HELLO, my name is Blog!

The Answer to Every Question We Don't Ask Is No

2012-05-31T03:24:00.000-07:00

Entrepreneurs are notorious for having epiphanies.

Those moments of truth. Crucial crossroads. Irreversible explosions of momentum after which business is never the same again.

As a business owner, I’ve had dozens of epiphanies over the years, from creative droughts to financial meltdowns to media tipping points, all of which changed me forever.

A few years ago, I made a decision that, in hindsight, might have been the smartest sales move of my career:

I started asking everybody to buy everything, all the time.

Any chance I got, in person, en masse, online or off the cuff, I asked for the sale.

It was a bold move on my part, having never been a great closer, and having always battled my own psychological issues with money.

But the crazy thing is, when you ask people to buy, they do.

Not every time. Not all the time. Not even most of the time.

But enough of the time to make the effort worthwhile. Enough of the

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This post comes from my latest daily devotional, Don't Be Stopped By Not Knowing How.

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The Nametag Guy Live: Why Consistency Pays

2012-05-25T04:04:00.002-07:00

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

How consistent are you?

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For the list called, "62 Types of Questions and Why They Work," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Watch Scott Ginsberg's Show & Tell Style Interview for Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusades!

2012-05-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

Today I stopped by the station to talk about brandtags.

We focused on passion, making your organization more joinable and getting donors excited about your cause.

Watch the interview here!

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

How are you making your mission more than a statement?

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For the list called, "21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott's client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

The Nametag Guy Live: Everybody is Somebody's Somebody

2012-05-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

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What's your social experiment?

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For the list called, "62 Types of Questions and Why They Work," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Commonality is the New Currency

2012-05-22T05:07:00.001-07:00

The more divided our world gets, the more important sharing becomes.

Our currency is commonality.

On the positive side, the more evidence of sharing we have, the richer we become. The more collective touchpoints that unite us, the happier we become. The more connections we have with like-minded souls, the more normal we feel. And the more time we spend together, the more optimistic we become.

On the negative side, the less time together we spend, the more selfish we become. The less people we have to share our lives with, the emptier our victories become. The less social capital we build, the less support we have when the hard times hit. And the less we share our unique experience with each other, the blinder we become.

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

Isn’t it amazing what commonality changes?

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Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

HELLO, my name is Host!

Did you know you could hire Scott as your emcee, mobile host, roving reporter or on camera talent for your organization's next event?

Watch sample footage of his hosting work here!

Generosity Is Not A Technique

2012-05-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

Among the fifty coffee shops in my neighborhood, Postmark Cafe is always slammed.

Not just because the location is ideal, the wifi is free, the coffee is organic, the food is tasty, the staff is friendly, the music is cool and the art is inspiring.

But because they donate one hundred percent of their tips to charity.

Every month, they select a organization that does meaningful work in the world, whether it’s donating livestock to poor countries or building wells in drought prone areas of Africa. They write a summary of that group’s mission on the chalkboard to inform customers exactly where the money is going. And at the end of the month, they post the total amount donated on the wall, then keep it on the wall until the next month.

Now, I’ve see a lot of companies donate to charity. But there’s something special about the way Postmark approaches their generosity.

First, they select a new cause every month, which allows them to reach diverse organizations. Second, they let their customers have a say in the causes they select, which gives them ownership of the process. Third, they make their financial information public and handwritten, which demonstrates accountability and transparency. And lastly, their donations actually come from people’s pockets each month, not just from the president writing a check at the end of the year and forgetting about it until tax season.

That’s straight class.

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

What have you declined this week?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott's client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

A Young Artist's Guide to Playing For Keeps, Part 18

2012-05-20T05:37:00.001-07:00

You’ve chosen an uncertain path.

You’ve adopted an inconvenient lifestyle.

You’ve embarked upon an unconventional journey.

You’ve felt the voice inside you growing more urgent.

You’ve committed yourself enough so you can’t turn back.

IN SHORT: You’ve decided to play for keeps.

This is the critical crossroads – the emotional turning point – in the life of every young artist.

I’ve been there myself. I'm still there myself. I even wrote a book on it. But for now, here’s what I've learned lately:

1. Bring life to what might be. We can curate, opinionate, calculate, commentate, evaluate and instigate until we’re blue in the face. But only when we round the work out, only when we actually create, physically bring life to something new, from scratch, from our hearts and for the entire world to see, can we have the greatest possible impact. Hugh MacLeod is a hero of mine. He said that if all our songs are about writing songs, we shouldn’t expect anyone to listen to them. He said the problem with writing about creativity is that it’s usually more lucrative than actually being creative. Guilty. As someone who’s written and spoken extensively on artistic topics like brain candy, playing for keeps and writing is basis of all wealth, Hugh’s message is a timely reminder to keep the ratio down with my own work. I remember that my primary responsibility as an artist is to actually make good, interesting stuff. Is your creation subordinate to anything?

