?
Sponsored links?
Pay per click?
Search engine optimization?

Maybe.

Still, I think the BEST answer is one powerful word: content.

Because content is KING.

And it comes in many forms:

o Articles
o Blog posts
o Pictures
o Videos
o Testimonials
o Profiles
o Lists
o Downloadable ebooks
o PowerPoint slides
o PDF’s and other documents
o Evaluations, tests and assessments
o Podcasts, either video or audio
o Message boards
o Comments and notes left by page visitors
o Any other form of value-added substance that a visitor to the web page would benefit from.

Content is king.

And here’s why:

1. It leads to sales.
2. It gives value first.
3. It helps sell product.
4. It forces you to write.
5. It shows thought leadership.
6. It shows you doing what you do
7. It boosts search engine rankings.
8. It gives social proof of your value.
9. It gets the media to come to YOU.
10. It support and enhances expertise.
11. It adds depth and value to your website.
12. It contributes to your company’s positive reputation.
13. It offers multiple forms of media to convey your message.
14. It keeps your website current, which creates return traffic.
15. It creates a web PRESENCE, since just having a web SITE is no longer enough.
16. It gives away free information; and the more you give away for free, the wealthier you will be.

Content is king.

And if you haven’t already been convinced, here are a few more reasons:

1. Content drives action.
2. Content replaces selling.
3. Content replaces agents.
4. Content replaces pitching.
5. Content drives transactions.
6. Content replaces advertising.
7. Content replaces cold calling.
8. Content pulls instead of pushes.

Content is king.

So, now that you’ve realized the power of content, remember a few final tips:

1. Make content interactive. Can people comment on your stuff?
2. Encourage viral marketing. Can people (easily) share your content with their friends?
3. Link content directly into the sales cycle. At the end of your articles, do you have a call to action? Something that brings the reader over to your site?
4. Make content the focus of your site. When someone arrives at your site, is there a login that grants her full access to your online library?
5. Make your content answer your customers’ problems. Are you asking your target market what topics they want content about?

Content is king.

Speaking of content, for FULL ACCESS to my entire online libray (over 700 pages of content), become a member of The Nametag Network!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you have enough content?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Email [email protected] with your best piece of original content. I’ll share your resources on a future post!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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17 ways to become a thought leader

The origin of the term “thought leader” goes back a few years.

Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of Strategy & Business magazine, first coined the expression in 1994.

According to Wikipedia, the term was used to designate interview subjects for that magazine who had contributed new thoughts to business.

Since that time, the term has spread from business to other disciplines and has come to mean “someone who enlivens old processes with new ideas.”

AND, HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: you CAN become one too!

But.

HERE’S THE BAD NEWS: the media, the blogosphere and the business world seem to be debating the validity of this term.

That it’s overused.
That it’s contrived.
That it’s meaningless.

Probably because people just LOVE to throw around expressions like this.

For example, author/blogger Brian Carroll from Lead Generation Blog says, “First of all, thought leaders don’t refer to themselves as thought leaders. Thought leadership is an outside assessment based on what others say about you, not what YOU say about you.”

However, Carroll still defends the expression. “I rather like it,” he says, “even thought some people abuse it as a hollow form of self-promotion.”

Personally, I think the idea of being a thought leader is cool.

Not that you should go around telling people, “Hey, look at me! I’m a thought leader!”

That might sound kind of pretentious.

So, maybe it’s better as a frame of mind.

An attitude.
A way of doing business.
A way of treating people.

Controversies aside, here’s the bottom line about thought leadership:

If you do it respectfully, authentically, intelligently and uniquely, you will get people to come to you.

Actually, wait a sec. I’m wrong.

I shouldn’t have said, “DO it.”

I should have said, “LIVE it.”

Because being a thought leader isn’t something you DO.

Being a thought leader is something you ARE.

Approachability?
Being That Guy?
Making a name for yourself?

Being a thought leader is a HUGE part of that.

Because it’s another way of sticking yourself out there.

So, if you think you’re up to the challenge (and yes, it IS challenging) consider these 17 strategies for becoming a thought leader:

1. Pay the price. You won’t become a thought leader overnight. Which doesn’t mean that it takes lots of physical time; but it DOES take experience. Get it any way you can. For example, check out this list called 38 Ways to Speed Up Your Learning Curve.

2. Learn well. Become an expert at learning from your experiences. After all, people don’t care what you know. They don’t care what you did. They only care what you LEARNED. And, how those lessons can help them become better.

