Category: Uncategorized

Today I want to share the advice I give to every writer and creative professional who is overwhelmed with social media, and either:

1. Doesn’t know how to make it feel effective towards their goals. They want it to feel meaningful again.
2. Has lost enthusiasm for social media. They want it to feel fun again.

If this resonates for you, here are specific actions I would encourage you to take:

Observe models for success. Identify — AND LEARN FROM — those who are doing things well.

This is not about copying what they do. Instead, it is about experiencing the joy in what they share, and seeing the potential of what is possible. To find those who inspire you, and remind yourself the magic that can be created with a Tweet, a status update, a photo, a reaction, or live video.

Magic? Yes. To me, social media can feel like magic when it creates a feeling within you of deep human connection; when it inspires us with a simple but immediate photo or phrase; when it turns a bad morning into a quick smile. That is magic.

To identify models for success, you can begin with identifying 3 to 5 people, and as many as 20. Find real people — not brands — whose social media accounts you love. Pick people who are truly engaged on social media. Those who:

• Update frequently
• Who share personal viewpoints and experiences, not just an endless stream of links
• Who engage deeply with others via replies, comments, etc.

Want some examples? Here are three people who inspire me with how they use social media in personal ways:

Sarah Bray on Twitter.

Colby Sharp on Instagram.

Debbie Ohi on everything, but you can start with her Twitter.

Chuck Wendig on Facebook.

Tina Roth Eisenberg on Twitter.

You know the funny thing about this list? In the past couple years, I have felt less and less enthused about Twitter, but have found that the people listed above have KEPT ME ENGAGED with it. Again and again, they have shown me how special Twitter can be.

Find those people for your own work! Ideally, you can craft a list of 20 people to focus on.

Choose one social network to focus on. Do not try to master them all. Pick one.

How do you figure out which to choose? Don’t just default to the one that feels the most popular, or you are most comfortable with. Go to where your audience is.

To figure that out, use your models for success. If you are a novelist, a memoir author, or a nonfiction author, identify 20 current writers who have the audience you hope to one day engage. See where these authors are online. Look at which social networks are most successful for them — have the most followers and the most engagement.

Take a month to experiment if you still aren’t sure. Create fake profiles if you like, and just do random experiments. Follow a bunch of people on Instagram, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Tumblr. Try all of the functions of the social networks: posting, favoriting, resharing and commenting.

Reply, reply, reply to others! Again, make social media “SOCIAL.” For those that you engage with, consider what they care about more than anything. Validate that.

I will say this again: do not simply default to what feels comfortable. Why? Because what feels comfortable is oftentimes what feels like hiding. It feels “safe.” Too many writers choose the wrong social media platform to “engage” with because it is the one they feel they can hide behind the most.

If you think that you are going to find success without “putting yourself out there,” then you haven’t studied successful people enough. Behind every story of success is a series of social risks. Social media is very much ABOUT social experiences. Take a risk.

Instead of thinking of all you have to lose, consider what you have to gain. New friendships, meaningful experiences, and an audience for your work.

Collaborate with a friend. This week I spent a lot of time walking around my town playing Pokemon Go. What did I see? Groups of people collaborating about the game. There were groups walking around together, conversations between strangers, and those playing with their significant others as if it was a date. Why? Because when you make something social, it becomes more fun. You are no longer worried about social anxiety, because you are validated by your friend.

Whenever you see a successful fitness or weight loss program, it is nearly always inherently social. Group activities are highly effective in learning and in encouraging a specific result.

Make a pact with five friends that you are finally going to make Twitter fun; that you are going to understand Snapchat; that you will follow each other on Instagram.

Even with the list of examples of people who inspire me on social media from above — I have not reached out to those people to make a pact with them, but every time I logon to Twitter, that is who I see. They are my experience of social media. Go a step further if you need and create a group to do this.

Going back to the Pokemon Go example, this is someone who created a public meetup locally for people to get together and meet each other to walk around town and play the game. They took the leap from simply observing strangers playing the game, to try to forge new friendships in the process.

Here is a great Creative Mornings talk about the value of taking the risk to connect with others.

Focus on quality, not quantity. Social media is a vapid wasteland of garbage — UNTIL — you make one meaningful personal connection. Then, suddenly, it is magical.

