The next time you’re going to turn down an offer, try this instead:
Make an unreasonable demand.
You never know what might happen — you just might get it.
Now, on to this week’s ideas…
1. The Four Actions I Took To Attract 72,000 Followers
“Every audience is built one person at a time so act that way.”
I share a ton of advice about how to grow your audience, but the truth is you ultimately need to find your own way.
But you can adapt things I’ve done to serve your own purposes and that’s why I wrote this post to clarify the four actions I took to attract 72,000 followers.
I explain exactly how I’ve used content, community, focus, and even this newsletter to grow my audience so you can do something similar.
Speaking of which, if you find this post helpful, you’ll love my This Is How I Do It newsletter.
Related: Five ways to identify your ideal audience.
2. 21 Ways To Overcome Imposter Syndrome
“The fastest way to get over feeling like a fraud is to genuinely try to help someone else.”
This will be the most clicked article in this week’s newsletter.
I know that because it addresses the most common problem I hear from creators — they feel like a fraud.
Kyle Eschenroeder shares 21 ways to overcome imposter syndrome including to accept you’ve had some role in your success, realize nobody knows what they’re doing, and see credentials for what they are.
Btw, I found this link in Ernest Wilkins’ newsletter.
Related: People think I’m confident, but here’s what they don’t understand.
3. Three Techniques To Help You Create Unique Things
“In many cases, your experience is the only thing you’re an expert in.”
If you want your creations to stand out from the crowd, this is a must-watch.
In a 12-minute video, Ze Frank shares three techniques you can use to come up with unique creative content including exercises you can use to explore specificity, scale, and surprise.
Btw, I found this video in the Storythings newsletter.
Related: How to make something so unique it can’t be ignored.
4. Six Great Examples Of “Real Marketing”
“Real people. Real words. Real customers. Anything else goes.”
If you love marketing, you’re going to love this — but you’ll also love it if you hate marketing.
Harry Dry shares six great examples of “real marketing” that demonstrate how powerful and effective it is to root marketing messages in truth and humanity as opposed to spin and “brand.”
Related: How to market yourself without marketing yourself.
5. How To Build An Audience As A Worldconnector
“Worldconnectors are entrepreneurs of the intersection, and intersections are the new mainstream.”
I’ve been obsessed with this article since I discovered for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is in many ways I think it describes some of my own approach.
Marc Geffen introduces the concept of Worldconnectors and breaks down how to build an audience as a Worldconnector including ways that people like John Mayer, Megan Rapinoe, Sam Harris, and Donald Glover leverage authenticity, social instincts, and audience understanding to do so.
Btw, I found this link in Rob Hardy’s newsletter.
Related: The two ways to grow your audience: Do more or do less.
My Final Words Of The Week
It doesn’t take much to make you see things in a different way.
This week I spent a whopping seven minutes listening to this episode of the Ditching Hourly podcast and it blew my mind.
Host Jonathan Stark offers a simple hypothetical question:
If you were in a band and had the chance to secure a new gig, would the size of the venue, night of the show, or your time slot matter most?
His answer reveals a smart way to assess the value of opportunities.
Give it a listen and I promise you’ll get more than seven minutes worth of value out of it.
Have a great week.
Josh
PS — If you dig this newsletter, I’d love for you to share it with others who might enjoy it.
Thanks!