3. Write, write and write. Did I say write? Writing is the basis of all wealth. If you’re not capturing your thoughts, ideas, experiences, stories, advice and insights, forget all about this whole thought leader thing. Get a blog and get on www.ezinearticles.com. Today.

4. Read everything. When I first starting giving speeches and writing books, my mentor told me, “You have no right to write or speak about any topic unless you’ve read every book ever written on that topic.” Also, DeBono said, “The thinker should be able to look at the thinking used by other people or used in general about a particular subject. Looking at the thinking of others does not mean doing so with the aim of criticizing or attacking it. The intention is to watch what thinking is being applied.” What about you? Have you read everything else?

5. Read more. Also seek out books such as The Obvious Expert, Thinking for a Change and How to be a Thought Leader. Great advice and easy to read.

6. Read even more. Lastly, read books about lateral thinking and creativity (ahem, DeBono). Explore biographies about the world’s greatest thinkers, i.e., Einstein and da Vinci.

7. Hang with other thought leaders. Start a mastermind group, thinking club or online discussion with other thought leaders. Pick brains often. Stop hanging around people who don’t think thinking is cool.

8. Speak. At every club, meeting, tradeshow, conference, chamber, rotary and street corner you can find. If they pay, great. If not, no biggie. Either way, you need to be fun, fun-ny, informative and entertaining. Talk about ONE THING, and have a little laminated double-sided philosophy card as your handout.

9. Philosophy. Ask yourself this question: “If everybody did EXACTLY what I said, what would the world look like?” You answer(s) = your philosophy. Shout it from the rooftops. Be known for it.

10. Reinvent the wheel. Figure out what everybody else is saying about your area of expertise. Then figure out YOUR unique perspective, spin, paradigm, etc. Find the hole that nobody sees and fill it with your unique expertise. (Hey, wait! That last sentence TOTALLY rhymed. Sweet. I’m writing that one down.)

11. Become a CONFIDENT thinker. In the book A Thinking Course, Edward DeBono said, “A thinker should be able to turn on his thinking at will. A thinker should be able to direct his thinking to any subject or any aspect of a subject. A confident thinker does not have to prove himself right and the other person wrong. Thinking is an operating skill, not an ego-achievement. A confident thinker is willing to set out to think about something.” Wow. Talk about a thought leader! WHAT ABOUT YOU: can you speak on your expertise … forever?

12. Content is king. Content drives action. Content replaces selling. Content replaces agents. Content replaces pitching. Content drives transactions. Content replaces advertising. Content replaces cold calling. Content pulls instead of pushes. (Read 16 more reasons why content is king!)

13. Become a media darling. Build relationships with local (and hopefully, national!) press. Offer yourself as a resource and expert. Send them business cards ALREADY stapled to a Rolodex card. Make yourself easily available. REMEMBER: the media is your customer. (Speaking of media darlings, I just did an this article with The Daily Record.)

14. Stay in front of your fans. Blog or no blog, you still need to be writing and publishing SOME form of newsletter. At least once a month. Make it quick, easy to read and packed with practical content. (See #12) Oh, and don’t sell too much. Selling annoys readers.

15. Be open mentally. DeBono also says, “A confident thinker is willing to listen to others. He is willing to improve his thinking by acquiring a new idea or a new way of looking at things. He is also able to acknowledge that an answer has not been found. Besides, being right is really boring.” LESSON LEARNED: be open to other thought leaders’ ideas.

16. Be open physically. On your blog, be sure to leave the “comments” button on. And make them available to anybody, even anonymous readers. Transparency and openness apply online too.

17. Close with value. At the end of every article, blog post, video or piece of content you publish, be sure your sign-off accomplishes a few things. FIRST, tell people what you do, how you do it and who you do it for. SECOND, offer an easy way to get in touch with you. THIRD, have a call to action, i.e., a free report, a video to watch, a link to click, an exercise, a thought-provoking question, an email assignment, free access to your online library or a 15-minute consultation.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you a thought leader?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Tell us how you became one!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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How to turn pigeonholes into goldmines

The other day one of my audience members asked me, “What do you like LEAST about your job?”

“Stereotypes,” I replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a lot of people think that authors and professional speakers are egomaniacal, self-serving, manipulative BS’ers who do nothing but spit fluff and hawk products from the stage instead of delivering real value.”

“Wow,” he said. “Is that really true?”

“That’s what I’ve heard, not what I believe,” I said. “So, I’d say it’s really more of a pigeonhole.”