2. Pick your punctuation wisely. The problem with everybody having a voice is, nobody remembers how to be a good audience anymore. When we walk into a room, enter into a conversation, tune into a program, sit down with a book or log in to an online community, most of us are looking to validate our views, not welcome something new. This posture hurts us. It suffocates our curiosity, limits our learning and lowers our receptivity to new ideas that might be better than the ones we’ve already convinced ourselves are the truth. Personally, I want to be disturbed. I want to be provoked. I want to be called on my shit. I want to be confronted by something so contrary to my train of thought, so far outside of my comfort zone, that I have no choice but to be changed forever. After all, that’s why we deploy our voice the first place: To move people. Seems to me, if we plan on taking the stage, taking the page or taking the airwaves, then being a good audience member is the other half of the job description. Otherwise we’re just a world of exclamation points. What punctuation are you?

3. Bad isn’t good, bad breeds good. My parents always said that I was an unplanned pregnancy. That used to bother me, until I learned that many of the world’s most important inventions were accidents. Chocolate cookies, rubber tires, hot tea, pacemakers, waffle cones, paper towels, maple syrup, penicillin, soap bars, stainless steel, all accidents. Purpose, schmurpose. Besides, who are we to judge if an idea is good? That’s not our job. As artists, our job is to notice. As artists, our job is to render our unique experience. As artists, our job is to treat everything we discover with deep democracy. Only time will tell if it’s any good. Millions of people thought Christianity was a bad idea – but they still wrote it down. Later, over the course of hundreds and thousands of years, that idea went on to change the world forever. How many bad ideas did you have last week?

4. Geographic displacement fuels creativity. Sometimes size really does matter. About a year ago, we began a conversation about relocating. It was a massive shock, but to my delight, the mere idea of moving to a big city gave me permission to think bigger. Even before we physically relocated, my creativity had already left town. Ever since then, I've been chasing down ideas that the old version of my brain never would have given the time of day to. Tackling unfamiliar genres, writing with different voices, embracing new technologies, taking more performance risks, adopting opposite routines, even resurrecting adolescent whimsies that my adult brain had long since forgotten, all of these things were made possible by thinking big. Kind of makes me wish I’d started sooner. Do you need to get out of town?

5. Firing blanks is healthy. It happens to all of us. We hit the wall. We reach the end of our creative rope. We realize that running on fumes can no longer get us anywhere. And we start firing blanks. Discharging wildly into the darkness, scaring inspiration into hiding and soaring past point of diminishing returns. It’s a seductive release. It might even feel productive. But we all know the logical solution is to stop the work entirely. Because staring harder isn’t going to help. So we walk away. We go see a movie, hit the gym or rock out to some live music until our ears are ringing. We go perpendicular. And we completely empty our minds of anything work related. That’s the path for coming back fresh. It’s how we return to the work with renewed strength and a sense of perspective. Without it, there’s never a chance reload the creative chamber. Have you struck out lately?

6. Easy does it. It’s hard not to be hard on ourselves. We get frustrated for only writing a bit, even though it’s not as much as we’d like. But we have to put it in perspective: A bit is better than a blank page. A bit is better than procrastinating. Or planning all day. Or talking our ideas into the ground instead of taking creative action. A bit is better than running away from the canvas, terrified of what we might learn about ourselves if we actually sat down and did the work. In fact, a bit might be the most we can bring right now. And we have to learn to be okay with that. Besides, a bit at a time leads to a bunch over time, which builds a body of work in time, which leaves a legacy when we eventually run out of time. Are you taking it easy?

7. Execution is the measure of man. If we never ship anything, it doesn’t matter how talented we are. We may as well be winking in the dark. As creators, our primary task is to create. But a close second is to circulate. To share as much as we can, with as many people as we can, as often as we can. That’s why we got ourselves into this whole mess in the first place – to be heard. Steve Wozniak, someone who was constitutionally disinclined to share, still had a mandate to circulate. He knew he had to ship or risk fading into obscurity. Fortunately, his pal Steve Jobs came along to nudge the sharing process. And they shipped one of our world’s most important innovations. We can never let the fear of failure trump our desire to express. What are you afraid to ship?

REMEMBER: When you’re ready to play for keeps, your work will never be the same.

Make the decision today.

Show the world that your art isn’t just another expensive hobby.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you committed with both feet yet?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott's client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

What We Can Do Instead

2012-05-19T05:27:00.002-07:00

Instead of wallowing in the pride of our finished work, let’s whirl in the production of our next one.

