Month: February 2017
I’ve quoted Dan Sullivan before and I’m gonna do it again. Do you know him? He’s the founder and CEO of Strategic Coach and one of the great mentors to entrepreneurs in the world. So, in keeping with this series on the Professional Mindset, let me rip off a few more of his ideas for you. (Thanks, Dan!) Dan tells the story that when he was in the army stationed in Korea, one of his jobs was putting together shows for the troops. Frank Sinatra came over one time. Dan studied him carefully and, as he says, One…
Read MoreThis is the fourth post in our series called “The Professional Mindset.” Let’s pause here and flash back to what this stuff is all about. It’s about Resistance. We adopt the Professional Mindset for one reason only: to combat our own internal self-sabotage. The professional mindset is a weapon against Resistance, like AA is a weapon against alcoholism. Don’t laugh. The analogy is exact. Have you, the writer, ever woken up metaphorically face-down in the gutter at five in the morning with an empty bottle beside you? I have. Have you ever said to yourself, “I am powerless against…
Read More[This is Post #3 in our new series, “The Professional Mindset.”] I had a friend named Victoria when I was working in Hollywood. Victoria was a successful screenwriter, very much a role model for me. One day Victoria took me out to lunch and gave me some insight into how she handled herself as a professional in “this town.” Steve, you and I are going up every day against Twentieth-Century Fox and Warner Bros. and Paramount. They’re our competition. We’ve got to be just as organized as they are, just as tough, and just as smart. Victoria…
Read MoreMy last few posts have focused on the importance of growing your own platform (“Common Sense” and “Should Writers Be Paid For Everything?“). Now for an example, via Joanna Penn, a.k.a. The Creative Penn. If you visit Joanna’s site, you’ll learn something new. That’s a promise—and a personal experience. She’s always teaching and thus I’m always learning when I step into her world. She’s honest with her experiences, clear with her voice, and generous with her knowledge. The site itself is organized and deep (in both quantity and quality of content)—the product of YEARS of work. One of the things…
Read More[This is Post #2 in our new series, “The Professional Mindset.”] When you and I were working on the line at Ford in Dearborn, we had to worry about our production quotas, our standards of workmanship, our supervisor’s evaluations of us. What we didn’t have to worry about was the structure of our day. That structure was imposed on us from outside. Then one day we quit. Suddenly we were artists. We were entrepreneurs. We thought it would be easy. We were free! Nothing could stop us! It turned out to be the hardest thing we’d ever done.…
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