Pigeonhole. That’s an important word in business.

See, to pigeonhole someone means “to place him into a compartment or to assign him a category.”

Which means you have a few challenges:

1. To figure out what your pigeonhole is.
2. To disarm it whenever you meet someone who wants to put you in it.

The following five steps will help you accomplish those challenges so you can turn pigeonholes into goldmines:

1. Brainstorm. Create a list called “Top Ten Stereotypes and Pigeonholes about My Job as a(n) ____________.” If you’re having trouble getting all ten, just call a coworker or someone who’s worked in your industry for a while. They should be able to help!

2. Defend. Create a sub-list for each item. Gather three examples, stories, statistics, testimonials or any other sort of evidence that proves those pigeonholes wrong.

3. Post. Share that list with the visitors of your website or blog. They’ll appreciate your honesty, transparency and openness. Feel free to use pictures, customer letters and videos. THAT should get them on your side.

4. Review. Spend a few minutes at the beginning of each day reviewing your Pigeonhole List. Keep it fresh in your mind, especially during conversations with customers and prospects. COOL IDEA: write that list on a sticky note and stick it on your phone!

5. Articulate. As soon as possible during a conversation, speech or sales presentation, address your pigeonholes. Reassure your audience (or customers) that working with you will NOT be consistent with the existing stereotypes of your industry.

FINAL NOTE: the whole reason for this approachable practice is to disarm the immediate preoccupations of your buyers.

THAT is what instills comfort.

Which establishes trust.
Which reinforces value.
Which ultimately enables people to buy.

Start brainstorming your stereotypes TODAY.

And tomorrow, you’ll begin turning pigeonholes into goldmines.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What is the #1 pigeonhole of your industry?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your list of three ways to disarm it here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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The #1 way to overcome writer’s block

According to Wikipedia, writer’s block is “a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity.”

There’s also great list of techniques to help overcome creative barriers such as:

1. Set a time and write whatever comes to mind, without stopping, for that time.

2. Taking a break, meditating, or doing relaxation exercises to relieve any pressure on oneself and on the writing.

3. Doing something out of the ordinary. If writer’s block comes from a lack of new ideas, attempts to spark creativity by going somewhere new or doing something different can be useful.

4. Reading, watching movies or plays, or similar activities that might bring inspiration.

Good stuff. Thanks Wikipedia!

However.

Writing is an extension of thinking. And great writers are great thinkers.

So, if you’re having trouble writing, that probably means you’re having trouble thinking.

Which brings me to the #1 way to overcome writer’s block…

LESSON LEARNED: Go back to the source.

Better writing comes from better thinking.

You know, it’s funny. I’m often accused of “never running out of content,” “never sleeping” or “always pumping out new material.” (Like that’s a bad thing!)

But see, I write like I talk. And I talk like I think. And since I’m usually either talking or thinking, then obviously, it’s not humanly possibly to get writer’s block!

Therefore, allow me to offer my own list for overcoming writer’s block:

1. Clear. Practice meditation, mental dumping, relaxation, breathing or any other brain-conditioning techniques to open your mind, heart and soul to receive new ideas. Best when done first thing in the morning. Read The Artist’s Way and learn how to do morning pages. I promise they will change your life.

2. Exercise. Your body AND your mind. Don’t choose one or the other. Do both. Read books on creative thinking (especially the ones with exercises). Do Sudoku, crossword puzzles, anything to get your brain cranking. Also best when early in the morning.

3. Think. I know. It’s so dumb that I’m telling you to “think.” Still, every single day, take at least 15 minutes to just THINK. Yes, think. It sounds dumb to literally “make time to think,” but you’ll be amazed what you learn. Consider having daily appointments with yourself. I promise they will (also) change your life.

4. Read. Not the newspaper. Ughh. I’m talking about good books. Positive books. Fiction or non-fiction. Just something to get your imagination flowing.

5. Capture. Write everything down. Constantly. “Pluck” ideas daily by tuning in your eyes and ears and capturing content as if your life depended on it. And don’t tell yourself you’ll remember it. That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable. If you don’t write it down, it NEVER happened. REMEMBER: Writing is the basis of all wealth. Oh, and don’t forget about The Paradox of Inspiration. VERY important.

6. Expand. Take an idea; then stretch it. For example, I thought to myself the other day, “Why don’t I ever get writer’s block?” Then I sat down a made a list of everything I do to kick my creative spirit in the butt. Then I wrote this article. See? Expand it! Do word explorations. Google your idea to get more ideas.

