If you haven’t heard Liz Gilbert’s explanation of the differences between hobbies, jobs, careers, and vocations, you need too. I’m going to embed it below so you can watch it. Then I’ll offer some thoughts below that. 

So what is “work?” It’s an American ideal that’s held very highly. But it’s really just a title we have the option to give the things we want to prioritize. No one needs to know if it makes money or not. Call it work and you’ll find the time to get it done. 

Online, there’s very little at stake. If things get weird, you don’t have to respond. But you can’t ghost someone who is staying on your couch. There’s a higher level of engagement that’s called for, which leads to a deeper level of connection. 

Brainstorming becomes a war if you don’t have a main goal, because good ideas can be enticing to follow and difficult to let go of. But you don’t need the greatest idea in the world. You just need the right idea for the situation at hand. Write your main goal at the top of the chalk board really big.

I wasn’t being generous. I just didn’t have the confidence to negotiate back, so I took the loss and wrote it off as generosity.

The only problem with Seth Godin is that he has so many pieces of work that it can be intimidating to know where to start. In this Blog, I’ll lay out my favorites from Seth and give you insights into who they’re best suited for. 

I started thinking about a diagram to explain how each of the three parts (content, connections, and a business model) come together, and what it looks like if you have different combinations of each. Let me propose some titles and potential paths so you can see the many ways to contribute and profit from the world of content.

The only sustainable way to make money is to bring real value to real people. To do something they don’t have the time, energy, or expertise to do themselves. Something that makes their life easier and better. 

Companies with funding and audacious dreams are based in big cities. Young graduates with something to prove live in big cities. Connections with people who work at companies with money to spend are a huge factor in the success of the content creator. 

The idea that you could be discovered or go viral is invigorating. But it’s as foolish as buying a lottery ticket. There are just so many better ways to make money. 

When I watched the last episode of the show Parks and Recreation, I cried. When I watched the movie Avengers Endgame, I cried.

My brain created a freak out moment when work came up out of the blue, as if I was late for work or had forgotten something.

Ultimately, phone calls have a distinct personable advantage over emails because you can hear and convey tone, which can have a huge positive impact. 

“To be honest with you” has to be the best line in networking history.

Meanwhile, great team leaders get the most out of their teams (even the quiet people) by creating opportunities for everyone to contribute in their own way.

Consider this: the people who need paintings the most are people who don’t have paintings in their homes. But the reason they don’t have paintings in their homes is because they don’t value paintings.

There’s no need to nickel and dime for my time. In fact, the more generous I can be, and the more I can accomplish, the better the team will do and the more money I’ll end up making.

After a while, I really began to doubt my place in the market. Did I have what it took to bring value and make money? Standing next to these guys, I wasn’t so sure.

It was 11pm, I just sat down in my hotel room after traveling all day. In 30 hours I would have the entire Vessel at Hudson Yards blocked off to produce a music video for The Chainsmokers. And I was experiencing more stress than I ever had in my entire life. 

The ability to knock out tasks is a good skill to have, but I realized it was becoming more of a fallback. A vice to help me feel productive while I avoided the difficult calls, conversations, and ideas.