Instead of worrying that people will leave, let’s do something to remind them how much we love them.

Instead of trying to resolve our tension, let’s learn to respect it as a regular part of the life experience.

Instead of telling customers that their call is important to us, let’s answer the phone sooner.

Instead of answering every question, let’s learn to live inside the questions until the answers come out of hiding.

Instead of preaching a sermon, let’s live our lives in a way that demonstrates what we believe.

Instead of expecting people to read our minds, let’s be disarmingly clear with our intentions.

Instead of yelling at people with a voice that’s annoying, let’s earn the right to whisper to them with a voice that’s anticipated.

Instead of worrying about what people think about our idea, let’s worry if our idea is as great as it could be.

Instead of wondering what the hell is the matter with us, let’s ask what we might be learning in the process.

Instead of trying to change people’s minds, let’s offer tools to help them change their minds on their own.

Instead of making people look stupid, let’s show them how they make themselves look stupid.

Instead of outrunning our truth, let’s sit closer to the things we’re trying to move away from.

Instead of occasional expressions of good intentions, let’s practice consistent exertions of good actions.

Instead of focusing on how little we know about something, let’s turn inward and focus on how important it is to do that something.

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What have you declined this week?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

"After investing in your mentoring program, I've become centered on who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart." ----Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

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The Power of Selective Indifference

2012-05-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

The greatest advantage is to not give a shit.

To reach a point where you let go of attachment to goals, zero out any expectations and drop the need for approval and permission.

In his later years, George Carlin touted the importance of not giving a shit. He attributed much of his success as a writer and performer to this very concept, saying that when we act from that posture, good things start to come to us.

I call it selective indifference. The willingness to have no stake in any set outcome creates a unique brand of freedom unavailable anywhere else. When we expect nothing, failure is impossible.

The secret is, selective indifference isn’t about being too cool to care.

It’s about being discerning enough not to dwell.

Refusing to push out our creativity to make room for all the backwards, soul killing mental traps that keep us from bringing new life to what might be.

And this is especially relevant in the sales world. Because the easiest sale to make is the one you don’t need. When you walk into a room with no attachment to outcomes, you’re ten times more buyable.

Now that’s something worth giving a shit about.

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How could you practice selective indifference?

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For the list called, "123 Questions Every Marketer Must Ask" send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott's client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

The Nametag Guy Live: Who Do You Belong To?

2012-05-17T04:58:00.000-07:00

LET ME ASK YA THIS...
Who do you belong to?

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For the list called, "21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Timing Isn't Everyting, It's The Only Thing

2012-05-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

Success doesn’t have a line.

No matter how good we are, how long we wait, or how hard we hustle while we wait, everyone’s career operates on a different clock. Much to our frustration, there’s no democracy, no rational system of advancement and no standard set of rules that determines when it’s our time to shine.

The people who blow up aren’t necessarily better or more deserving than us. It’s just that they were right person, in the right place, at the right time, with the right product, in front of the right audience, with the right leverage.

Hootie and the Blowfish was a group of unassuming, unpretentious everymen. But they delivered emotionally charged, likeable, comforting pop songs in a music scene that was dominated by cynical, anguished alternative rock anthems. And as a result, their debut record became the fifteenth best selling album in history.

Timing isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

And we can bang our heads against the wall, resenting other people’s success, wondering why them and not us, all day long. But a smarter investment of our time would be to get over it, get back to work, get ourselves out there and get ready to hop on the board when our wave comes.

Because it might be a long time before what we do catches on.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Will you still be around when the world is ready for you?

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For the list called, "157 Pieces of Contrarian Wisdom" send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

What Freelancers Fear

2012-05-15T05:27:00.001-07:00

In the world of freelancing, entrepreneurship and artistry, fear comes with territory. And there are certain fears that are unique to our profession.

Financially, we fear the empty calendar. It’s a visual reminder of inactivity and, often times, an indication of financial instability. But we alone control the amount of work we do. We alone determine how busy we are. And if the fear of the work drying up becomes very real and urgent, we have to change the pattern. We have to stir the pot, leverage downtime, cut our own path and find work for ourselves. Whatever it takes to position ourselves as someone worth paying attention to.

Creatively, we fear the blocked brain. Compositional paralysis has ended more careers than rotator cuff surgery. And when our work hinges on the ability to sit down and whip something out of thin air, day after day, we have to become masters of our disinclination. When the brain goes blank, we have to explore places where we’re complete strangers. Throw ourselves into unfamiliar situations that demand a response. This type of displacement provides colorful new dimensions to our work, refilling the creative palette.