REMEMBER: these tips are only effective when underscored by a foundation of t-h-i-n-k-i-n-g.

Because a writer in motion stays in motion.

So…

If you want to change your writing, change your thinking.
If you want to increase your writing, increase your thinking.
If you want to become a better writer, become a better thinker.

Writer’s block, schmiter’s block.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your #1 way to overcome writer’s block?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best technique here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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54 questions every entrepreneur should ask

1. What’s next? Keeps you productive. Keeps you in motion. It keeps you thinking about the future. Helps avoid complacency.

2. What did you write today? Writing is the basis of all wealth. Even if you’re not a writer, you’re a writer. SAY IT WITH ME: Writing is the basis of all wealth.
3. If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like? Helps you clarify your philosophy. Plus, once you discover the answer(s) to that question, you now have a framework. Now all you have to do is make sure you’re giving your people (customers, staff) the tools to build that world.

4. What do you (really) sell? For example, if you work at Hertz, you’re not selling people a car. You selling people a way to get the heck out of the airport! So, ask yourself “What do I sell?” over and over and over. Make a list of at least ten different answers.

5. Is everything you know written down somewhere? If you don’t write it down, it never happened. That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable.

6. What highly valuable activities did you accomplish today? If you can go to bed every night knowing that you achieved three highly valuable activities during the day, everything will be gravy.

7. Who else lives there that you can see when you’re in town? Helps you keep your network alive.
8. What’s the stupidest thing you could possibly say? Then, don’t say that. Don’t be ashamed to ask your clients or customers this question. They’ll appreciate your willingness to learn what to avoid.
9. How can you be visible to the highest number of people? Especially if you’re at a conference with lots of people.

10. What’s the universal human emotion of this story? That way it connects with everybody.

11. Why are you even telling this story? Don’t tell it just to tell it. Have a point. A lesson. A takeaway.

12. Are customers asking to buy a product or service you don’t presently sell? If so, maybe that should tell you something.

13. What are the best possible questions I could ask this person? Questions are the basis of all cooperation. And he who asks the best questions wins. It’s a perfect way to be that guy.

14. How does that relate to me? There’s a lesson in everything. The challenge is figuring out what you’re supposed to take away from a specific incident.
15. What industry do you want to dominate? Because niches = riches.
16. When was the last tome you were featured IN the media? About your business, about your philosophy and your products. Because anonymity is the greatest barrier to business success.

17. When was the last time you were interviewed BY the media? Because you need to be perceived as an expert.

18. What did I JUST learn from this experience? Because we learn not from our experiences; but from intelligent reflection upon those experiences.

19. Who else can I talk to about this? Make a list of every possible person that would be a good source of advice or help on a challenge.

20. Am I really the best person to be doing this? If not, find someone who is and recommend her. Don’t worry. The world will pay you back.

21. Am I giving away enough stuff for free? Because the more you give away for free, the wealthier you will be.

22. What’s the ONE thing I totally forgot to pack? I ask this to myself right before I leave for the airport. I usually helps out.

23. Is what I’m doing right now consistent with my number one goal? This question made me more money and helped me become more focused than anything. Ever.

24. Is what I’m doing right now leading to a sale? Just like the above example but more focused on selling. (Put this one on a sticky note!)

25. Did you get their email? It’s the single most important piece of information you need to obtain. Because everyone is in the name-accumulate business.

26. Did you listen enough? Twice as much as you talked.

27. What lesson did you learn today? Before you go to bed, take 30 seconds to jot this down on a note card. One sentence, one lesson from one day. At the end of the week and month, re-read them. Then share them with your employees, kids and friends. Encourage them to do the same.

28. What are you thankful for today? Developing an attitude of gratitude will attract more good things in your life because the universe is responsive and participative.

29. When did you say no today? Your time isn’t just valuable; it’s billable. And most entrepreneurs suck at saying no. Consider keeping a No Journal to make sure you’re saying it enough.

30. What (small) victories did you have today? Any victories build confidence and skill. Keep a Victory Log. (And if you don’t feel like keeping a bunch of journals or logs to answers these various questions, go back and read #2 again.)
31. How many new ideas did you come up with last week? The best way to come up with great ideas is to have a LOT of ideas.

32. Are you able to speak on your expertise at the drop of a hat? That’s how good you need to be. That’s how smart you need to be.

