Have you ever walked into a room and immediately known you were supposed to feel out of your depth? That’s how I felt at my first marketing mastermind, about 25 years ago. I went in expecting a gathering of people like me, experts, writers, teachers, and practitioners who use language to connect with real human […]
What Resilient Experts Know About Thriving in Any Economy
I’ve lived through several economic downturns, and no matter where I lived or what business I ran, I noticed the same pattern: when economic conditions tighten, two practitioners can live on the same street and operate in completely different economies. One freezes, postpones new work, and either shuts down marketing or doubles down and shouts […]
Should You Move to Substack?
Every week, experts, coaches, and practitioners ask me if they should move to Substack. I hear this most often from three types of experts: Those with an active website, an email list, and a body of work. Those who may have started a website a few years ago, written a handful of articles, and let […]
Luck Surface Area for Experts: The Math Behind Your Authority
Dolly Parton is remembered as a performer, philanthropist, savvy entrepreneur, and entertainment powerhouse. By any expert’s measure, she was also a master practitioner: she stayed relevant for decades because she was doing the work. Beneath the glitter, her real skill wasn’t celebrity, but the practice of writing song after song—and expanding the luck surface area […]
It’s Not Too Late: Why Your Wisdom Matters More Than Ever
We go downtown to the village for dinner several times a month. We like sitting at the bar overlooking the lake because that’s where the most interesting conversations happen. They always start safe. Half an hour in, once the beer has loosened things up, people tell me things they’d never tell their best friend. That’s […]
The Readiness Trap: Are You Ready for the Spotlight?
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you show up somewhere and realize you’re only wearing your underwear? Roughly 60 percent of us specifically recall the “failing or being unprepared for an exam” dream. Different scenarios, same underlying anxiety: I’m about to be fully visible, and I’m afraid what’s under the surface isn’t […]
The Silent 80%: Why Your Best Buyers Will Never Respond to Hype
When Home Office Cat #1 had a health issue a few years back, he needed pills and potions several times a day. I’d grind and blend some of those powders into his food. Some days I’d do a fairly good job of hiding it, and he’d gobble it up. Other days he’d approach the bowl, […]
Why Every Expert Doubts Their Expertise
I’ve lost count of how many times a client has asked me some version of, “Should I get another degree?” It’s never the same as asking about adding a new technique or protocol to the professional toolbox. We’re all for lifelong learning—in fact, that’s what this article is about. This particular question almost always comes […]
The Drill Sergeant in Your Head
Mr. Chatham was my third-grade math and homeroom teacher—an ex-military captain with a precisely trimmed Marine cut and crisply pressed shirts. I was terrified of him, yet I lived for his class, because unlike any other teacher, he read aloud to us for a full hour after lunch. His deep voice filled the room as […]