Physically, we fear the depleted constitution. That we’re going to burn out and get used up before our time, blowing our chances at a lifelong career. But ambition doesn’t have to carry us away to an abyss of chaos. Not if we pace ourselves. Not if we reserve a portion of our stamina to recover rapidly from disappointment. And even we if we do experience the occasional bout of exhaustion, it’s better to burn out than have no fire in the fist place.

Economically, we fear the unwanted offering. There’s nothing more frightening than the prospect of irrelevancy. That we’ll bare our soul, only to have the marketplace yawn at our efforts. That’s why we ought to take a few minutes each morning to remind ourselves why we rock. That the work we create is necessary, relevant and valuable to the marketplace. Armed with that attitude, fear will eventually howl in protest and find somebody else to annoy.

Individually, we fear the jailed expression. None of us would have joined this freelance circus if we weren’t ferociously independent. That’s why we hired ourselves in the first place, for the freedom. For the ability to turn our desks into cockpits. But minute we start asking permission, our lives are no longer our own. The minute we start merchandising our souls to the highest bigger, we’re toast. All we can hope is to stay surrounded by people who don’t ask us to edit ourselves.

Egoically, we fear the rejected deliverable. Because we’re true professionals, the product people ask us to deliver only exists because we’ve invested the time, money and energy to develop our capacity to create it. So if the client doesn’t like it, if their face screams not impressed, it feels like a spike to the heart. But if we’re smart, we build expectational clarity early in the process. We telegraph our reliability by delivering a series of small promises consistently, sowing a seed bed of future understanding and delight.

The thing about fear is, it’s not meant to be ignored – it’s meant to be invested.

There’s nothing wrong with being scared.

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What do you fear?

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For the list called, "21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Rent Scott's Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

What Kindle Taught Me About Business

2012-05-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

Last week, I released eight new books, all for free.

The goal was to flip the digital bird to the mainstream publishing industry, send a global message about the state of modern art and offer a thank you in perpetuity to the audience that’s supported, shaped and stuck with me over the past decade.

From a philosophical standpoint, I was ecstatic. The outpouring of support and encouragement from my friends, fans, readers and colleagues was tear worthy.

From a mechanical standpoint, I was frustrated. The downloading problems, pricing issues and conflicting messaging confused a lot of people and made me feel like a hypocrite.

But thanks to the generosity of my colleagues, especially Daniel from The Ink Studio, most of the digital kinks were worked out. And since my best way to cope is through creation, I spent some time reflecting on the lessons learned during this process.

Leading edge, bleeding edge. When you’re the first in the industry to try something, sloppy execution is inevitable. But it’s also forgivable. When people know that you represent something important, they’re willing to overlook imperfection. If your work creates spectacle, starts a movement, inspires a revolution, changes popular culture, defines the norm and raises global consciousness, over time, your mistakes will become a distant memory.

Failure isn’t fatal. If you can’t fail, it doesn’t count. And if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough. Fortunately, failure is forgivable when you’ve already built a solid foundation of goodwill with an audience who loves you. Odds are, when the shit hits the fan, the people who matter most will respond from place of curiosity, not judgment. Instead of complaining, they’ll reach out to make sure everything is okay and find out how they can help.

Opening big is overrated. Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness. In the grand scheme of things, one isolated week that nobody remembers counts for absolutely zilch when compared to the lifetime impact of a work of art. Especially now, with the infinite shelf space, unlimited airtime and endless viewership of the web. Nothing lives once anymore. It’s not about being a blockbuster, it’s about busting through the blocks of resistance to make something worth making.

Feedback is the best fuel. Every complaint is a chance to engage with your marketplace. It’s an opportunity not to leave them hanging in a moment that counts. And it’s a tool to make the business smarter. Especially when a barrage of criticism comes crashing in. Try treating every new complaint as a piece of content. Literally keep a tab. Then, embed those thoughts into your evolving apology to preempt future dissatisfaction. This keeps a finger on the pulse of the problem and builds greater empathy in your interactions.

When in doubt, create a placeholder. Anything that’s a barrier to getting your work in people’s hands is a problem. If the evil forces of technology decide to screw up your launch, find a way to offer a standby version until the problem is resolved. Give people something to nosh on while you’re scrambling in the kitchen. Then, once you restore the issue, they can keep both. By intentionally creating this service event, you deliver bonus value and come out stronger than if nothing happened.

Compete with yourself. Years ago, a colleague of mine advised against writing too many books. He said they would cannibalize each other. But in my experience, I found the opposite. Turns out, the best way to beat the odds is with massive output. The best way to beat the competition is by owning every team in the league. By releasing eight books on one day, I put myself in a position where losing was a mathematical impossibility. I’m not trying to get on the bestseller list, I’m trying to share what’s important to me.