Instead of looking at the number of followers each week, focus on the depth of engagement. How you brightened the day of someone. How they brightened your day.

Set a goal not of follower count, but if you can create one meaningful experience each day. If you can do something that results in someone else saying to you, “Wow — thank you! You made my day!”

How can you do that? Focus on the obvious: what matters most to each of us? If you love an author, buy their book and shout about it. Tell others how great that author is.

If someone you like writes a blog post, leave a meaningful comment on it. Think about it: they spent hours writing it and took the risk to click the “publish” button. They desperately want validation. GIVE IT TO THEM.

For someone you follow on Instagram shares daily photos that inspire you, send them an email telling you what their photos have added to your life.

None of this is “new” or “trendy.” It is the old fashioned human stuff that we all say that we wish happened more often in our culture. MAKE IT HAPPEN. Be the person to add it to the lives of others.

Fake it till you make it. Too often when we feel malaise or disgust with social media, we either abandon it or delete our accounts. The action feels like a powerful rejection.

Instead, show up. Show up each day and find ways to see the magic. To create magic. Sure, it may not feel that way at first.

But here is the question: are you just a tourist? Are you someone driving through a run down town saying, “What a dump.” Or are you the person who begins talking to residents. Begins picking up random pieces of garbage you encounter. Begins making people’s days brighter. Begins finding the goodness that may be hidden, and helps share that with the world.

If social media feels foreign to you, consider how it relates to a real-life situation. Let’s say you are invited to a dinner party of a friend of a friend — what are your goals for that evening?

1. To feel special (not view it as a contest of how many people you can meet)
2. To meet cool people (not judge them as “good” if you become friends, and “bad” if you don’t)
3. To have a fun experience (not collect business cards)
4. To feel closer to your community (not view them as potential customers)

The results of the night are measured in stories, not numbers. That is what social media should be for you.

Many people — me included — have social anxiety in group settings. When I walk into a party, I basically “fake it until I make it.” I try to look comfortable, and do all of the standard actions I see others do. I get a drink, I make small talk, and I basically seek out the one thing that matters: a meaningful conversation.

On social media, that too can be a strategy. You aren’t expected to feel amazing the first time you try a social network. Much like any social situation, it takes time to get comfortable, and for a wonderful moment to present itself.

Don’t be generic. Too often, we feel that we can “fit in” by not standing out.

Instead, I would advise you to fill social media with what you care most about. The creative inspiration that drives you.

To quote a fictional character (Don Draper from Mad Men):

“If you don’t like what is being said, then change the conversation.”

This is your opportunity in social media. To change the conversation to something you are enthusiastic about; to change the conversation to something that matters deeply.

Use social media to create meaning in the lives of others, and in your own life.

What one action can you take in the next week to start this?
Thanks.
-Dan

Do you love your website? Do you feel it adequately represents the vision you have for your work? Does it draw people in and keep them engaged? Does it “convert” — meaning that it turns a casual viewer into someone who makes a commitment to buy your book, follow your blog, or sign up for your email newsletter?

I ask because I have been working with many of my recent clients on revamping their websites, and I have noticed some common themes. Today, I want to dig into them and share some advice on creating a powerful website for your creative work:

• Be findable. Too often, I talk to an author, type their name into Google, and can’t find them. Consider how this can hamper any marketing they do for their work. Let’s say they meet an agent at an event, make a good connection, and on the train ride home, the agent Google’s the author, and… nothing. So the first step is this: have a website. Even if your book won’t be published for two years; even if you aren’t sure exactly what you want it to say. Start now.
• Grab your audience with a compelling message. So often a writer describes themselves and their work as a laundry list of roles: “Father, husband, writer, soccer fan, accountant, and lover of ice cream.” A website is a place to hone in on the message that your ideal audience is desperately waiting to hear. People are busy, overwhelmed with news, links, and ideas. Be that one voice that resonates with them immediately. Craft a narrative that your ideal audience can’t ignore.
• Focus on action. What is the one action you want someone to take? Most websites I look at display dozens of options for someone to take. What is the one thing you want a visitor to do more than anything else? Double down on that — make it obvious — and make it something that draws people in.
• Make it easy to connect with you. This sounds basic, but too many people hide behind a contact form. They don’t provide an email address — instead they put up a form that (oftentimes) doesn’t work because it was installed 4 years ago, and not tested anytime recently. Post an email address. Perhaps even create a business phone number that routes into your regular number. I have posted my phone number on my website for years. Just yesterday, a potential client called me out of the blue. We had a great chat and I am now reading his manuscript and preparing a proposal. Where is the weak link in the chain for how someone can connect with you. If you have a contact form on your website — does it work? Where does it route to? How quickly can you get back to someone who uses it?
• Make it easy to MEANINGFULLY follow you. Don’t list out 5-10 social networks if you are only really active on one of them. I can’t tell you how often I click on social media links on an author website that take me to a dormant account, a broken link, or a YouTube page last updated 3 years ago. Why bother sending someone to a dead end? Instead, direct them to where you are active, where they can experience you or your work in the most meaningful of ways.
• Be of service. How can you help someone or brighten their day? Don’t just view your website as a brochure for something you are selling, use it draw people into a narrative, to help them in ways they didn’t expect, and have them say quietly to themselves: “YES! This is what I love.”
• Less is more. Everything I share here is about focusing your website — creating clarity in the process. For yourself, and for those you want to engage. With most of the website work I do with clients, we strip away as much as possible. Everything we remove makes what is left that much stronger. Over the years, my own website has gotten simpler and simpler. Here is a behind the scenes look at my website redesign from 2012, and then another of my website redesign in 2014. Avoid dropdown menus, if you can. Read the book The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less to get a sense of the science and psychology as to why presenting too many choices can result in someone making no choice at all.

If any of this resonates with you, I would like to help you get started with refining your website so that it is more effective. It begins with clarity. Here is some homework — please do this:

1. Choose an action you want your ideal audience to take on your website. This should be the main purpose of your website. Take out a sheet of paper, and write that at the top. Write it in big red letters — put little stars and hearts around it.
2. Beneath that, list five ways you can encourage that action. It could be messaging, marketing ideas, or different types of experiences (eg: email newsletter, free download, watch a video, etc.)
3. Now, take out some index cards (or Post-it notes). On each card, write out the other components of your website. The secondary items that relate to the main action. Put them beneath the piece of paper, and then prioritize them. Which can be combined? Which can be removed entirely? Which is more important than the others? Put those toward the top.

Now, take a picture of all of this and email it to me. You are now on your way to creating a more effective website for your creative work!

Thanks.
-Dan

Today I want to talk about the two skills I focus on every single day in order to push my creative work forward. These are habits I see used again and again by successful writers and artists to find clarity amidst chaos; to feel a true sense of accomplishment, even when they experience setbacks.

So what are the two skills that I see in every single creative professional I meet? These:

SKILL #1: AMBITION
Ambition is a skill. It helps drive you when nothing is clear. When everything feels like chaos. When every piece of feedback you receive, takes the wind out of your sails.

Ambition is also what keeps you from settling. Keeps you from stopping at the first failure or roadblock you experience. Ambition makes you question what is “normal” in order to find what is meaningful. Ambition comes from within — something that drives you. You can’t borrow ambition, you can’t fake ambition.

Ambition is not just about how many hours you throw at something, it is about the energy and enthusiasm. Let’s say you are trying to write your first novel. Ambition can look like this: spending 15 minutes per day — every day — working on your novel and sticking with it to the end.

Ambition can be leveraged with total simplicity, and with the resources you have at hand. In fact, that is where ambition thrives.

Ambition is often what separates a hobby from a profession. It is, of course, okay to be a hobbyist with your creative work. But when we look at classic stories of how a creative professional found success — such as this one with Ira Glass — what you realize is that ambition is what bridged the gap between being an amateur, and creating work that truly touches millions.

SKILL #2: FINDING OUT
Developing habits, reaching milestones, doing great work — is all a process of finding out how to do it. It requires not just a plan, but the gumption to work around unforeseen roadblocks. It requires not just a great idea, but the ability to work with collaborators to make it happen. It requires not just being good at something, but to do so while juggling family, finance, health, and the other various hats you wear.

