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Three ways to f*cking finish something
I thought I’d go with a more tactical, ripped from the headlines-style post for you this week, because I’ve had a bunch of clients come to me recently struggling to get things finished. (OK, so it’s not *the* headlines, but it’s the headlines of my work life. So...
Your enthusiasm is irrelevant
The first client I worked with outside a content mill, I closed for a 5 figure contract. What nobody else knew was that while I was on the sales call with them, I was Googling the name of the tasks they were asking me to do because I didn’t know what the fuck a...
The Second-Worst Pickup Line I’ve Ever Heard (And What You Can Learn From It.)
It was about five sentences into the conversation that I realized things were going really very wrong. I’m in a bar when this guy comes up to me and asks if he can buy me a drink. Pleasantly surprised, I agree. We trade names, and my pleasant surprise continues when...
The three fastest ways to improve your web copy. (Or really any messaging.)
Her voice pierced the silence of the waiting room from behind the closed office door. “Entrepreneurs start businesses for ALL kinds of reasons. Shit, wait. Hang on, cut.” I looked up. My wait for my acupuncture appointment had just gotten more interesting....
What’s your moonshot?
Want to hear me read this to you instead? Click here. I had trails of melted ice cream running down to my elbows and tears in my eyes. As I watched a hologram of Apollo 11 take off from its projected base on the Washington Monument, my ice cream cone forgotten in my...
The magical reframe that takes the ick out of marketing. (And no, it’s not “Selling is helping!”)
Want to hear me read this to you instead? Click here. I work out like it’s illegal. Seriously, I put the blinds down, close the door, and listen to music on my headphones so nobody will hear the Spotify Guilty Pleasures playlist and magically intuit that I’m knocking...
The real stakes of being able to communicate your ideas
Our words seem so insignificant in the day to day. We send a zillion texts, have casual chats, throw something up on Instagram... It all feels light; until it’s not there. Find yourself in a circumstance where you’re silenced, unheard, and your whole being freaks out....
Every Single Person Has a Conversation to Champion. What’s Yours?
Want to hear me read this to you instead? Click here. When I was little, I wanted nothing so badly in the world than to grow up to be Alan Alda. I idolized his version of Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H, the smartass surgeon who was just so good at what he did that...
The Incredibly Weird Way I Learned Content Strategy (And 3 Simple Steps You Should Be Taking With Yours.)
Hearing footsteps outside the door, I quickly arrange my body so that my shoulders are caved in and I’m looking down at the floor. I know the key to getting through the next 30 minutes is to look as apologetic as possible. The Headmistress walks into the musty old...
The 2019 State of the Businesses Report
It's here, it's here! I'm thrilled to announce that the 2019 State of the Businesses Report + Artist's Statement is now out and ready for you to read! In it, you'll find an unparalleled level level of transparency about my businesses (so if you've ever been curious...
You Can’t Hack a Relationship
So imagine you’re out somewhere, all dolled up in your Sunday-go-to-meeting best, and suddenly, you see them — the person that fits right into your daydreams of riding off into the sunset and “Til death do us part”. You want them — bad. So what do you do? A. You put...
The Deep and Brilliant Foundation of All Great Ideas
60,000 years ago, give or take a couple ten thousand years, something happened that fundamentally changed the course of the universe. One person looked at another person, and said something. The other person said something back. Conversation started. This changed...
There Are No Boring Topics — Just Boring Writers
One of the coolest things about writing copy and content is that we get to work with some seriously interesting people. Right now, we’ve got someone who styles fashion shows, someone who runs arctic expeditions, a naturopath out to change the way we do health, and an...
You’re Spam Until You Prove Otherwise
In one way, you’d think that nothing would be easier than building a following online. After all, the Internet has radically leveled the communication playing field. It’s no longer 1965 with three TV stations, all manned by old white dudes; anybody can post anything...
You Don’t Have to Be Loud. You Just Have to Be Heard.
Let me set the scene. You’re at a crowded party, having a good time, when all of the sudden a guy walks in. You can’t not see him — he’s dressed in bright clothes, has a painfully trendy haircut, and you’re pretty sure you can even spot some guyliner. And just in case...
[Template] How to Break Up with Someone in a Text Without Being a Jerk
E turns to me. “What do I even say to this guy? Is there a nice way to say “You’re great but I never want to see you again?” I smile back. “Hand me the phone. I’ve got a template.”
On the Aesthetic of Authenticity
Once upon a time, there was a business. It was run by a woman who only started freelancing because she was completely unemployable. She spent a full year alternating between panic attacks and depression, despite the fact that she was apparently living the digital...
The Greatest Marketing Lesson You’ll Ever Learn from an Asshole in a Bar
I was in a bar in college when some guy walked up to me and, with an absolutely straight face, introduced himself like so: "Hello. My name is Mohammed. I was suckled at the tits of a princess and I keep tigers as pets.” He then went on to tell me that I would look...