How Often

Garth Beyer

Frequency matters in advertising. It’s measured and calculated out to reach the largest number of people as often as possible. Advertising may take skill, style, and creativity, but advertising to the mass isn’t art.

I don’t like to say to be a successful, writer, composer, businessman, saleswoman, or any type of artist means that you have to ship something with frequency.

An author can write two books a year or 20, but the fact is very few write one.

To reach success, you have to ship, and ship often. How often doesn’t matter.

 

Stay Positive & It Helps To Be Consistent, But Not Necessary

Garth E. Beyer

Rolling Stone, Thank You

Garth Beyer

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I have only one comment to make about this cover, and it’s a comment I know you won’t read anywhere else.

Some people, somewhere around the world, are seeing this magazine and they have no clue who the person on this cover is. Is he a rock star? Is he a successful college drop out? I mean, when I hear people talk about music, I still catch them saying “their new album is the bomb!”

Alas, they discover the harsh truth of who is on the cover.

Today, I don’t think of all those arguing over the decision to put Tsarnaev on the cover should be embossed. Today I think we should examine how information spreads and news reaches previously deaf ears and blind eyes.

For giving us the chance to do that, Rolling Stone, thank you.

Life Is Short, But…

Garth Beyer

While it was an odd way to come across this quote, it’s very much worth sharing.

“Simply that life is short, but art is even shorter.”

This sums up a good third of what I write and preach. Our life expectancy as humans can be measured, it even has an average of 78 years. The life expectancy of any kind of art… much more difficult to measure.

In fact, you can’t measure it. Which is why artists need continuously make more art. As far as I know, there has only been one Hamlet and one Van Gogh. Meaning, very few artists have created timeless art.

But I guarantee, you’re chances of having created something timeless increases with the more art you make.

 

Stay Positive & Not Mentioning People Expect You To Create More

Garth E. Beyer

Seth Godin’s Internship

Garth Beyer

I did apply to Seth Godin’s internship, but did not wind up getting it.

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However, I did realize a few things. I realized just how important people whom you may only meet once or twice, or have brief friendship with, or simply do something nice for and lighten the mood with, mean the world to you. It’s often suggested to not share your ambitions with those closest to you because the majority of them will tell you that you can’t do it. So, naturally, I share my goals with people whom I am not very close with. The side picture is the result.

Not one family member or very close friend emailed Seth referring me, but Annelise did. Oh, and I didn’t mention that I posted a Facebook status saying that I would give $10 to a random person if anyone showed me that they emailed Seth. As a thanks to Annelise, I taped 10 dollars on a wall by a stairway with a sticky note that said, “Someone somewhere thinks your awesome. Here’s 10 dollars because you are.”

I also learned something about myself that I see a lot of others do too. We focus so much on growing ourselves, in creating our product, in building our brand, in planning, that we forget to involve and be involved with our community throughout the process. (Blogging isn’t enough.)

As a last note, to all those who did not get picked, for the publication, for the internship, for the speaking position at the conference, for whatever, stay confident in your self. As Seth would say, go Pick Yourself.

 

Stay Positive & You’re Better At Picking Anyway

Garth E. Beyer

Get Psyched!

Garth Beyer

I have a Get Psyched playlist for my workouts.

Barney has a Get Psyched mix for, well, getting psyched.

What about a Get Psyched mix for overall work, life, and self-improvement?

 

I’ll be going on a trip this Friday and will be #unplugged for 14 days. (Don’t worry, I’ve written like crazy to schedule posts for the days I will be unplugged.) While I get everything in order for my time away, I will be listening to a countless number of motivational speeches and discussions.

I remember the first Zig Ziglar talk I listened to on a Podcast at work two years ago. Heck, he’s still there on the front page! It changed my life for the better the best.

After I listened to all the Zig Ziglar that I could freely get my hands on, I bought a couple of discs. Then I listened to those until I knew what word he would say next. After nearly memorizing the seminars, naturally, I stopped listening to them. That’s when my life rocketed toward everything I wished it would be. It still amazes me just thinking about it.

Now I’m shooting to do the same with this trip. Loading up with motivational fuel, getting psyched, then cutting myself off. We’ll see what happens.

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Without the need to be unplugged, I encourage you to do that same. You can download Spotify (much like Pandora, sure you’ve heard of that) and search for Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and all the other great motivational speakers. From there, it’s simple: listen.

You don’t need to spend hundreds, or in the case of some of Brian Tracy’s work, thousands, to Get Psyched for personal growth. Yes, Spotify is free.

What makes me happy is knowing how little Zig would care that we can now listen to him talk for free. Let’s show him what we got.

 

Stay Positive & Get Psyched

Garth E. Beyer

A New Point Of View

Garth Beyer

“This reporter’s point of view was now data for my own work on our shifting cultural expectations and technology.”  –  Sherry Turkle

Reporting doesn’t need to be done first hand. In fact, a lot of great reporting has been done by using reports from dozens of other reporters.

It’s information alchemy in my mind.