A year ago, Bryan Harris shared a video on this theme called “Figure it Out.” His tone is a bit edgier than I take with this, but the message is similar.

Without ambition and the drive to “find out,” your life is filled with so many more roadblocks:

• With every opportunity, you can only see pitfalls.
• You feel so overwhelmed that you can’t take any action because you can’t imagine “taking on more work.”
• What seems “reasonable” has clear boundaries which you uphold. Which means your potential has clear boundaries.
• Waiting for the “perfect” answer seems like the best and most logical choice. You wait for others to figure it out, so that they illustrate it is safe, and then you — along with thousands of others — try to poorly copy it.

The process of finding ambition and figuring it out is what I go through with every single one of my clients. Do I share lots of advice based on experience working with hundreds of creative professionals? Of course. But for each client, their context is unique, and working with them means that I am in the trenches with them finding the enthusiasm to figure it out for them.

Why do I love this? Because often we find that the answer involves this:

Creativity and simplicity reign — we don’t develop a complicated system, but rather focus on innovative — and fun — ideas that feel great.

If you pay attention, you’ll see this in people who are wildly effective. An example I saw this week: I was re-watching a documentary on the 1986 movie Aliens, directed by James Cameron. In it, they describe how James simplified the Alien costume. How, instead of adding to it and making it more imposing, he simplified it. He took everything he could away from it, so it was a simple body suit with a few protrusions attached to it.

His goal was this — to give the actors maximum mobility, and to use shadow and light to project an image of a terrifying monster.

He focused less on how the Alien looked, and more on what it was capable of, and how it moved. He felt it would be more terrifying for the audience — and he was right. His solution was one of simplicity.

None of this is about being aggressive. In fact, I would say that the skills of ambition and finding out better allow me to:

Listen better — because I want to learn.
Have more room for empathy — because I want to understand.
Help others more effectively — because I want to have an impact in their lives.

In closing, I have two questions for you:

1. What motivates you to take action? This can be a positive motivation (“I want to help others”) or a negative motivation (“I’m so envious of her success, I have to push myself harder”). I know, it’s better to be positive than negative, to be driven by an internal goal than external reaction to others. Yet, I have spoken to so many people who have used a negative emotion to drive the creation of amazingly positive work.
2. What is the one thing — more than any other — that you want to figure out in your creative work by the end of this year?

Thanks!
-Dan

I am opening up the doors for a rare opportunity to join me in a private mastermind group. This is a 3-month collaborative program, focusing on:

• Keeping you accountable to your creative goals. Are you finding it difficult to make the time to write, work on your craft, or develop your creative business? Consider us your personal trainer — your accountability coach that keeps you motivated day in and day out.
• Providing a group of creative collaborators to bounce ideas off of. Creative work is often lonely — what if you had a group of people that you could get feedback from and brainstorm ideas with? That’s us!
• Helping you stop struggling with the basics so you can create true momentum. So many writers and creative professionals I speak to struggle with the basics of their website, email newsletters, and social media. This group is like a shot of espresso in helping you get it done so you can focus on the quality of your craft, and reaching your audience.
• Honing in on the work that matters most. Most creative people struggle to juggle their vision with life’s responsibilities. In this mastermind, you will learn countless tips of how to do this in a practical way. We will focus you on only the things that matter — and give you the confidence to say “no” to what doesn’t matter, and “yes” to what does.

We attack the problems I see crop up most pervasively in the lives of creative professionals. We break the bad habits, and reframe boundaries as opportunities.

In each phase, I talk about the goal, how I do it, and clear ACTIONS you need to take. That’s right, none of this is reading course material or doing homework — it is all about taking action.

My goal? To give you a clear focus for your creative actions in July, August, and September.

The Creative Action Mastermind is one of the most powerful things I have ever offered — the feedback from folks who joined me have been off the charts amazing. They have found renewed clarity in their creative work, and a solid roadmap for moving forward.

Details:

The program runs from July 1 – September 30. This is not a course — it is a collaboration. A mastermind group is traditionally a group of like-minded people who come together to help one another brainstorm, focus, and take action.

I’ll start by saying that I only work with creative professionals. These are writers, crafters, designers, artists, entrepreneurs, and others whose work is not just about earning money, but about creating something special that will enrich the lives of others.

