4 Freaky Fast Friday Hits (2min. read)
1. Something to try…
You ever wanted to add simple line breaks and spaces to your Instagram captions?I've no idea why this is so hard and confusing in 2021 😆.
Caption Writer to the rescue. You type in your caption, copy and paste into Instagram and your formatting stays! (I just use the free version.)
Extra tip…If you are on a Mac and have an iPhone, you can link your clipboards. Copy on one device. Paste it on the other. I write my captions on the Caption Writer website on my laptop. Copy it. Then paste it into Instagram on my phone.
Email me back if you give this a try and let me know how you like it.
2. Something a client recently asked…
“How do we stand out from our competitors? They can use the same hardware/software we do?” The client is in the crowded cybersecurity space.This affects most brands and businesses. It is why positioning is so important for your business. One question I often ask is, “What do you find yourself doing that goes above and beyond for customers because you just can’t help it?”
The answer is usually related to your passion and purpose. And that is where positioning begins. If you position around time or price—the fastest, the lowest price—OR around a commodity—the most installed, the most awarded—you set yourself up to be knocked off your positioning.
If a competitor is a second faster, penny lower, gets one more install, or snags one more award…you are toast.
Position around your purpose and passion. Nobody can knock that off!
What is the biggest challenge you face when positioning your brand or business?
3. Something to think about…
I have got 2 kids in college. I wonder, is the purpose of higher ed for amassing career-specific skills around a specialization/major (accounting, marketing, political science, etc.)?Or should it be for the purpose of discovering “match-quality” fit? IE Is this a good fit for me?
With a fast changing culture and marketplace, is an 18-year old supposed to know what he or she should specialize in?
One author I recently read stated, “If we treated careers more like dating, nobody would settle down too quickly.” (Range, p131)
I am really curious, is your current career directly related to your college major? Let me know!
4. Something personal…
I am a collector. I tend to collect ideas 🤪. I’d even say it’s one of my superpowers.I recall talking to a friend who was bragging about how many notes he had collected in his Evernote account (a note-taking/collecting app). He had 2,000-ish notes. I glanced at mine and had 5,300+.
But part of my personality is, I can be a hoarder. I can be reluctant to share those ideas, discoveries, etc. That is likely out of fear. (Would anyone care? How would I share this with others? Where does this fit in?)
I have been thinking a LOT the past several months about how I can be intentional about sharing all the knowledge I’ve collected over the years. In fact, this email is one attempt.
Got any advice on sharing more?
Keep building a life-giving brand.