Can you make it simpler?
Can you make it clearer?
Can you make it better?
The answer is always yes — but only if you ask yourself the questions.
Now, on to this week’s ideas…
1. The Email Tips Collection
“A collection of links to articles that will help you figure out how to write better emails, manage your emails and inbox, and use email as a sales and networking tool.”
Over the past four years I’ve shared a lot of amazing articles to help you use email in more effective and efficient ways.
My new email tips collection compiles the best of those articles into a single page to make it easy for you to learn everything from how to use email to spend less time in meetings, to what happens when you quit using email for a month, to how to get more responses to your emails.
Related: The Twitter tips collection.
2. Five Ways To Stand Out In Your Industry
“People are drowning in information. Connect the dots for them.”
Now that everyone can easily create things and share them with the world, it’s more important than ever to figure out ways to differentiate yourself from the crowd.
This Stew Fortier article is a summary of an interview he did with Cherie Hu about five ways to stand out in your industry including to recognize the value of your back catalog, avoid trying to reach everybody, and play a different game than the titans in your industry.
Btw, I found this link on Terrell Johnson’s Twitter.
Related: Six ways to earn attention for your creations.
3. How To Grow To 10,000 Newsletter Subscribers
“It’s counterintuitive because you would think the broader you go, the easier it is to build an audience. But I actually think the broader you go, the tougher it is.”
I was recently interviewed on the Newsletter Crew podcast and had a great 30-minute conversation about a variety of topics related to newsletter creation and growth.
In the interview, I cover how to grow to 10,000 newsletter subscribers, why everyone with a blog should also have a newsletter, how to find your niche, and more.
Related: This is how I decide what to include in my newsletter.
4. The 10 Blocks Time Management Method
“The 10 blocks are really helpful for making a plan and setting an intention for what I want to spend my time on each week and tracking it to make sure that I stay on the path.”
There’s no shortage of time management tactics out there, but I like this one because it’s simple, flexible, and sure to teach you something about where your time goes.
In a 12-minute video, Matt Ragland explains his 10 blocks time management method which revolves around breaking up your time — or your available time — into a series of blocks which you assign to specific projects and track accordingly.
Related: Take back five minutes of your day with the five-minute challenge.
5. The Evolution Of The Business Of Fame
“Each era’s prevailing technology shaped that era’s view of fame. And future technologies will shape future views of fame, which will create ripple effects through culture.”
This is a fascinating look at how celebrity — and the associated business around it — has evolved over the past 100 years and where it may be headed next.
Rex Woodbury chronicles the evolution of the business of fame from movie star Greta Garbo, to TV star Oprah Winfrey, to social media star Kim Kardashian, to TikTok star Charli D’Amelo, to how new technology may launch our next big stars.
A key observation: “In the past, celebrities rented out their time. Today’s celebrities are entrepreneurs, owners, and producers. This means that they better capture the value they create.”
Btw, I found this link in the Check Your Pulse newsletter.
Related: If you’re struggling with social media, just do the opposite of what most celebrities do.
This Is How I Outline Blog Posts
I just made available an in-depth breakdown of how I outline blog posts, based on the process I use to publish weekly blog posts and attract millions of readers.
It’s a six-page PDF that includes a breakdown of how I decide what to write about, develop the headline and key points for the post, and write the first draft. This system allows me to create high-quality blog posts on a consistent basis without spending endless hours working on them.
Or, you can become an annual subscriber to my This Is How I Do It newsletter and get access to this article as well as 15 more previously published This is How I Do It articles and a new one each week for the next year.
Become a This Is How I Do It subscriber here.
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My Final Words Of The Week
“You have to find your own rainbow to follow. There is no gold at the end of somebody else’s rainbow.”
What a great line.
It comes from Bill Grundfest who helped guide the careers of comedians like Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, and Ray Romano.
This tweet thread featuring the advice he gave them when they started out is a must-read for anyone aspiring to a creative career…even if your work has nothing to do with comedy.
And speaking of comedians whose wisdom you should pay attention to, how often do you get the chance to hear Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin chat about what they’ve learned in their careers?
Not often, but here’s your chance.
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!