It is about craft, art, and an almost magical connection that happens when their vision sparks something in the hearts and minds of those who receive it. If you are reading this, that’s probably you.

But let’s face it, it can be difficult to turn your vision into reality.

You have the “creative” part of “creative professional” down, but feel like you need more growth in the “professional” part.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MASTERMIND

“This group has lit a fire under me. It has created energy and momentum with my writing. Plus: I’m having so much fun!”
–– Teri Case

“I’m telling you, these Masterminders are a generous and creative and supportive group. And that Dan Blank is generous and helpful beyond the beyond.”
–– Judy Reeves

“There are so many layers of emotional and creative spirit in this group. I can feel positive momentum building.”
— Mary McFarland

“Dan promised me collaboration when I signed up for this group. I had my doubts, but not anymore. Being a part of the the Mastermind group has brought so much clarity (and simplicity) to my creative work.”
–– Jack Schaeffer

“Dan’s Mastermind group is a safe haven for creators and writers. Dan and my fellow Mastermind participants helped me define the direction for my writing and reach more readers through my website, blog and social media. I recommend this group to anyone looking for support and direction in their creative projects.”
-— Rupert Davies-Cooke

“WOW. I’m really blown away (seriously, not exaggerating) by the kind, helpful responses in this group. When I signed up, I had wondered if I was doing the right thing by joining this Mastermind –– I was afraid I wasn’t really ready for the step. But now I see that this is exactly what I needed.”
—- Maya Rushing Walker

“I believe that Dan Blank has created MAGIC here. This group has held me accountable to making a positive change in my creative work — I have never been a part of something this powerful before!”
—- Cathey Nickell

“This Mastermind has given me a sense of direction with the business side of my writing that I’ve never had before.”
—- Dawn Downey

 

HOW THIS WORKS

This bears repeating: You do not get loads of course material — you get prompts and actions to take. You are given a structure by which to collaborate with me and others in the mastermind. Nothing else. This is about action. Period.

You don’t have to show up anywhere on any particular day or time (I understand you are too busy to add another meeting to your calendar), but you will have constant access to the group (and myself) via these powerful collaboration tools.

1. A private Slack chat group. This is basically a 24/7 instant messaging system for small teams. This is where you can brainstorm ideas, share insights, cry for help, and feel a sense of collaboration in what can be an otherwise lonely process.
   
2. (Mostly) daily video updates from me. This is where I talk you through key steps to be taking, and expand upon conversations we are having in Slack. These videos are only for the Mastermind group, are recorded (nearly) every day, and give you an inside look into how to truly make progress. I will not talk in theory, but in terms of practical steps, sharing with you how I am doing this myself.
   
3. A virtual co-working space. There is a separate channel in Slack that I have created that is meant to be a virtual co-working space. Beyond the tips, the advice, the strategies that we share in Slack, the co-working channel is where we say hello each day and get the benefits of being collaborators.

   Imagine this as a real-world co-working space. Every day you show up to our huge loft, with big rustic wooden tables filled with iMacs. There is good music playing, amazing coffee, huge windows, and each of us shows up at our desks to work on our projects, while getting to know each other. You are a part of a community that is special — and this is where we say hello and motivate each other every day.
   

Are you worried about how to use these tools? Don’t. These are things my team and I use every single day, and are a core way that collaborative groups work. They are easy to get the hang of, and after all, we are here to help you out along the way!

That is the real value here: collaboration. You will have me and others in the mastermind providing feedback on your goals, helping provide direction, giving feedback, and pulling you out of the hole when you feel stuck and lost.

Each month, I will provide feedback on your tasks, your progress, and your direction. And I will also tell you when you are losing focus or biting off more than you can chew. So much of this process is about clarity and focus. Taking simple actions consistently, not getting bogged down.

My role is to be a coach in this process. You get to watch what I do, I give you direction, observe and suggest corrections. But I’ll be clear: it is YOU on the playing field. I’m not out there to do the work for you, or hold your hand when you are stalling. My feedback will be short and to the point. This is about taking action when it matters.

WHO THIS IS FOR

This is for the creative professional who wants to take the audience side of their craft more seriously. Who wants to have a clearer plan for 2016 in terms of engaging others.