33. Can you speak on your expertise forever? If not, that’s cool. Your customers will find someone who can.

34. Do you really want to make this a career? If not, don’t bother. Hobbies aren’t enough. You need to make this a business. (Whatever “this” is.)
35. What did you read today? Every. Single. Day. And not the newspaper or magazines. Positive, healthy, enriching stuff.
36. How many books did you read last year? I read about 300. What about you?
37. What’s the stereotype of your profession? Know this at the beginning (of your career, of your sales calls and of your days) so you can address it early, disarm people and earn their trust.
38. Have people heard about you? Because the only reason anyone will do business with you is because 1) They’ve heard you, 2) They’ve heard OF you, or 3) Someone they trust has heard of you.

39. Are people talking about you? Because word of mouth is the most honest, most effective and most sincere marketing medium. Also, Oscar Wilde once remarked, “The only thing worse than being talked about is NOT being talked about.”

40. What do you do? Be prepared to answer this question confidently, uniquely and quickly. Have several versions ready to go for various situations.
41. Are you talking to the right person? Find the economic buyer. Don’t waste people’s time.

42. What if you got sick? Would you still make money? Would your business function by itself?

43. What if 9/11 happens again? Will you still make money? Can your business thrive without travel?
44. Do people know what you do? If you successfully answered #40, this shouldn’t be a problem.

45. Do people know what you’re DOING? Publish an ezine, blog or calendar that keeps your network in the loop. Makes it easier for them to refer you.

46. Do people know what you’ve DONE? Because there’s nothing more persuasive than a working example. Also makes it easier for them to refer you.
47. What type of marketing will you use? Remember, there’s like 46 different ways. Consider using all of them.
48. What have you done in the last 24 hours to promote YOU? Tom Peters asked this question in his awesome book The Brand You 50.

49. What have you done in the last 24 hours to increase your credibility? Because complacency is the enemy of growth.
50. Have you googled yourself this week? Becaue you can participate your online image, but you can’t control it. Because if you don’t exist on the Internet, you don’t exist.

51. Why are people picking you? The media, your customers, etc. Constantly ask them, “Why me?” Figure out the answer; repeat often.

52. What is today’s creative opportunity? There will probably be more than one per day. Still, the world is filled with them. Listen closely.

53. If you were to close your doors TODAY, what would you customers miss most? Hopefully there’s a good answer (or answers) to this question. Because a LOT of entrepreneurs out there are quickly and easily replaceable.

54. What’s your guarantee? Have something cool, remarkable and unexpected. When you remove risk from your transactions, it sets you apart, earns trust and stimulates word of mouth. For example, my guarantee to any of my customers is, “If you feel that any of my products suck, call my cell phone and your money will be refunded.” Nobody’s ever called me on it. Yet.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who’s the luckiest person you know?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
What do they do that nobody else does?

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!
Tune in here!

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Watch The Nametag Guy on ABC’s 20/20!

OK. I’ve kept it a secret for three months…

I’M GOING TO BE ON 20/20!!!

I got the call in March. One of their producers read my article, How to become the Luckiest Person You Know.

HERE’S THE BEST PART: their upcoming episode is all about (get this) … people who create their own luck!

That’s me!

Anyway, their crew flew down from New York City, came to my office, sat in the audience of one of my speeches … even rigged me up with “Nametag Cam!”

Sure, they completely took over my entire office. But it was a blast. And I’m excited to see how the segment turns out.

(Boy, ABC brings a lot of gear, huh?)

REMEMBER: tune in THIS FRIDAY, June 15th on ABC’s 20/20 at 10 PM Eastern!

And if you can’t watch it, don’t worry … it’ll be on YouTube by next week.

ONE FINAL NOTE: you’re probably wondering, “How in the world did you get on 20/20?”

Check this out.

In March, 20/20 online posted this page.

It’s a online form.

You fill it out, share your “lucky” story and HOPE that 20/20 maybe calls you back.

Who knows how many thousands of other people you’re competing with?

I guess you could say it would be “lucky” if you got the call.

That is, if you actually believed in luck.

Which I don’t.

That’s why I NEVER filled anything out.

And miraculously, they called me.

Here’s why…

Because the producer, who was creating a piece about “lucky people,” went onto Google and did a search on the exact phrase “the luckiest person you know.”

And out of 539,000 pages, guess who’s article came up first AND second?

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Writing is the basis of all wealth.
2. It ain’t about luck.
3. Stick yourself out there; get them to come to you.

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Watch The Nametag Guy on ABC’s 20/20!