Anyway, that’s what I learned.

It’s not about the books, but the person you become by writing them.

You can still get them for free right here.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Do You Need More Time Or A Better Routine?

2012-05-13T05:46:00.001-07:00

You don’t need more time, you need a better routine.

Here are a few I’ve adopted over the years:

Set a reverse curfew. Make a daily bargain with yourself that you will be out of the house by a certain time. Say, at the coffee shop by ten. That way, you put yourself on a deadline. Otherwise your morning will slip away.

Use rituals to carve a pathway. Set a daily appointment with yourself to honor your work intention. Say, five minutes of meditation. That way, your instrument is tuned for the world to move through me. Otherwise your motivation will never hit the ground running.

Book blank time. Create silent intervals for your personal reflection needs. Say, having coffee on the terrace. That way, you can be alone with your own heart. Otherwise your thoughts never get a chance to breathe.

Practice forced vomiting. Create a private container of safety for emotional release. Say, writing morning pages. That way, you can honor your inner reality. Otherwise you never dig deep enough to the find the truth.

Install a micro accountability. Have a daily obligation that meets your meaning quota. Say, publishing one blog post. That way, you’re never condemned to a meaningless existence. Otherwise the anxiety of inconsequentiality comes crashing in.

Seek mental decompression. Move the body so the mind can disengage and renew. Say, going for a run. That way, the rhythmic, repetitive action transfers the locus of your brain energy. Otherwise you never experience a shift in headspace.

Take time to inhale. Expand your reservoir of human experience by. Say, by eavesdropping on stranger conversations on public transportation. Otherwise your perspective will continue to bounce off a thin wall.

Instead of trying to make more time, consider which routines you might adopt.

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

What have you declined this week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS...

For the list called, "21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott's client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

Scott Ginberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 8: Playing For Keeps

2012-05-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

You're an artist.

You’ve chosen an uncertain path.

You’ve adopted an inconvenient lifestyle.

And you’ve decided to go your own way.

But if you want to arrive in one piece – and one peace – you have to delete the amateurism out of your life.

This is the critical crossroads – the emotional turning point – in the life of a young artist.

I’ve been there myself. I’m still there myself.

And it turns out, when you’re ready to play for keeps; your work will never be the same.

It’s time to show the world that your art isn’t just another expensive hobby.

Dabbling is done.

Please welcome to the family:

Playing For Keeps:
A Young Artist's Guide to Going Pro Without Going Broke

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 7: Stick-to-itiveness

2012-05-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

Easy buttons are lies.

It might take guts to stick yourself out there.

But it takes gusto to keep yourself out there.

Fortunately, stick-to-itiveness can be learned.

Aka, “Stick to it.”

Aka, “Stick with it.”
Aka, “Stick in there.”

The secret is, commitment changes everything.

Whether you’re starting a new relationship, moving to a new city, going full time with your business or devoting your life to a charitable cause, it’s amazing how many positive results occur when you cross that threshold.

But commitment is not a light switch. It’s not something you turn on when the room goes dark. Commitment is a daily demonstration. Commitment is a constitutional core value. Commitment is a posture that makes you more approachable.

Please welcome to the family:

Stick-to-itiveness
How Commitment Changes Everything

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 6: You're Not There To Answer Their Questions

2012-05-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

It’s all about increasing the probability.

Of getting noticed. Of getting remembered. Of getting what matters most.

And for a lot of people right now, that means getting a job.

And after tens of thousands of conversations with professionals worldwide, I’ve now written extensively on the relationship between approachability and hireability.

This book is a compendium of that work.

Much of it comes from my regular column on www.theladders.com. If you haven’t had the pleasure, they are the world’s largest community of professional job and job seekers. Their amazing platform of more than four million users has secured jobs for countless businesspeople worldwide. And because of their intelligent and interactive community, this book has come to be.

Please welcome to the family:

You're Not There To Answer Their Questions:
And Other Thoughts On Making Yourself More Hireable

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 5: Winking In The Dark

2012-05-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

In 1957, the New York Herald Tribune published an article that changed everything.

The headline said it all:

“Doing business without marketing is like winking in the dark.”

That sentence changed me forever.

Because no matter how smart you are, how valuable your product is, or how hard you work – if the people who matter can’t see you, you lose.

Visibility wins.

To compete in an attention economy, sticking yourself out there is the only option.

Please welcome to the family:

Winking In The Dark:

The End of Anonymity As We Know It

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a Winking In The Dark for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 3: Hire Yourself

2012-05-09T03:48:00.000-07:00

I never went to the career fair.

I just hired myself and got to work.