I work with writers, artists, designers, crafters, entrepreneurs and anyone who is doing creative work that is deeply meaningful to their audience.

And I will absolutely say, this is about living up to your creative vision. A big part of my process is indeed about getting clearer about the meaning and experiences I am creating for others. The business side is meant to honor that, not derail it.

WHY THIS PROGRAM MATTERS

Let me share a few ways that this program is different from anything else I have offered before (and from what most others offer):

• Very often, people sell you “content,” such as course material, when a key ingredient to success is collaboration. This mastermind is about that collaboration: relationships with others that keep us focused and accountable. Consider why it costs $75 to join a gym for an entire month, but $75 to hire a personal trainer for a single hour. Just joining a gym gives you access to tools, but hiring a personal trainer gives you access to insights and a personalized system. Most people don’t show up to the gym on an average day, but they nearly always show up to an appointment with a personal trainer. It is a commitment, and assurance to get the job done.This mastermind is that commitment. I am waiting at the gym for you to show up. Don’t leave me — and your creative vision — hanging.
• There is no refund policy on this program. When you sign up, you are making a commitment not only to me, but to yourself. Take action, or else lose your investment. This is a no excuses program. If you don’t do the work, you will hear it from me. One term you will hear a lot in this program is the following: “No half-assing it.” (Sorry for the language.) Why do I use this term? Because most creative ventures fail not because they aren’t engaging ideas, but because the person half-asses it. They do it part way. They give up at the drop of a hat.
   
  This program is a half-ass free zone. There is no “dropping” the mastermind part of the way through. When you sign up, you are making a 3-month commitment. If you don’t show up, that’s on you. Because I am there every day, waiting for you.

  If you have creative work that is deeply meaningful to you, whether it is full-time or part-time, I’m challenging you to stop treating your profession like a hobby. If you have a day job, I would bet that you would never consider showing up late for work. Or show up only three days per week to a job where you’re expected to be there five days per week. Or you wouldn’t just leave mid-day from the job because you didn’t feel inspired to do it.

  Yet, this is how people “show up” for their creative vision. For their creative career.

This program isn’t for everyone.

I’m accepting a really limited number of participants because I want to ensure we have a solid group of people ready to take action. And I’ll be honest — I want it to be fun, not just productive.

Want in? Apply now. If you are accepted, there is a $750 total fee for the three-month program, payable in three monthly installments. So you pay $250 in July, $250, in August and $250 in September. Yes, I am always flexible to creating a specific payment plan that fits your needs.

Instead of a “Register Now” button, I have an application for you. I want to get a sense of your vision and challenges before I allow you to join the group. This is not meant to be judgy — that is not my goal. I simply want to ensure this group is filled with a group of passionate creative people ready to take action.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday June 29, 2016. But please keep in mind, there are limited spaces available, and they go on a first come, first served basis.

Apply now:

That is me on the left in the photo above, with Muhammad Ali throwing a mock punch directly at my face. My brother looks on, as stunned as I am to be in Ali’s presence.

The photo was taken in the early 80s, at a chance encounter with Ali — my mom had the forethought to ask to take a photo.

Today I want to talk about creativity. How, with so many creative professionals I work with, the answer to their challenges of reaching an audience, of perfecting their craft, of managing their craft amidst the chaos of their everyday lives — the answer is always creativity.

I want to use Ali as an example of this, then share some practical way put his inspiration into practice in your life.

The documentary When We Were Kings, tells the story of Ali’s 1974 fight with George Foreman. Two things you need to know going into this story:

The first: while many of us mostly know George for his amazing grills, back in 1974, he was the undefeated Heavyweight Champion of the World, and considered one of the best boxers of all time — a powerhouse in the ring. Going into the fight with Ali, Foreman had a 40–0 record with 37 knockouts. It is difficult to put into context how powerful Foreman was at the time.

The other thing to know is that Ali was 10 years into his career. It was widely believed at the time that there was simply no way that Ali could win a fight with Foreman. Most of the people around Ali — trainers, reporters, friends — genuinely feared for his life when Ali stepped into the ring.

