Box Scores, Jan. 11-17 – “Surprises, Entourage & Rockstars”
That’s right, it’s Monday morning and we’ve got some gems for you in our weekly Box Scores. To clear the air, you may recall that I mentioned a little something about a big OTA Sessions announcement last week. Well, while that announcement has yet to come, the good news is that we actually will be revealing some huge news within the next 48 hours. And that’s a fact, Jack! So, start off your week by reading these great posts from the blogosphere last week. Then get ready for…OTA.
There’s a reason Julien Smith has co-written a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. Because he’s good. And this advice from him to you follows suit. If you want to succeed, you have to find success in places that others won’t. As he so eloquently puts it, “This quote, by the Spanish poet Antonio Machado, punched me in the face when I heard it: ‘Traveler, there is no path. Paths are made by walking.’”
Every once in awhile you go to a concert and you walk away more anxious to buy the opening band’s album than the closing band’s. Is it what you expected? Of course not. Is it usually a pleasant (and sometimes BIG) surprise? Yes. Well according to Narciso over at Method + Moxie, part of that surprise comes because the band is willing to go all out and leave everything on stage. So…do you do that in your life every day? As Narciso puts it, “We’ve got so many things that get in the way of our own true strengths.” So stop that. Go surprise someone. Today. Now.
-“What Entourage Can Teach You About Successful Freelancing”
If you’ve never seen HBO’s Entourage, chances are you’ve dreamed about it. One man rises to fame and fortune and brings his best friends along for the ride. Sounds like a blast, right? Well Copyblogger’s Julie Roads realized how similar Entourage is to freelancing, and her points are well-made. If you’re already an Entourage fan, you’ll enjoy this quite a bit. If you’ve never seen Entourage, you just might want to after checking out this stellar post.
-“What makes your advocates feel like rockstars?”
Spike Jones knows a thing or two about building community and igniting movements. It’s sort of why he gets paid. Rather than writing another worn-out “how to be a rockstar” post, Spike takes a different (and probably more important) approach to the rockstar concept – making your supporters feel like rockstars. If you don’t quite understand what “Empower with responsibility” means, you should read this. You’ll be glad you did.
-“My language is just grating!”
This post from Drew McLellan is a two-step reminder not to fall into a rut with your creative language and writing as far as content goes. The first step is the reminder not to do it. The second step is a fun and challenging exercise to help you make sure you’re not doing it. A point to ponder from Drew: “Whether you are a copywriter day in and day out, a business owner who crafts an occasional flier or an exec who writes 10 e-mails and memos a day…your audience deserves your best words.” Truth. Do you give them yours?
And so ends another week of Deep Bench Box Scores. Hopefully you got as much out of these insightful posts as we did. Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below or tell us if we missed any posts worth including by leaving a link or telling us over on our Facebook page. We collect Box Scores each week for you and would love to hear what you have to say.
Oh, don’t forget…we’ve got exciting news coming very, VERY soon, so get pumped and be ready to buy your OTA Sessions ticket. One glance at the concept (and a second glance at the speaker list) might cause more excitement than you’re prepared for. Be ready, and we’ll be ready for you. See you soon!
Photo (“Rockstar”) by N1NJ4. Thanks N1NJ4!