New, Different, And Change
Editor’s Note: This newsletter was originally published on January 3rd, 2022.
As a New Year begins, this is usually the time of year when people share their “resolutions” or goals for how this upcoming year will be different from the last. Whether it be Health/Wellness, Financial, Relationships, or a personalized blend of objectives, much of the talk is about things we want to change.
Interestingly, this conversation is going on at the same time that many of us are still amazed at the existing pace of changes we continue to see.
Consider…
- There are kids in Elementary schools who do not really remember Recess (at least as many of us enjoyed it).
- There are College students who would mistake a 2000-model Erickson “flip-phone” for a Star Trek communicator.
- There are Adults who could use neither a Library’s card catalog nor an Encyclopedia Brittanica (and it is likely more that could not than those who could).
Were you to talk to students about a “time before cell phones”, you might as well be talking to them about the Great Depression or the Era of Steam Engines!
At the same time that many of us are setting goals and making plans for what “we will do differently in 2022”, we are still in the midst of a period of massive changes that most of us still struggle to manage.
I say all of this to suggest that Grace (for yourself) should be an objective as well!
Do not go overboard on what you “are going to do” this year. The world around us is constantly changing and we are constantly adapting to it. Set some directives and pivot as circumstances dictate. Keep in mind that we often obsess over destinations forgetting to enjoy the process and journey of getting there.
I wrote a post a while back suggesting the implementation of small changes in your life instead of large-scale “resolutions”. Feel free to check it out.
I asked this last week.
As we’re coming to the close of 2021 & preparing for the New Year, I would love to hear your perspective!
- What are you most looking forward to in 2022?
- Are there things that I can do that’d help you get there?
Self-absorbed Sports Mention
On the college football front, my Georgia Bulldogs dispatched the Michigan Wolverines earning a trip to the College Football Playoff Championship Game against Alabama. They looked really good and I (as well as many of my fellow Dawg fans) are hoping that they’ll play like that instead of how they performed in the SEC Championship. Alabama is a really good team so we’ll see.
The Atlanta Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the Buffalo Bills today. It was a tough loss in the cold, snowy conditions of Buffalo, but there is something to be said for this Falcons team who have stayed relevant until January (after being eliminated in October last year). To have competed as well as they did this year (winning more games with undoubtedly less talent) is a credit to the entire organization.
Kudos to Kyle Pitts who is nearing Mike Dikta’s Rookie TD Receiving Yards record. The future definitely looks bright for this former Gator.
Yep! My wife is an artist.....and a *really* good one!🎨♥️🎯 https://t.co/1lpBzL6VAQ
— David Adams (@SwamiDaveSays) December 22, 2021
It was with some disappointment that I heard of the passing of John Madden this weekend. In memory of the enjoyment that I got listening to his calls of games and being a player of the games under his title, I wanted to find a good Madden-Esque quote for this week’s newsletter.
This one epitomized his ethic and approach to football. He was successful as a coach but will be most remembered for what he brought to the game after his on-field career. He uniquely knew and respected what NFL coaches and players do for their part, but was instrumental in how he brought audience and fans into the game for his.
He did very few things the “easy” way! His Madden-Bus is still legendary and in this era of sports broadcasters using chartered jets to travel to and call multiple games over a weekend, it is hard to fathom someone today eschewing flying between venues.
On a personal note, I remember playing Madden ’92 on a Sega Genesis (now about 30 years ago). I remember the fun of running up scores on the poor computer opponent and retreating on punts/kickoffs to ensure maximum yardage to gain on drives. Once you could get a 1-2 TD lead, you would just turn the game over the CB-Blitz w/ Deion Sanders and begin racking up the negative sack yardage.
There truly was no mercy for the weak in those early games and hearing John Madden’s scripted calls atop the never-ending scores and big plays was music to a gamer’s heart!
While Coach Madden will be missed, we have got hours of taped calls as constant reminders for what he, through his love of the game, himself brought to it!
#RIPCoach
"If you want to be treated like a non commodity, act like a non commodity." @sethgodin | #CreativeLive
— CreativeLive (@CreativeLive) December 26, 2021
For those checking out the book reviews, I reviewed Twelve And A Half (Amazon affiliate link) by Gary Vaynerchuk. You can check out my notes at this link.
Keep a lookout as I have finished reading the following books and will be posting my notes for those very soon!
- E-Myth Revisited (Amazon affiliate link) by Michael Gerber [review notes link]
- One Million Followers (Amazon affiliate link) by Brendan Kane
- Content Inc. (Amazon affiliate link) by Joe Pulizzi
- Twelve And A Half (Amazon affiliate link) by Gary Vaynerchuk
Other Links
Search Engine Optimization – Future-Proofing Your Business
As the prices for PPC advertising (and other DTC channels) continue to rise, ensuring that you can attract traffic via search engines in a “long-tail” fashion needs to be in all of our playbooks. Yes, paid advertising works – as long as you keep paying & yes, there is more and more competition trying to draw attention via search, but SEO is a required element of a good, long-term marketing strategy today. It is simply one in a number of “Both-And” strategic moves that we have to be making. We need to get “Or” out of our business vocabulary!
Content Marketing Tips for 2022
If you’re going to focus on optimizing for search, you need a Content Strategy. Check out these tips as you’re setting your plans for the new year.
If you need help, shoot me a message, and let’s chat.
Open Source Tools for Small Businesses
Used well and strategically, open source can be a good option for small businesses. They have their own unique costs and benefits, but they represent an opportunity that many businesses overlook. Find some options that might serve your business well and engage with the project’s community. You’ll often find that you benefit from technology solutions and community relationships that could help grow your business in new, unexpected ways.
While this post on our website is focused specifically on Bankruptcy Attorneys, the ideas are relevant across a number of legal (and non-legal) verticals. Be sure to check it out.
SEO is the most essential long-term digital marketing strategy but to make it really effective, you need a knowledge team that is well-integrated into the company’s life.Find out more about Why SEO Still Matters for Your Entire Digital Marketing Strategy!https://t.co/QYjVsZFuV8 pic.twitter.com/JNfSTVOJSc
— DigitalMktr (@DigitalMktr) January 2, 2022
