Useful insights at random intervals
“Of all the newsletters I see, The Fink Tank is by far the best. Thank you!”—Roy
Vanilla: excellent ice cream, terrible social media
Social marketing is the most incredible opportunity for solopreneurs, and most of us are doing it badly, or not at all.
Reframing Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is a signpost indicating the presence of self awareness. Knowing the extent of one’s limitations is an indication that you’re near the pointy, knowledgable end of the Dunning-Kruger curve.
The Pricing Pickle
Price is one of the most effective levers we have to pull to affect how people think about us and our offerings…
Another hour in the ivory tower
Don’t spend another hour in your ivory tower. Share what you’ve done so far with someone and see if they find it useful.
Technocrastination
The better strategy is often the really, really obvious one that you can do right now with absolutely no preparation or investment whatsoever.
The Four Horsemen of the Productivity Apocalypse
If you’re going to succeed as a solo pro, you’re gonna need to get shit done. As the primary (or only) human resource in your business, if you’re wasting your time, you’re not going to succeed. Problem is, you’re on your own, and you likely have blind spots.
Efficient, or engaging?
In the world of public speaking, there is a certain magic in guiding your audience towards an idea without explicitly stating it.
The power of narrative (and women's sport)
Many women's leagues and teams are so young that the stories and narratives are still developing.
I'm still confused, but at a higher level
I think there’s something in it. Maybe if you can’t set someone straight, you can at least shake them to a higher level of confusion...?
Public speaking and the path of reconciliation
Audiences don't want perfection, they want connection.
With honesty, you buy permission to be yourself
Whatever your 'negative' character trait; own it. Your audience would much rather meet the real you.
Have you considered the possibility that AI sucks?
Capitalism wants us to be excited about the opportunity. Twitter is filled with people enthusiastic about handing the baton for the creative process to Artificial Intelligence.
The real cost
When you're thinking about selling something, think about the real cost. Often, it's far larger than the pricetag you've attached to your product/service.
The presentation landscape
Your preparation is to create a map of the place, and know what peaks you want to take everyone to.
Is practice a waste of time?
It's true that practice is key to high performance. The problem isn't the act of practicing your speech. The problem is we tend to practice the wrong aspect of the speech.
Specificity creates engagement
If you’re going to make money (easily) as a professional, you need to be memorable. To be memorable, you need to be interesting. To be interesting, you need to tell stories with characters, emotions, and specificity.
Ditch the script
Scripts are absolutely terrible because they (falsely) convince our brain there is a correct group of things that have to be said in this presentation, and that there's a correct order that they need to be said.
Thinking about thinking
All this thinking—if we let it run rampant—almost inevitably leads to all those deep-seated subconscious beliefs that we're unworthy, unloveable, and doomed to failure.