Email Friday: My #1 Marketing Tactic in 2018

1 message

André Chaperon <hello@tinylittlebusinesses.com> Fri, Oct 12, 2018 at 19:16

To: akshay4surveys@gmail.com

Hey hey, it's André...

(There's a rhyme to that, right? I have a friend who addresses me in emails

like that; "Hey hey, Andre!" lol)

Anyhoo...

It's October already. Dunno bout you, but this year seems to have flown by. I
mean, it's like Christmas in 74 days time.

Your milage may vary tho.

Last year for us was one of our most stressful in memory. Losing a loved one
didn't help. But biz wise, it was pretty intense.

Pain is why we change.

Uncomfortableness is why we grow.

I experienced both, so I changed, and I grew.

In contrast, this year has been the most relaxed ever (and we've earned a lot
more; go figure).

I want to share something with you today that has helped a lot...

It's the MOST IMPACTFUL tactic I've discovered in 2018.

(Technically, I discovered it in 2017, but didn't take it seriously until this year.)
And looking back, I can't think of a single tactic in the last few years that has
been this impactful for me (and Anita).

Before I share the "secret," some context.

Sometimes the things that have the potential to move the needle for you the
most, are "hidden" in plain sight.

Right in front of your snout.

But you don't *see* it because you're too busy chasing down the next
marketing thing.

I get it, the best marketers are lifelong learners.

I'm one of them.

I'm always consuming something, working it over in my head, and then taking
the best bits for myself.

You should totally do that. All the time. Never stop.

But being a student of marketing is different to chasing down tactics that

really don't matter...

Shortcuts for getting attention...

Tricks and tips for getting ahead and advancing your social status...

Hacks for getting more clicks to your offers...

We need to forget about fiddling with shit that doesn't matter. And the ugly
truth is, most things don't matter at all.

They're illusions.

Red hearings that suck up your time and give little back.
Well...

I have a tactic I wanna share with you here that is so beautifully simple.

It's free (oh gosh!).

It's open to everyone.

And it only takes around 25-40 minutes a day.

The problem is that the concept is so simple, most people won't give it a
chance.

The 99%.

Maybe you're in 1%. I really hope so.

Because then you're in for a treat.

This tactic is called Morning Pages; a practice introduced by Julia Cameron in

The Artist's Way.

(The Artist's Way is *not* required reading btw.)

Write three pages, longhand.

(First thing in the morning.)

That's it.

Three pages.

Not two, not four.

Three.
Not typed out in Google Docs.

Longhand.

Analog, ideally.

In an A4/Legal notebook.

I use Notability on my iPad using the stylus. Same "longhand" practice, just
digital instead of analog.

What do you write about?

Anything.

No thinking, no analyzing, no stressing.

Just write.

Put pen to paper and write.

What you write matters little (initially).

What matters is just that you write.

Whatever is at the forefront of your mind, get it out of your head and onto the
page.

Don't hold back.

Don't judge.

And do not stop until you've hit three pages.

This isn't meant to be art.

The output is not for public consumption.

(In Notability you can password protect your morning pages folder.)

From a marketing and business perspective, it's been nothing short of

transformational. Magical.

I've come to love my morning pages.

I look forward to it.

Here's why:

It FORCES me to slow-the-f#ck-down.

I've never been one for documenting my thoughts and ideas.

They just rattle around in my heard. Most get forgotten.

But writing 'em down, in longhand, slows everything down.

So I can see each thought...

Spin it around...

Analyze it...

Internalize it...

Metabolize the idea and allow it grow. So I can work on it over time.

At first I found the practice hard.

Starting down at the blank page, I would wonder what to write about.

The stylus tip touched the screen. But still nothing. My thoughts were a mess,
like a drunk money. Whizzing by in a blur.
"So I have an appointment with the gastroenterologist," I had scrawled down.
"And I'm nervous," I continued.

... and that's how it starts.

And it gets easier...

Because the joy of the inevitable "AH-HA!" moment is the reward, the
dopamine hit, the gold that was invisible and out of reach just a page earlier.

Like I said, I look forward to those three pages each morning.

In terms of marketing and business, my thoughts are clearer.

Sharper.

More in-focus.

It's beautiful.

The past few weeks have been about the changes I'm making in 2019.

In the business. Which I'm so excited about.

And health wise, too. Although that's ongoing, I don't need to wait for 2019.

Anyhoo...

You don't need to buy anything.

Although I do recommend her short 50 something page book on the topic, if

you care about the why (recommended).

https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/the-miracle-of-morning-pages/

Credit goes to my buddy, Shawn Twing, for introducing me to Morning Pages.

Thx bud.
Your turn. If you choose to.

Start tomorrow morning. Don't wait.

Have a great weekend.

Andre "lean into change" Chaperon

P.S.

If you wanna go a little deeper down the rabbit hole:

Then listen to this podcast.

The first 35 minutes at least.

It's with Dr. Michael Gervais (a sport psychologist and entrepreneur).

(I *love* Michael's podcast show, Finding Mastery.)

Michael talks about something called, Personal Philosophy.

It's fascinating. Something I had never heard before.

Something that's going to be the focus of my next handful of morning pages.

Point #2 of the "how" of your Personal Philosophy is writing (journaling). For

me, that's Morning Pages.

Here's the interview. If you're a learner and student like me, I think you may get
a lot from this interview:
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