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.

ABC TAKES FIVETHIRTYEIGHT OFFLINE

“But the standard behavior when closing a web publication is to just pull the plug. When the whole company goes under, that’s one thing. But when there’s a parent company, especially a thriving one, there’s no justification for pulling the plug other than spiteful disregard for the work. From the perspective of a company the size of Disney, it would cost veritable pennies to keep FiveThirtyEight’s website around forever. What a disgrace.”

From Jon Gruber, re: the closure of FiveThirtyEight.

This doesn’t just suck for the public at large, the ones that can no longer reference the material for reports or research. Think of all the broken links now!

But also all the people who worked on the site – all that work, poof, gone in an instant.

Say it with me – corporate owned internet media is a shit show, and the sooner these sports coat wearing motherfuckers wake up and see the trail of destruction they’re leaving across every industry they prance into and pillage, the better.

MAGIC AND MACHINERY

You can have the magic, but you need a little machinery to make it go. It’s still magic, and it’s a gift to the world.

But you can have all the machinery in the world, but without any magic, well… what good is any of it?

Strategy and tactics… you can learn those.

That’s what I always tell my super talented clients. The ones who’ve been making magic for decades. Pro mountain bikers. Musicians. Painters.

The hard work is already done! Try being magical at any of those with one course, or email drip sequence, right? You can’t.

But add a little bit of machinery to the mix. A well thought out email sign up page (one that doesn’t just say “sign up for updates”).

A plan for sending out a newsletter, and not just “whenever.”

An idea how to frame the magic around the business side of things, without just posting images of products with BUY NOW buttons.

Magic and machinery… good to have both, but if I had to pick just one I’d take the magic.

ENERGY IS MY STRATEGY

In our Zoom call today, we got talking about strategy. And in the breakout room we just fell into “the energy is the strategy.”

The light, the magic, the thing that only you can do, and the way it lights you up – that’s the strategy. I chase that every day.

Doing my invoices and updating spreadsheets, that ain’t the strategy. Heck, seeking out BIGGER CLIENTS ain’t the strategy. I wanna help people with their internet / marketing / social media / email questions right here, right now.

It’s why I push my Email Guidance offering more, because I can help people right where they’re at. One free “pick my brain” email, and if you like that, there’s a payment link to keep picking my brain.

That’s the joy. It is JOY solving problems and helping creative people do well.