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By Mark Truman, on July 22nd, 2011
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or fill out the subscription form to the left. Thanks for visiting! We think of social media (Twitter, Facebook, blogging) as fast media. After all, it goes straight from your keyboard to your readers’ screens Instantly! Through the tubes!
And yet, it takes forever to make a difference.
You have to build a list, a following, a name on all those social media platforms. You have to provide quality content again and again and again to your fans. You have to earn it. Slowly.
Social media is like farming. You have to till the soil and work the land, but the results are worth it. Just remember that it takes time.
By Mark Truman, on July 20th, 2011
When I was a kid, I knew that I was my own worst enemy. I was always distracted by new things, never knew how to show up anywhere on time, and thought that each and every authority deserved to be questioned.
I promised myself that when I grew up, I’d stop messing around and get serious about being like everyone else.
But when I grew up, I realized that all of those bad habits were really useful. They made me see the world differently, and helped me accomplish things others people said were impossible.
So before you give up your wicked ways, determine how much they help you and hurt you. You might be surprised to find that they aren’t that wicked after all.
By Mark Truman, on July 18th, 2011
You have to stand your ground to make a difference. Advocating for the things you believe in, repeatedly and often, is the only way to make a movement a reality.
Yet, sometimes the people who oppose you are jerks. They stop listening when you talk, blatantly ignore the facts on the ground, and claim that you’re the one causing all the problems.
You can’t win against these kinds of people. Do yourself a favor, and stop fighting the people who will burn everything down to make a point.
You’ve got better things to build with your time.
By Mark Truman, on July 15th, 2011
We are often told to keep our distance from our causes. If you want to really help people, they tell us, you’ve got to keep from losing yourself in the work.
But it’s impossible to stay disinterested because you’ve already lost yourself in the work. That’s why you’re doing the work in the first place.
So throw that caution to the wind. Get involved, deeply involved, and figure out how to change the world.
You can work out your boundaries later.
By Mark Truman, on July 13th, 2011
There’s a world of difference between playing your guitar in your room and recording an album.
…just not in the way you think.
“Official” work is viewed in a totally different light when you show it to the outside world. And even better than that, you will take your work so much more seriously after you have made it official.
It doesn’t take much. File the paperwork and reap the full benefits of your work. Don’t sell yourself short by keeping it informal.
By Mark Truman, on July 11th, 2011
If you’ve got a project in mind, give it a name. Even if you know the name will change, you’ve taken a big step forward when you start talking about a specific project instead of “an idea you’ve got.”
Speak a things name and you bring it into reality. It’s time.
By Mark Truman, on July 8th, 2011
There are times in our lives where we are totally lost. We don’t know what the next step is or where we are headed.
The best solution to being lost is to try things. Go out and dip your toes into every pool you can find. Eventually, something will reach out and grab you. Until that happens, you’ve got to keep searching.
But we aren’t always lost. Sometimes we just don’t like our choices.
And when you find yourself stuck between two or three choices, trying out new activities is just a distraction designed to keep you from your decision. They aren’t going to help. You’ve got to sit down and make a decision.
So the real question is “Are you lost?”
By Mark Truman, on July 6th, 2011
Imagine going to a movie theater that only served one size of drink Or only showed movies at one time of day. Or only had one seat in each theater.
Even if all those things were exactly the size, time, and seat you wanted, you would be disappointed by your lack of choices. Despite the “perfect fit” of each and every element, you would want the option of imagining different outcomes for your purchases.
You might even resent being “forced” to buy at all.
As you lead small projects, it’s important to remember that choices create comfort. Your consumers want to have options, and if you don’t give them any, they will take their business elsewhere.
By Mark Truman, on July 4th, 2011
It’s worth remembering, on the Fourth of July, what makes America truly great.
It’s not military prowess or economic power. It’s not our popular culture, which gets exported all over the world, or our political system, which has been copied since its inception.
America is great because we are the most diverse country on the planet.
America proved a long time ago that diversity is an asset instead of a liability. When other countries focus on purity and homogeneity, we’ve celebrated our differences and welcomed their outcasts.
It hasn’t always been smooth, but it’s a consistent theme in America’s history. Time and time again, we have triumphed over adversity because of our diversity.
And that’s why we must continue to work to make diversity a priority. Not because some groups deserve a handout, but because we are all stronger when people of a different race, creed, or gender help us see past our own limitations.
When you go back to work tomorrow, make a special effort to bring the right people to the table for every meeting. All of them. Anything less is un-American.
By Mark Truman, on June 20th, 2011
A contract is not a threat. It is a promise.
A contract is not a “lawyer only” document. You are free to write a legally binding agreement in Microsoft Word, as long as both parties sign it.
A contract is not a tool to get what you want. It is an insurance policy in the event that the other party decides to stop caring about what you want.
A contract is not magically unbreakable. You need to make breaking it hurt if you want the other party to respect it.
A contract is not an insult to a friend. It is a compliment to an equal.
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