And after ten years, I still haven’t been fired. Which is surprising, as I’m the most unemployable person on the planet.

The cool part is, taking the road less traveled doesn’t just make the biggest difference in your life – it also enables you to make the biggest difference in other people’s lives. And there has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur.

There are forty-two million independent workers in this country. Why aren’t you part of that number?

Instead of waiting to be plucked from obscurity, this book will help you stick your fingers in your ears and create your dream job. It will challenge you to stop asking, “Who’s going to let me?” And start wondering, “Who’s going to stop me?”

Ready to burn your resume?

Please welcome to the family:

Hire Yourself:
How to Burn Your Resume and Build a Career That Counts

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 4: One Smoking Hot Piece of Brain Candy

2012-05-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

Eye candy.

It’s is an idiom of physical attractiveness that means someone with high visual appeal, yet little or no substance.

Brain candy.

It’s an idiom of psychological attractiveness that means someone with high mental appeal and significant substance.

Which one describes you?

Hopefully the latter, as it’s more enduring, more attractive, more equitable, more marketing, more memorable and more approachable. The best part is, eye candy eventually loses its flavor. But brain candy stays sweet forever.

Please welcome to the family:

One Smoking Hot Piece of Brain Candy:
Beguiling Success by Building a Beautiful Mind

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginsberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 2: Friendly Costs Nothing, But Changes Everything

2012-05-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

When I started wearing a nametag everyday, I wasn’t trying to make money – I was trying to make a point.

Friendly doesn’t cost anything – but it changes everything.

That was the stand. That was the movement I was starting. And to my delight, people proved me right. Thousands of then. All around the world. Two years later, I started my first company. Three years later, I published my first book. Five years later, I earned my first profit.

All from wearing a nametag.

Four thousand days, thirteen books and seven hundred speeches later, I still believe that friendly is the new professional. And yet, millions of people on a daily basis are working overtime to prove me wrong. They’re too focused on their own drama, their own company policies their own egos to see how easy it really is to be friendly.

Because they’re too busy being professional.

Professional is just a word for brands that seek sanitize the soul out of business. Professional is an excuse for delivering emotionless, forgettable non-service. Professional is an altar on which personal connection is sacrificed.

We can’t allow the feeling of formality keep us from communicating freely. We need to speak with soul. To talk like people talk. Love is the bell that is always ringing, and it's time to be brave enough to hear it.

That’s worth noticing.

Please welcome to the family:

Friendly Costs Nothing, But Changes Everything:

The Profitability of Treating People Like People

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Scott Ginsberg's Digital Devotional Series, Book 1: Consistency Is Far Better Than Rare Moments Of Greatness

2012-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to be inconsistent and win.

Especially now.

People know more, see more, remember more and repeat more – than ever before. Everything matters. Everybody’s watching. Everything’s a performance. Privacy is so last century. And when you lack consistency, when your onstage performance doesn’t align with your backstage reality, people see through you like bottle of water.

Which doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. You are human, after all.

But that’s what I’ve learned after four thousand days of wearing a nametag, all day, every day, even at the beach and in the shower. Do something once – that’s a treat. Do something twice – that’s a trend. But do something every single day for a decade, and that’s a triumph.

Please welcome to the family:

Consistency is Far Better Than Rare Moments of Greatness:

Living Life Without Editing Yourself

If you don't have a Kindle, here's a downloadable version for free.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Today, I'm starting a global movement. I need your help. This is me asking you for a favor.

2012-05-08T03:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I am releasing eight new books on Kindle.

All digital. All daily devotionals. And the best part is, all books are $0.00 for Prime Members for the first five days, then $0.99 after that.

Why? I'm starting a global movement. And I need your help...

Help me prove that thinkers don't need permission to do so.
Help me show which of the mainstream hoops aren’t worth jumping through.
Help me lead the charge to risk our faces and step across the lines of artistic safety.
Help me reject the invisible jury who no longer needs to stamp our creative passport.
Help me make a global statement about the state of the mainstream publishing industry.

Help me end the shipping of easy, predictable safe work that appeases our corporate masters.

WHAT I AM SPECIFICALLY ASKING YOU TO DO RIGHT NOW:

1. Please download each of the new books to your Kindle, IPhone, IPad, for zero dollars. Here is the link. If you don't have access to a digital reader, the PDF versions are below. If you don't see all 8 books on Amazon yet, they will be there this week. I'm on it.

2. Please personally email one friend -- who digs this kind of thinking -- and infect them with this movement. Feel free to use my words in this email, or add your own!

