Gorgeous morning here in PA. Getting up to 60F today. Objects in motion stay in motion.
Category: Life
QUICK NYC TRIP
Spent a night in New York City. Did an eight mile run from my hotel, all the way around Central park, and back. Haven’t run that far in a minute, so that was quite a feat. Took no photos during the entire run (1.5 hours), just wanted to soak in the entire experience.
I read 4000 Weeks last year, which has made me think of the quickness of life. Is this maybe my last trip to NYC?
I went to Grand Central. I used to walk through that building a few times a week when I moved to NYC back in 2004. My god, what a simpler time, right? No streaming music. Two years before I joined Twitter.
Every moment is a gift. Grateful to be able to make this trip.
THE JOY OF DEALING WITH PROBLEMS
This from Matthew Ferrara, in a post titled ‘The Joy of Problems.’
“I’m so glad we had lunch,” I said as we left the restaurant.
“I’m so glad you didn’t cancel,” she replied.
“Actually,” I said, “It was invigorating to talk to someone who doesn’t need to be talked off the ledge. It’s refreshing to see you excited about solving problems.”
“You’re right. I feel energized by these challenges; I’ve solved similar ones at other companies. I know I have the skills and experience to deal with them. I’m looking forward to figuring them out in my new role,” she said.
“The joy of dealing with problems,” I smiled.
My latest offering is Email Guidance. Basically you get one email to pick my brain, and if you like my reply, there’s a Stripe payment link and you can book me for 10 more days five more emails of back and forth. I’ve booked five clients so far since I started it last month.
If you’re a paid subscriber to Social Media Escape Club, you get two free emails like this. Someone recently upgraded and did just that, sending me their challenge and a link to their website.
I replied with a 1,000 word email, and they sent back this:
“BOOM! Super helpful feedback … and so generous. Do you really take the time personally to do this depth of research into us/our brand and personalize an email like this? That’s unheard of … I’m super grateful.”
Some people have recently asked me if doing this is “scalable.” As in, I should just do a Zoom call, and be done with it, or something similar.
Or maybe just write 200 words.
But the thing is, and I’m grateful for Matthew’s post for pointing this out, is I think I find it… I found the joy of dealing with problems. I… sort of love it.
I read someone’s email, look over their site a little bit, and whatever else they provide, and then… I go for a walk. I go about my day. I watch a movie. I sleep on it. I go for a run. Make some coffee.
A day later I sit down and bang out a 1,000 word email like it’s nothing, because for me… well, it comes easy for me. And it’s also less stress than hopping on a Zoom call with a total stranger, and having to come up with all the answers on the spot. And be at my computer at a certain time. Make sure the mic is working. All that.
But writing a 1,000 word email? I love doing it.
And there are guardrails. I make sure people know I’ll reply in 24 hours, usually. I’m not swapping emails with you into the night. And I don’t answer emails on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. There’s a lot of space built into this.
And honestly, if I’m giving you 1,000 words to read, it’s gonna take you a minute to digest it.
So yeah – the joy of solving problems. I love it. If you want to know more, check out my Email Guidance page and go ahead, pick my brain.
GROWING WITH GROUPS
Talking about leaving social media lately has become less about the logistics and technology and more about the people. Just… PEOPLE.
Like, knowing every single answer to everyone’s situation of moving away from social media is impossible, but talking about the process. Figuring out what feels right. Talking about the flow and rhythm, the natural vibes of how you want to operate.
Less about tactics and more about the conversations we can have to figure these things out.
I did a workshop about ABOUT PAGES recently, and did it without trying to be the authority, or the instructor, the EXPERT. No PowerPoint, just vibes.
But people learned and figured things out from the group dynamic. We’re all in this together, learning together, sharing our collective knowledge and experiences for the better of the group.
“These acts of sharing feel at least as substantial as the sharing I do online, reminding me that there is a wide, weird, and (often) wonderful world beyond the screen.”
There are sooooo many people who aren’t online!
SIGNALS
In school I could find the rockers because they had mullets, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue shirts. We obviously couldn’t carry around our guitars, but there were signals.
Growing up, I didn’t sit in the hallways and randomly yell things as everyone walked past.
“BMX! Dungons and Dragons! Guns N’ Roses!”
That’d just get me some weird looks, right?
Instead, I did what all of us shy nerds did – I carried around my BMX Plus magazines. Finally found an Anthrax shirt. Got some Airwalks from the JCPenny catalog.
Each of those things were a signal.
Once we found our tribe, we didn’t stay hanging out in the hallways at school, or the food court at the mall. We spent our evenings in our friend’s bedrooms and basements, learning Misfits’s covers and such.
This whole “hopping to different platforms to find out people” is a new thing that came about in the last decade, and it looks like it’s burning to the ground.
Start talking to the few people around you, getting a little deeper. Send a few emails. Plan a Zoom call. Meet in real life.
Boost your signals together, with other people.
HEALING
Angel figurine photo by Seth Werkheiser
A rich person wants many things. A sick person wants one thing. And wow, that’s been me this week – a sick person. It was too bad, but it was enough to wreck my normal routine, especially running. I had just done back to back 30 mile weeks, but I know fitness doesn’t disappear in a few days, especially since I’m not training for the Olympics or anything like that.
We are humans, not robots. Progress isn’t linear.
Hitting closer to home, one day at a time.
FRAIL CONNECTIONS
Our connections are only as strong as the technology in place that allows it. This is why I warn against using Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family – if that connection is cut, you account is suspended, the company implodes – you are no longer connected with friends and family.
All this talk now of new social media networks, as if the only way forward is based on the idea of setting up new accounts and importing our address books, when in fact we already have our address book from which we can communicate with friends and family.
Seems we like to stay in touch from afar, though, which is weird to me. I don’t need to know the breakfast choices of the kid who sat behind me in 10th grade science class. I don’t need to know every career move of people 1,000 miles away who can only be troubled to drop a “happy birthday!” text when prompted by a algorithm to encourage engagement.
Our brains are only capable of so many connections. There are a few people in our life, right now, nearly in arms reach, who we could grow closer to and go deeper with. Instead we keep seeking these lite-connections with people who only think of us when an algorithm deems it so.
BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF SHIT GOING SIDEWAYS
When things don’t work out, best to just take it as a lesson and keep moving forward.
Easier said than done, of course, but life is short.