How to tap your talent
At my first job that didn’t involve cutting lemon wedges and pouring draught Beer for drunk, off-duty doormen, my father came to meet me one day for lunch.
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DO be all "look at me!" (How to be a leader and a star)
There’s this woman Georgia in my dance class — by that, I mean my instructor Cebo’s dance class, which I take, not teach — who’s amazing.
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How to keep it real when you "blow up"
When I was on the final panel at Unfair Advantage Live a woman asked a question I didn’t think she had to worry about.
Make your name by doing the unsexy work. (AKA Puff Is Pissed, AKA Grownups Eating Ice Cream And Crying)
At the company off-site, they had tubs of ice cream waiting for us first thing in the morning. Breakfast of cry-babies.
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My new favorite writing prompt is even more fun if you’re old as dirt
OMG best thing ever A fellow copywriter/word nerd posted this Merriam Webster tool in a Facebook group, and all I can say is, what a perfect birthday gift. It lets you see what words were made official the year you were born. I thought that would make me feel old, but many of the words […]
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Can you say “ballsack” at a funeral?
I don’t want to get too heavy on you, so I’ll jump in at “ballsack.”
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How to follow up without being a nagging, passive-aggressive psycho
I had a housemate in college who’d leave messages on my answering machine like this: BEEEP! “Hey, just checking in, I was just wondering what you were planning to do with the spaghetti pot and some of the other stuff you left out on the counter. I’d clean them myself, it’s no big deal, but with […]
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“Mansplaining” should never have been a word. (On the dopiest portmanteau ever, and how to make your own)
Chocoholic. Faux-hawk. Netiquette. Tanorexic. Jazzercise, glitterati, Brangelina. I love a good portmanteau. You know, that kind of word that’s a combo of two words and usually a twist on a longer one. Cassingle. Showmance. Mathlete. Sometimes it’s called a frankenword. It used to be called a “Sniglet” – coined in the 1980s by comedian Rich […]
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Afraid to repeat yourself? Take a tip from every dumb ’80s sitcom.
It’s not just me, right? I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s rewritten a perfectly good talk because one person – repeat, ONE PERSON – who’ll be in the audience was there last time and heard it already. (I’m not, right?) And lord knows it’s not only me who’s thought, “Oh no, what if […]
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Easiest money you ever made?
The easiest buck I ever made was in 1994. Before I tell you what the job was, let’s talk about easy money. I often see business coaches posing this question: “Do you feel guilty charging for work that feels easy?” They post it on Facebook and Twitter, offering to help people break through this so-called “money […]
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How to create valuable content (it’s not what you think)
“Add value.” “Deliver value.” “Provide massive value.” It’s not a new word, this “value.” But if you’re new to the online marketing space (AKA “The Space”) you might be newly inundated with it. ‘Round these parts, they use it out the ying-yang. “If you want people to buy from you, get known for delivering tons of […]
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How to promote yourself on social media without annoying the shit out of your friends
“You have to put yourself out there!” “If you don’t promote yourself, you’re stealing from those who need you!” “Marketing and selling are an act of service.” You’ve probably heard these things. They’re all true. You might’ve also heard: “If your friends are annoyed by your success, they don’t deserve to be in your life.” […]
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The F-word I don’t use (and maybe you shouldn’t, either)
“Are you a freelancer?” When someone asks that, I nod yes-ish and answer, “I have a copywriting business.” I’ll call myself a consultant, a professional copywriter, an independent contractor. I’ll say I’m for hire. A free agent. Available for projects. A business owner. But I don’t say “freelancer.” Why? Because it sounds poor. Poor, and […]
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Become an email GOD: 21 tips to stand out in your subscriber’s inbox and boost open rates, engagement, and sales in 2024
Put on stretch pants and settle in. This is a meaty one. Or, if you’re short on patience today, you can skip right to the goods with this table of contents: 7 Reasons Email is Great For LAZY Creative Types 9 Reasons Email Is So Powerful For Your Business 21 Tips For Emails People Actually […]
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