Mastery Requires Practice, Not Shortcut or Easy Button
I'm so struck by this moment for so many reasons, but the big one is this: How much people want to avoid needing to practice. Shortcut culture is at an all-time peak. People believe there’s an easy button or a “secret,” or some complicated system or closed-door community will save them. Reality is far simpler. To be good at things, you gotta be bad at things. For awhile. Are you committing to practicing your craft, or are you worried about seeming "cringe" or letting feelings of imposter syndrome or writer's block outweigh everything else? Are you automating away the messy parts where you find breakthrough ideas, identify your own personal style, find clarity, and truly master your craft, or do you keep your hands on the controls and your heart in the process? It's fine to put anyone you admire on a pedestal, but please understand: that pedestal is mostly made of crap. It's made of ideas that went nowhere and drafts that got shuttered and published works that nobody saw, let alone cared about. It’s made of practice. It has never been easier to be average. To do anything more requires practice. To do anything exceptional requires a ton of work that isn’t.
Stop Chasing Attention,
The stark reality of getting your name out there + driving revenue through thought leadership: Sooner or later, you have to turn around and face your own ideas. Most people don't want to look directly at it. (h/t Brannan Sirratt...
Your Life Moments Are Your Personal LLM
AI and people both rely on LLMs as their foundations. AI has large language models. People have little life moments. Your lived experiences—your memories, stories, voice, and perspective—are what separates you. It's what enables you to convey greater value to...
Your Own Creative Practice Outweighs Any Résumé
LinkedIn shows where I worked. It doesn’t show where I put in the work. Side projects. Always writing, recording, running my talk in private. Always writing blog posts on the side of my day jobs. Always hosting some kind of...
From Keynote Tours to Scalable Advisory: My Revenue Leap
This is not my usual fare, but last week, I did a deep dive into the state of my business: revenue breakdowns, analyzing what's working, etc. I've gone through a really difficult and life-changing period of reinvention, from a full-time...
Tech Firms Force AI on Users to Inflate Metrics
Tech companies are trying to grab us by our necks and force-feed us AI so they can juice their own numbers. It's a sham. The big search box at the bottom of my Notion is now a big AI box...
GenAI Boosts Mediocrity, Undermines Trust
So far genAI has been a net positive for scaling mediocrity and a net negative for earning trust. What a time to be alive.
Last 3 Mastermind Spots for High‑Fee Speakers
Next week I’ll be finalizing the last 3 spots of a mastermind for keynote speakers. 10 total spots, two annual retreats, building our businesses together. Paid program already featuring authors, consultants, exec coaches, and creators who are at or near...
From Speaking to Advisory: Prioritizing High‑Value, Low‑Volume Business
I rarely do this, but I thought I’d try a short business update and share what’s working, etc. For the last 3 years, I’ve rebuilt my business from a road-heavy speaking business (which was the largest thing I’d ever built...
Premium Clients Trump Massive LinkedIn Follower Counts
About two years ago, a marketer with a massive LinkedIn following sent me a competitor’s profile. The marketer said, “I see how you’re showing up on LinkedIn, Jay. Check out this competitor of yours.” We both sold advisory services to...
Essential Site Assets: The Big
If you want more and better talks, you’ll need a few key marketing assets on your site. This is the big 3. Or maybe the big 103?
Create Worthwhile Content, Not Just Subscriber Numbers
The point isn’t to “generate subscribers.” The point is to write things worth subscribing to.
Build a Lead Engine Beyond Social Media Dependence
The 2 long-term investments I'd be making if I sell services to ensure I build something sturdy, especially given the current moment: 1. Building a business that isn't reliant on social media (or even SEO/AEO) for lead-gen. Yes, some business...
Speaking Requires One Key Shift From Writing
Good writing is NOT good speaking. Let’s look at the differences. In this video, I read two passages about a fictional person discovering a valuable lesson about a “named concept” they’re teaching the audience. Notice that when something is meant...
Diverse Clients Thrive Through One Signature Idea
I never wanted to build my advisory business by picking a niche. Here is a look at the last 10 clients I've served. I'm so excited at how diverse this group is. In all cases, I am helping them refine...