3. Please share my press release on whatever social media outlets matter to you. Here is the headline, link and sample tweets/announcements:
Liberated Author Releases 8 Books in One Day, Flips the Digital Bird to the Mainstream Publishing Industry http://bit.ly/ISHrlK

Today, @nametagscott releases 8 new books on Kindle. All daily devotionals! http://bit.ly/ISHrlK

@nametagscott flips the digital bird to the mainstream publishing industry! http://bit.ly/ISHrlK

Join my friend @nametagscott in a global movement to stop editing yourself. http://bit.ly/ISHrlK

...thanks for your help!

NOTICE: If you are having trouble with Amazon, here are free, downloadable versions of the eight books...

You're Not There To Answer Their Questions
And Other Thoughts On Making Yourself More Hireable

Winking In The Dark
The End of Anonymity As We Know It

Stick-to-itiveness
How Commitment Changes Everything

Playing For Keeps
A Young Artist's Guide to Going Pro Without Going Broke

One Smoking Hot Piece of Brain Candy
Beguiling Success By Building A Beautiful Mind

Hire Yourself
Burn Your Resume and Build a Career That Counts

Friendly Costs Nothing, But Changes Everything
The Profitability of Treating People Like People

Consistency Is Far Better Than Rare Moments of Greatness
Living Life Without Editing Yourself

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

Will you join me in this movement?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Liberated Author Releases 8 Books in One Day, Flips the Digital Bird to the Mainstream Publishing Industry

2012-05-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Most authors pontificate about how many publishers and agents rejected them before they made it big.

Ten years ago, Scott Ginsberg hired himself. Since then, he’s written and published thirteen internationally recognized books that have made money, made a career and made a difference. And the best part is, he hasn’t been rejected once.

“Why torture ourselves listening to voices that don’t matter when we could be executing work that does? Seems to me, the best way to bring home the bacon is to raise our own pigs. That way, when we’re hungry, all we have to do is grab a knife and go outside.”

Impatient by nature, Scott’s release of eight books on one day is a world record, a global message about the state of the publishing industry and a thank you in perpetuity to the audience that has supported, shaped and stuck with him over the past decade. Here are six lessons Ginsberg, aka “The Octomom for Books,” has learned in ten years of publishing:

1. Digital isn’t the future – it’s the present. “Books aren’t going away, paper is,” writes Ginsberg on his award-winning blog. “Which sucks, since I love the smell of books. But I write faster than I can print. And now, thanks to digital, that velocity can convert into value for my readers.” That’s the state of the industry, Scott says. With the infinite shelf space of the web, with the major publishers approaching irrelevancy, with the long tail knocking down barriers to entry, with behemoth retailers like Borders going bankrupt, with zero printing and shipping costs, and with minimal design and setup costs, digital is here to stay. “Never again do writers have to wonder: Who’s going to let me? Now the only question that matters is: Who’s going to stop me? And the answer is, nobody.”

2. Volume is the vehicle to value. “Some authors are good writers,” Ginsberg tweets, “but most are just good businesspeople riding the wave of past literary glory.” For Scott, his enterprise is all about ubiquity. And after a decade of writing, publishing, performing and consulting, here’s what he discovered: Volume trumps accuracy. It doesn’t matter if you’re right; it matters if you’re everywhere. Volume trumps knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you know what you’re doing; it matters if you’re doing a ton of it. Volume trumps popularity. It doesn’t matter if the world likes you; it matters if your audience loves you. And volume trumps influence. It doesn’t matter if you’re persuasive; it matters if you’re pervasive. “Some people have babies, I have books,” laughs Scott, “they’re not as fun to make, but certainly less expensive.”

3. Mainstream is lamestream. “Instead of buying tickets for the starving artist lottery, I just went out and created market for what I love,” Ginsberg shared on a recent podcast interview. “The hard part was divorcing my ego from the illusion that market size matters. It doesn’t. If size mattered, the dinosaurs would still be around.” In order to win the publishing game, Scott encourages us to change the game, change the rules of the game, or create our own game so there are no rules. That way, by learning which of the mainstream hoops aren’t worth jumping through, it’s easier to forge ahead without stopping. “Artists like Henry Rollins, Radiohead, Trent Reznor, Seth Godin and Kevin Smith have been doing this for years,” Ginsberg notes, “And those heroes taught me that we can’t sit back and wait for some invisible jury to stamp our creative passport and tell us our art is okay. We ship our work to express ourselves and please our audience. Everybody else can go to hell.”

