Whenever I hear the phrase GCSEs I instantly think of the (epic) music video for Daft Punk’s Around The World. I couldn’t revise in silence. Summer of '97, I did most of my studying lying flat on my belly on the living room carpet, with MTV on, for the full 6 hours of bliss whenever everyone else was out of the house (I’m the eldest of 4 kids). Angst-riddled parents fretfully told me ‘you can’t possibly concentrate like that’ a few dozen times - but it was the only way I could concentrate. 28...
4 days ago • 1 min read
What small thing causes you disproportionate rage discomfort Reader? Me? I HATE the feeling of my hair touching my neck. HATE it. Yes, captial letter, actually shouting HATE it. And because I like to have my hair short, even putting it in a ponytail brings no relief because the hair at the back of my head is was too short to tie up. As the weather warmed up in May, I decided I wanted to get an undercut (have the hair at the nape of my neck shaved really short). I didn’t do it because: 1. I am...
5 days ago • 1 min read
I've been reflecting on how I help my clients, and Passholders (so I can generate ideas for a future podcast series), and I realised the same three predicaments come up a LOT. And even though I don't have an intro, outro, branding, or even a name for the podcast series yet - I went ahead and recorded these episodes anyway - to see if I enjoyed the process, and if you liked the content.This episode is for you if you've been thinking about making a change in your business but you're scared...
12 days ago • 1 min read
What's the least comfortable thing about your marketing or business Reader? When I ask that question to new subscribers, there's one theme that comes up more than almost everything else put together: Marketing feels like an unsustainable (and unrewarding) grind. They're pumping out marketing content, they don't know if it works, it's not sustainable to keep doing that, but they're too scared to stop. If you're marketing is a grind and you'd like to know three ways you can make your content...
14 days ago • 1 min read
If you’re great at what you do, your clients love you, and you get results, it can feel extremely frustrating when that doesn't add up to sales. I'm creating some blog posts/podcasts around the most common marketing problems clients talk to me about. In this first one, I talk about what to focus on first when you want more clients. 👉 Listen/watch/read here (10 minutes) [00:58] Why the “build audience first, sell later” approach may not be working for you [01:32] The overlooked group of people...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Something unusual happened while out walking this morning. I thought it would be a good thing to write about for my (very poorly maintained) Tiny Triumphs Substack. The process of writing it felt appealing and a little cathartic. Immediately, my mind gremlins pleaded with me not to waste my precious time and energy because nobody would want to read it. Ahhhh, my old friend, the Self-Censorship Cycle. Here are two questions I ask myself to get past it, which might be helpful if you cut off...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I made a thing. I'm pretty sure that's the most terrifying sentence I ever utter, Reader. Does it feel the same for you? A blog post, a course, a workbook, a new 1-1 offer.....urghhh that moment when it stops being a secret you keep on your laptop, and gets released out into the world is hard. Last weekend Sons #1 and 2, and I went to a video games festival, and there were a handful of new games available for testing, with the developers standing by for feedback. I was in awe of their bravery...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
What’s the hardest marketing activity for you right now Reader? We’re wired and raised to believe that Doing Hard Things is the pathway to success (thanks to a potent combination of Effort Heuristic, Grit Culture, Protestant Work Ethic, and Survivorship Bias). So when we come up against a Hard Thing we might convince ourselves to push through. It is true that we will sometimes need to Do Hard Things. But it is not true that pushing through something that is hard will result in success....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I’m stuck in standby mode while waiting to go out for the day Reader, and sending this email is the only task my brain wants me to do right now. We’re going to a video games festival. It’s only a 30-minute drive away and we like to go towards the end of the day and stay for the last couple of hours when things tend to be a little quieter. So last night, as I was planning how I thought Saturday would go, I could see I had a lovely 3-4 hour chunk to dedicate to work before we went out. I made a...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read