By the Ocean
A Few Clouds 78 Degrees
6:43 a.m.
Years ago, when I got started as a freelance copywriter, people used to laugh at the guys who did jobs on spec. That’s where you wrote something for free, and if it worked, you got paid.
I certainly did this. (My first copywriting job, a spec job, came from this guy to promote a seminar for his friend. The seminar sold out…40 people at $497… but I was so scared I never asked for any money.) I stopped doing those deals the moment I realized that great copy can’t sell something no one wants. As my understanding of what makes a sale developed, and I realized it’s actually the audience that comes first, then the product, then the copy, I realized that “spec” work was a dumb use of my time.
Who wants to do a TON of work and HOPE they get paid?
Well, apparently there are tens of millions of people. Because that’s actually the game that’s happening on social media with what we’re supposed to call the “creator economy.”
Somehow, the Matrix brainwashed countless people on platforms like YouTube to contribute hours, years, even decades of their life to play a game where very, VERY few will ever win.
Aren’t millennials supposed to be lazy? Aren’t the younger generations always lacking in motivation and drive and focus? Isn’t that the story? If that’s the case, how do they stick at it for so long?
What force could possibly be strong enough to do this? To get so many smart and talented people to work for free?
When you try to figure this out, you discover the true genius of “social” media.
The algorithms are training the people to care what others think. In fact, caring about that is the only way to succeed!
You must be popular. You must be liked. You must give the people what they want!
You have entire generations of humans led into believing this form of electronic and emotional slavery is the path to success.
“It’s not slavery, just do what works and you can be successful!”
If you’ve ever done this, you know that “doing what works” gets really boring. It is empty. Yes, it can feed your bank account. But it will never feed your Soul. Your Soul is why you’re here, it couldn’t care less about the number of electrons on file at the bank. Unfortunately, you have to experience this to know it’s true.
The way you win in business is to play the right game. If you play a game that countless others are playing, expect to lose. The data shows most people do.
What is the game you want to play?
That’s the power question. That’s the question where the right answer holds within it the seeds of your future success.
The goal isn’t to beat everyone else, it’s to make them irrelevant by playing your own game.
The “algorithm” will penalize you for this. Reality will reward you.