4. Access doesn’t lead to the value – access is the value. “It’s impossible for writers to matter in a void. If we want to win, we need an audience. Otherwise we’re just winking in the dark,” Ginsberg tells graduate students during a campus seminar at Xavier University. Fortunately, our work is no longer limited to living in one place, he says. Thanks to the web, access is the new currency. Thanks to the web, we can reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. Artists who used to be chained to a single gallery now have multiple entry points to their marketplace. Businesses whose sole distribution used to be limited to a few channels now have the advantage of infinite digital shelf space. Foundations whose financial support used to flow from a few wealthy donors now have access to social microfunding worldwide. Access doesn’t lead to the value – access is the value. “When we run into the corners, nooks and crannies, make something we love for the people who love us, focus our time on creating brilliant work that speaks to people in a way they have never been spoken to before, we change everything,” Ginsberg says.

5. Where have all the original ideas gone? Everything that comes out seems to be a sequel, a prequel, a remake, a revisit, a reboot or a reinterpretation of another artist’s work. “That’s fine if we want to ship easy, predictable safe work that appeases our corporate masters and their incessant pressure to create fail proof work,” Ginsberg tells the viewers of his online television network, NametagTV. “But there are no cover bands in the rock and roll hall of fame. We need to make our own music and walk a new path. Not an old path in a new way. Not some supposed new path that’s really just a nicely packaged book report of a bunch of old paths. Something new. Something scary. Something people don’t even have a name for.” And this stuff is possible because it’s always been possible, he explains. As long as we’re willing to cede permission, risk our face and step across the lines of artistic safety – at the risk of getting a few black eyes – originality can happen. “If we think there’s nothing new under the sun, remember that the sun is eight hundred and sixty four thousand miles in diameter. If we can’t find something new under it, we’re not looking hard enough.

6. Build a strategy to leverage free. The greatest barrier to success as an artist isn’t incompetence – it’s anonymity. For that reason, Ginsberg recently gave away all of his previous books for free, no strings, forever. “It was a tough call to make, but I’d rather be heard than paid. Besides, my entire career as a writer, publisher, performer and consultant has flourished on the power of giving myself away. Considering the current expectation of the marketplace, why charge customers for a digital cow they’re already milking for free?” He knows it’s a bold move, but by leading with this gift, he believes his new work will be discovered, attract attention, spread and then lead to some portion of the masses actually buying his other products and services. “We can’t set art off in a corner,” Ginsberg says, “Without a collision between our work and the outside world, we’re the tree in the forest that nobody hears. The upside of exposure is everything, and I’d rather be risky and everywhere than safe and invisible.”

Ginsberg’s eight new books, published through his company, HELLO, my name is Scott, are now available on Amazon.com. The titles of these books include: Winking in the Dark, Consistency is Far Better Than Rare Moments of Greatness, Friendly Costs Nothing But Changes Everything, Hire Yourself, One Smoking Hot Piece of Brain Candy, Playing for Keeps, Stick-to-itiveness and You’re Not There to Answer Their Questions.

The books are also available as free, downloadable PDF's for people who don't have access to Kindle.

# # # #

Giving Birth to Your Creative Brainchildren

2012-05-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm releasing eight new books on Kindle.

All digital. All daily devotionals. All $0.99 each, or $0.00 this week for Prime Members.

And the point is, it’s not about being prolific.

Artists who create massive amounts of output in their careers do it for reasons far beyond the typical chest beating, attention craving, score keeping and money making. We ship, ship and keep shipping for a number of profound reasons.

It’s not just about spawning, it’s about stretching. Stepping outside of what’s comfortable, constantly creating something new, living larger than your labels, that’s how you grow as a person. But if you never make anything, you never find out who you are.

It’s not just about executing, it’s about elevating. Running up the score on your resume doesn’t matter if you’re not getting better, smarter, stronger and sharper with every new thing you create. But if the work never improves, you’re just running in place.

It’s not just about purging, it’s about providing. When you die, plan to leave behind a body of work, not just a body. Until then, each artistic milestone you pass is another piece of your legacy. But if you do it right, it will live forever.

It’s not just about content, it’s about commitment. The guts to stay in the game, show up every day and ship no matter what, will earn respect for the work and, more importantly, for the backbone behind it. But if you lack continuity, the content won’t matter.

It’s not just about money, it’s about mandate. Most artists do what they do because they’re ugly when they don’t. It’s central to who they are. It’s their spiritual imperative to make art. But if they don’t create, they don’t feel alive.

It’s not just about entertainment, it’s about expression. The purpose of art isn’t just to please people, it’s to project ideas and feelings. To share a sense of life and an index of human values. But with only a few pieces of work, you can’t express the whole picture.

As an artist, as you continue to ship more and more great work, never forget that giving birth to your creative brainchildren is only the beginning.

Look for the new books tomorrow!

LET ME ASK YA THIS...

What did you ship today?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS...

For the list called, "6 Ways to Out Answer Your Competitors," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

scott@hellomynameisscott.com

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott's client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!