The SPARK 125 ~ It Was Over Before It Started

Hi, {{ subscriber.first_name }},

I’ve never been a big shopper.

I don’t mind shopping when I have things I need to get, but it’s never something I want to do for fun.

And when I do go shopping?

I’ve got AirPods in and am usually listening to a book or podcast. Not to be anti-social, but it creates a much more peaceful experience for me.

Years ago I was Christmas shopping with my great aunt and she said, “Boy! I like how you shop. You go in, you find what you want, and you get out!”

It could also be the 20+ years I spent in retail management. That’s enough to turn anyone off (especially during the holiday season 🤪).

I’m a pretty decisive person…

Which is why I already fired the ad agency I hired for Create It.

We were only two weeks into working together and the first set of ads & copy I received back made me cringe.

Not only had they not used any of the creative assets I had uploaded, they didn’t ask where they were before creating the ads.

I was a little bummed about it, but I’m more grateful I trusted myself and acted quickly (especially when it comes to something where I’m paying a service AND ad costs).

If you don’t trust yourself in your business, how will anyone else?

How many times have you seen someone put an offer out or start something that you had been thinking about or wanting to do?

But you held yourself back because of what other people might think or didn’t want to offend/bother people? (ME.. raising my hand here!)

Does any of this sound familiar?

Not taking risks: Fear of failure prevents you from trying new strategies or tactics.
Avoiding self-promotion: Reluctance to showcase your achievements, leading to missed opportunities for career growth (this is a big one for me).
Procrastination: Delaying important tasks due to feelings of inadequacy.
Over-preparation: Spending excessive time on research or planning, rather than taking action.
Undervaluing their expertise: Assuming others know more, leading to missed opportunities to contribute or lead.
Not asking for help: Fear of appearing incompetent prevents them from seeking guidance or collaboration.
Not setting ambitious goals: Settling for mediocrity rather than aiming high due to self-doubt.
Difficulty accepting praise: Dismissing compliments or attributing success to external factors, such as luck.
Comparing themselves to others: Focusing on others’ achievements, resulting in feelings of inadequacy.
Fear of delegation: Reluctance to delegate tasks, leading to burnout and reduced productivity.

I’m sure at one time or another we’ve all experienced these things. It’s part of the entrepreneurial process.

What differentiates people who show up anyway is their ability to be comfortable with the discomfort.

The world needs variety and your unique voice.

#JustShowUP

Spark Spotlight

Erica Schneider

I’ve been following Erica Schneider on Twitter for a while and love that she calls out the bro marketers and crap content and focuses on the long game. She just released a book on hooks and it’s SO good (I had to close it to get back to work).

Write scroll-stopping hooks without the clickbait

Featured Articles

✔ A little inspiration from one of my favorite creators. ”Today, my little one-person business crossed $3M in revenue” by Justin Welsh.

✔ I avoided studying copywriting for too long. It’s the best skill you learn for your business. Read “5 Ways Copywriting Helps Grow Your Business.”

✔ As much as I find value in journaling, I can’t really say it’s a habit. Maybe this will help. Read, “The Art of Journaling” by Ryan Holiday.

Tool Time

Featured tool:

Nuelink is an incredible tool for scheduling and automating your social media content. Not only is it feature-rich, but the team behind it is fantastic.

Try Nuelink free here.

Events: I haven’t tried this plugin (don’t do a lot of events), but it looks pretty powerful. Check out Eventin here.
Links: Use this free WordPress plugin for shortening links, tracking clicks, and create a link in bio page on WordPress. Use ClickWhale free here.
Mockups: Another tool to generate mockups for your brand and business (they have a lot of options). Use Mockup Generator free here.
Podcasts: Edit and grow your podcast with this all-in-one tool. Try Type Studio free here.

AI Insider

Next week’s workshop is filling up (I am SO excited!).

This is a beginner’s workshop in using ChatGPT. I’m going to show you how to use ChatGPT in a conversational manner to get the right results for your business.

Tool: This completely blew my mind! I’ve just started playing with it, but you can create all kinds of automation in your business. Watch the brief video on how it works. Try CheatLayer free here.

Newsletter: One of my favorite AI newsletters is Prompts Daily. In addition to what’s happening in the space, you get one actionable prompt every day. Subscribe to Prompts Daily here.

Thread: Get yourself beyond the beginner mode with this great thread by Rob Lennon.

Feeling 1 billion years old