They worried that this fight would not be about if Ali could pull an upset, but rather:

1. Exactly how badly would Foreman injure Ali?
2. Will this be Ali’s final fight ever?

Ali famously won this fight, and he used creativity to do so. There is no one else in the history of boxing that has fought like Ali.

“He was the savviest of savvy fighters. He had no recurring pattern. He operated outside of predictability. And he was able to fight on successfully long after he should have retired due to his mind, much more than his body.”

“You would never teach anyone to fight like Muhammad Ali. That would be crazy… Muhammad Ali was called the greatest not because he won, but because he won in a way that no mortal man could reproduce. Many young up-and-comers give it a try, and after catching a varying number of punches to the face decide that perhaps the Ali style is not for them after all.”

On a practical level, this is how Ali won:

• He used a punch that Foreman wasn’t expecting called a “right hand lead.” Foreman didn’t expect it because it is a punch that leaves Ali dangerously open to a counter-punch. A professional wouldn’t use a punch like this, so Foreman didn’t expect it.
• Ali kept hyping before the event that he would “dance.” He set an expectation in Foreman’s mind that Foreman would have to be chasing Ali around, and Foreman may have set his strategy accordingly. Instead, Ali did the opposite. He remained in place… more on that in a moment…
• Ali went to the ropes — something you avoid in a fight with someone as powerful as Foreman — and he stayed there. He literally stood there, letting Foreman pound on him. Ali leaned way back — almost comically so — to protect his face, but Ali’s body took a massive pounding.
• Ali hung on Foreman — literally wrapped his arms around George as if hugging him, and held it. This may sound insignificant, but it isn’t. This became a mainstay of the second half of Ali’s career — in the years beyond the Foreman fight. Hanging on Foreman allowed Ali to do two things: annoy Foreman, who simply wanted to fight. Nobody wants Muhammad Ali hanging on them. The second is it allowed Ali to use his other great talent: his mouth. You can see him talking to Foreman, and those by the ringside heard Ali egging Foreman on, “George, you disappoint me, you don’t hit me as hard as you thought as you would.”
• And this is where Ali’s strategy came together. It turns out, he knew that Foreman was far more powerful than he was. So his goal was this: tire George out. Get him to hit as hard as possible, as quickly as possible, and wait. Take the hits that no other fighter can.

By the fifth round, George was indeed worn out. When you watch the video, it is astounding to see how out of it Foreman is. Ali won in a knockout in the 8th round.

For you — the creative professional who passionately believes in their work, but finds it an immense challenge to finish work, release it, develop an audience, earn money from it, and create a sense of momentum — let’s talk what we can learn from Ali.

While I am a big believer in research (I often do lots of market research and competitive research with my clients), the goal is not to copy.

In fact, I have said again and again that I think too many writers and creative professionals fail to find momentum because they focus to much on seeking “best practices.”

We seek best practices to find safety. We want the safe bet, because we are confused at how to succeed.

We seek best practices to make the journey easier. We want shortcuts — a clever hack — to turn something complex into something simple.

For many tactical elements of your craft and your career, sure, there are places where best practices are helpful. That using Mailchimp for an email newsletter is a nice best practice. So is sending a ‘thank you’ card. Or backing up your writing so that you don’t accidentally delete it.

But when it comes to truly reaching your audience.
To sharing your work in a way that is deeply meaningful.
To create momentum in your craft and your career…

I think best practices hold people back. To me, it can be akin to cutting corners and calling it “wisdom.”

Too often, a “best practice” is a copy of a copy of a copy that stopped working two years ago.

Copying is not the answer.
Creativity is the answer.

What made Ali win against Foreman? His ability to evolve, to forge a new path, and stay creative.

When you think about the biggest challenge you have with your creative work — how can you approach it from a wildly different and creative way?

Too often we are sold that there is a “secret answer” just out of your reach. And that if you sign up for some webinar or course, and you gain this secret best practice or hack, you all of the barriers before you will be removed.

Instead, I offer the advice that Tina Roth Eisenberg shared with me when I met with her: when you face roadblock, ask yourself this: How can I flip it? How can I turn this challenge into an opportunity?

She put it this way:

“When some bad news come in, my team says, “Let’s flip it – let’s make it good.” It’s become my personal sport.”

Ali approached the Foreman fight in the same way.
What will you flip today?

-Dan