7 Steps to Rave Reviews That Lead to New Clients
filed under: Running a Creative BusinessTruth: You need to display rave reviews from customers on your website. Reason: As social beings, people look to other people for clues and guidance on what to think about something they’re unfamiliar with. ...
How NOT to Please Your Clients
filed under: Running a Creative BusinessEver had one of those client requests that made you want to sucker-punch your dear and beloved customer right in the face? Juuuust kidding. You should never sucker-punch your customers. Not even for crazy requests. But you know...
Work Hard and Get Nothing: Would You Still Do It?
filed under: Creative Inspiration“You’re not entitled to the fruit of your labor,” the words jumped at me from the page, menacing in the meaning they formed between their curlicues and empty spaces. What? The idea struck me as totally absurd. Why would I not be...
Why You Need to Listen to Your Envy
filed under: Creative InspirationThe minute I saw the email in my inbox my stomach turned to stone. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t swallow, I couldn’t even blink. Why had I signed up for this newsletter? And it was true: it was only a newsletter, and I had voluntarily...
How to Be Creative in 5 Stages (Or, Why You’ll Never Fit Into a Cubicle)
filed under: Creative InspirationI'm sure you've heard about the 5 stages of grief before: 1. Denial, 2. Anger, 3. Bargaining, 4. Depression and 5. Acceptance But did you know there are 5 stages to creativity, as well?!?! And NO, they’re NOT the same as the stages of...
When your tongue slips and falls and your whole message goes to hell
filed under: CopywritingHeadlines should make a statement. A big statement. It doesn’t matter whether they appear on a blog post, a commercial, an advertising message, a business book, or a novel. Headlines need to capture attention and draw people in. They can be...
When Creativity Jumps the Shark {Or How to Keep Your Audience Engaged, Not Baffled}
filed under: CopywritingI blinked. Twice. Scratched my head. Till it hurt. Twirled my ponytail. Pulled my lips. Huh? What was I looking at? I was coming up blank. (Even worse, I was coming up puking — almost!) I felt as if I was falling through a void with nowhere to...
Where Good Ideas Come From (And How to Capture Them)
filed under: Creative InspirationHow to discover new good ideas: Step One: Obtain a golden unicorn (yes, color matters) Step Two: Wait for purple rain and when it’s over take said unicorn out into strawberry fields Step Three: Let unicorn feast on rainbows Step Four:...
Can I Have This in an Hour? (Or, How to Earn Respect For Your Work!)
filed under: Running a Creative Business“Can I have this on my desk in an hour? It shouldn’t take you more than just an hour, right?” You’ve probably gotten at least one such request this week for something that would take at least three hours to complete in a proper...
Why You’re Probably Selling Something Different Than You Think
filed under: BrandingDo you know what the problem is with most selling? No, it’s not the “selling” part. But if you just gagged at reading the word “selling,” then keep on reading. This is important. From talking with various clients, we know that a lot of creatives...