Josh Robbs
Website consultant
I believe that every organization should have a vibrant, flexible, living website that they can operate and update themselves.
I help small organizations plan and strategize their website and owned media.
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Have you wondered why some people succeed while very similar people fail? Have you ever felt like the advice you’re hearing isn’t quite right? That the advice doesn't align with what you see happening?
The 5 laws:
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Performance drives success, but when performance isn’t measurable, the network drives success.
The best is the best and is preferred for being the best. If that isn’t clear, it’s about who you know and who knows you. “Isn’t clear” could be that the values are close or aren’t quantifiable. -
Performance is bounded. Success is unbounded.
The quality difference between the top players is often negligible. But the winner gets a disproportional selection of the rewards. -
Previous success x fitness = future success
“Previous success” means social proof like previous sales. “Fitness” means the quality of your offering. If your product is good, some sales will get you more sales and more sales can get you a lot of sales. -
Team success requires diversity. But a single person gets the credit.
The rule isn’t directly applicable to us since we’re mostly solo operatives. But the law states that the best teams have diversity but also have a single strong leader. The leader must promote cross-communication and keep the group focused. -
With persistence, success can come at any time.
It looks like the most success happens early. The truth is most are more prolific early on. Any given attempt is just as likely to succeed as any other. Early on, you’re simply rolling the dice more often. But any roll could win.
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https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/09/clubhouse-android-app-launch/
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Right now my basic strategy is to keep grinding to pay the bills now and work on a side project that will launch next summer. (That's a very inexact explanation but close enough for this.)
But I have another idea that seems like it's a lot closer to the money.
How do you personally evaluate an idea? How do you keep yourself from chasing every new, shiny thing you come across w/o offhandedly discarding good ideas?
But I have another idea that seems like it's a lot closer to the money.
How do you personally evaluate an idea? How do you keep yourself from chasing every new, shiny thing you come across w/o offhandedly discarding good ideas?
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Don't market me, bro.
As you learn more about something, it's easier for you to see it. This is extra true for marketing because if you're online, you see so much marketing.
My question for you: as you become aware of marketing tactics, does their effectiveness change? Do they work better, the same, worse, other?
I'm guessing the truest answer is it depends. I know there are some tactics that blend seamlessly into the background and continue to work on me. But some tactics, especially on websites, drive me nuts - to the point I'll close the browser tab and never come back.
What about you?
As you learn more about something, it's easier for you to see it. This is extra true for marketing because if you're online, you see so much marketing.
My question for you: as you become aware of marketing tactics, does their effectiveness change? Do they work better, the same, worse, other?
I'm guessing the truest answer is it depends. I know there are some tactics that blend seamlessly into the background and continue to work on me. But some tactics, especially on websites, drive me nuts - to the point I'll close the browser tab and never come back.
What about you?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpxHFNvlUmU
I watched this video about how Fight Club is a modern take on Nietzschean philosophy. I don't know jack about Nietzsche. The video could be 100% accurate or complete nonsense. But here's what I got from it.
The ultra-simplified version is that in a world where "God is dead", you can either use consumerism to hide from the realities of life or you can become an Übermensch - a being capable of saving themself.
Isn't that where we are in a business sense? Aren't the "gods of business" dead? Do we "hide from reality" by blindly following whatever golden calf is the shiniest? Or do we carve our own path and save ourselves?
I watched this video about how Fight Club is a modern take on Nietzschean philosophy. I don't know jack about Nietzsche. The video could be 100% accurate or complete nonsense. But here's what I got from it.
The ultra-simplified version is that in a world where "God is dead", you can either use consumerism to hide from the realities of life or you can become an Übermensch - a being capable of saving themself.
Isn't that where we are in a business sense? Aren't the "gods of business" dead? Do we "hide from reality" by blindly following whatever golden calf is the shiniest? Or do we carve our own path and save ourselves?
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So I bought this deal nearly 2 years ago. I was on the fence but took the plunge. And I got a refund.
It looks like they’ve been working hard since then. Faced with over $200 in annual renewals next month, this was a no-brainer - even if it only replaces my invoicing software. But it looks like it will do much more.
It might not be for you, but it’s worth a peek if you’re thinking about a client portal solution. I'm hoping to replace Harvest and Trello and use it to remove all the email back and forth.
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I have no idea if the course is any good, but it's PMI and the price is right.
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I don't have it but I will be getting it as soon as I invoice a client later. But I'm a fan of Matthew and he has some solid testimonials. For you Columbus folks, there's a killer testimonial from Adam Lehman of The Wonder Jam.
I don't know if this is the right channel. Apologies if it should have been put somewhere else.
I don't know if this is the right channel. Apologies if it should have been put somewhere else.
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(This is barely more developed than some shower thoughts and just enough thinking to stick it all together.)
I believe that if you put people like us on a bell curve, the bulk of the folks in the fat middle A) have something worth sharing w/ the rest of the folks, B) need practice presenting their ideas (especially online), and C) need a safe place to present their idea in a supportive but honest environment.
I believe that if you put people like us on a bell curve, the bulk of the folks in the fat middle A) have something worth sharing w/ the rest of the folks, B) need practice presenting their ideas (especially online), and C) need a safe place to present their idea in a supportive but honest environment.
You with me? If you disagree, you might as well stop reading. (This is still a rough draft. It's okay to not understand. Please, ask questions.)
I can create that space on the cheap.
I can create that space on the cheap.
I can set this up with hosting I already own (for a landing page), a webinar platform I have thru AppSumo (a place to do presentations), and a free MailChimp account. I’ll be more than happy to serve as host and organizer. (I need practice doing that.)
What it would look like:
What it would look like:
- I would serve as the host for an on-going series of webinars. I can host the webinar privately. No one would see it except folks with a direct link. It would be available to participants indefinitely.
- The presenters would be you: members of this community and other consultants at the same "level".
- The consumers would be you - in exchange for supportive but honest feedback.
- No redistribution or republishing by me (unless I’m the presenter). The final webinar is downloadable. I'd make that available to the presenter.
- The series would be private-ish. No promotions.
- No money is being made. I’d slip in some affiliate links as appropriate, but that’s cuz it’s silly not to. I’d let the presenter do the same. Presenters can include a call to action.
- Depending on interest, we could do this weekly or monthly - aiming for 15-minute presentations at lunchtime.
What do you think?
Do you see any problems with the idea or plan?
Am I even painting a clear enough picture?
Do you see any problems with the idea or plan?
Am I even painting a clear enough picture?
Would you be interested in presenting?
Would you be interested in attending these presentations?
I probably only need like 8 or 9 interested folks to make this worth doing.
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(Is this the right channel?)
I’m trying something. I’m running a website where I track the progress of creating a new brand and reaching a sales goal. Completely “opening the kimono”.
I’m trying something. I’m running a website where I track the progress of creating a new brand and reaching a sales goal. Completely “opening the kimono”.
If you’re curious, it’s launching tomorrow at 9 am (the experiment website, not the brand site): http://experiment.theessentialistdesigner.com/
I’ll be using tactics/strategies like:
- Just Fucking Ship (Stacking the Bricks) - https://stackingthebricks.com/just-fucking-ship/
- Podcast Outreach (Kai Davis) - https://kaidavis.com/products/podcast-outreach/
- Selling for Freelancers (Jay Clouse) - https://courses.freelancing.school/selling-for-freelancers
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