Feeling Father Time
Editor’s Note: This newsletter was originally published on February 21st, 2022.
Toby Keith sings a song about how “He’s not as good as he once was”. Danny Glover, in the Lethal Weapon series, says on multiple occasions that he “is getting too old for this <stuff>“.
I can definitely relate today after spending about 8-10 hours this weekend pruning our two Crepe Myrtle trees. (Note: For background, we have lived in our house for 20 years and, beyond simple limb pruning, there has been no other maintenance.)
After spending 2/3 of that time yesterday, I woke up this morning feeling like the limbs had just fallen on me. Muscles that I had not felt or worked in a long time ached.
Somehow, I returned to the scene this morning to finish. It was a slow, sore start, but I eventually worked out the soreness enough to complete the task.
What did I learn? I am not 25 anymore! (I’m not even 45 anymore! LOL)
That said, I am thankful that I am able to do what I can do. Even if it hurts and I’m not quite as good as I once was, I was able to finish it.
Also, I’m thankful for my job which keeps me seated at a desk most of the time! Oftentimes, I have looked out my office window with a little jealousy for the landscape guys riding on the mowers.
Today was a day to remember that I want nothing of that!
What is the job that you don’t want?
Unrelated Sports Mention
Since football season is now officially over & baseball is still in the throes of a contract dispute between owners and players, we may not have many “sports mentions” for a while. The Olympics are soon to end and I’ve never been much of a basketball fan. I guess it’s time to double down on some Street Outlaws episodes. 😉
I watched Black Panther on one of the cable movie channels a few days ago. I enjoy it among the movies within the Marvel Universe.
Unlike some of the other characters, King T’Challa represents one most bound to his role based upon duty. Unlike Steve Rogers who volunteered for the program that enhanced him to the “Super Soldier” (aka Captain America) or Tony Stark who built upon his father’s technical legacy expanding it to heights that Howard could not have imagined, T’Challa inherited his mantle due to his lineage alone.
Throughout much of his Marvel movie history, he has been adjusting to the death of his father which led to his ascension as King and assuming the Black Panther mantle.
This quote stood out to me as it represented a moment when he took the world stage and stepped into his own.
It is frankly applicable in much more than just a movie quote.
In our current environment, we often forget this truth that more does indeed connect us than separates us.
Whether it is politically, culturally, financially, or whatever, most of us simply seek to be proud of what we do, provide for our families, and be a positive influence on those around us.
While we often disagree on the “How”, we need to remember that “What” is a more universal aspiration. Where that disagreement manifests, remembering where we do agree & engaging in good faith listening/response are the best tools that we have to find consensus and peace.
- Where do you find disagreements most challenging?
- In the face of those differences, what are some things that you share in common?
- How might your relationships be different if you viewed them through the lens of those things in common before drawing battle lines to fight about the differences?
• Don't try to become a writer. Start writing.
— Daniel Vassallo (@dvassallo) February 19, 2022
• Don't try to become a programmer. Start making something you need.
• Don't try to become an entrepreneur. Start fending for yourself.
Forget about the label. Just do stuff.
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
Most startup pitches I see suck.
— Xavier Helgesen 🌍📚🌳 (@XavierHelgesen) February 19, 2022
The products are good.
What is missing is the story.
If you are raising money, the story has to come first.
Here is the framework I have used to build compelling stories that have raised over $200 million for my own startups:
Twitter is one of the best places to Learn SEO & Content Marketing.
— Marthak Rahul (@RahulMarthak) February 19, 2022
Here is the compilation of another 🔥 Top 5 🔥 SEO & Content Marketing Threads of this Week in case you missed it.
A 🧵 of threads 👇#SEO #contentmarketing
Other Links
Social Media Trends in 2022
I’m a big Neil Patel fan and in this video, he shares insights on Social Media Trends upcoming in 2022. Social Media (like other Digital platforms) continues to evolve and as it does, we need to continue to evolve our marketing programs utilizing it.
Understanding the Google Ads Auction
As Google Ads is one of the biggest search-based ads platforms, we all need a basic understanding of how it works as well as how its auction system works. Whether you manage your ad spend yourself or hire someone else / an agency to manage it for you, be sure that you have foundational knowledge.
Free Google Ads script for dynamically changing ROAS (return on ad spend)
As more and more businesses (and agencies) utilize automation to manage their auction spend, finding and implementing these types of scripts bring that capability to the wider audience of Google Ads users. Just keep in mind both the benefits as well as the challenges that greater automation brings for you and your business.
Google Business Profiles Manager removes Appointment link
As many of us meet clients & utilize digital scheduling, this is an interesting feature degradation to watch! It may be intentional (with Google instead planning to focus on integration with other 3rd party providers) or it may be a bug that will ultimately be fixed. If you have been using the Google BPM Appointment Link functionality, keep in mind that this lead source may not be functioning right now.
One Page Marketing Plan Template
The folks at Ahrefs.com shared this template in a blog post that you can read at the link. As many legal offices handle their own marketing, using a template such as this one is a good starting point for developing your physical & digital marketing strategies.
Everyone wants to make money on Twitter.
— Harsh Makadia (@MakadiaHarsh) February 14, 2022
But only a few are aware of the right tools.
I made over $5,500 by launching 8 info products.
Here's a list of 19 free tools every creator should know:
