 the SPARK ~ 138 A Sweaty-toothed madman
Hi, {{ subscriber.first_name }},
One of the first movies I saw that made a deep impression on me when I was younger(beyond entertainment), was Dead Poet’s Society. Great film (albeit a little heavy).
So many great lines from that movie, but the one that really stuck with me was, “Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary!”
Now, before you think you’ve just rolled into a Tony Robbins seminar, stick with me.
First, remember that this was pre-internet.
I hadn’t started my journey into personal development yet (that would come a few years later, and yes, I did buy those Tony Robbins “Personal Power” tapes off a late-night infomercial… at the ripe old age of 22).
He’s not really my cup of tea anymore, but I’ve listened to/read a lot of different people in this space.
All of it opened my mind.
I was floored that there was another way to “think.”
Another way to think that could lead to another way to live your life.
My parents were always incredibly supportive of my interests, desires, and hobbies, but living a non-traditional life wasn’t anything they had experienced or even witnessed.
Unless you see or experience something different, you don’t know what’s available, and your path probably looks similar to those around you.
(Also why I’m a huge fan of traveling, which, fortunately, my parents instilled in me as a young adult).
It’s vitally important that you do the same thing in your business.
Step outside of the market/circles you’re in and look at how other people are doing things.
Get fiercely protective of what you consume and where you engage.
There are a lot of things on the “chopping block” for me right now.
I’ve been on Twitter since 2008, and it’s never really been a place I love to hang out. I’ve put more effort into it over the last couple of years, but there’s nothing about it I enjoy.
So many platitudes…
Directives…
Templates…
“Doing this? Here’s why that doesn’t work”
“When I see people doing this, it means this”
“Most people are doing X wrong. Here are five ways to do it better”
Never mind Elon’s antics. If I never heard his name again, it would be too soon.
Which is why I’m not going to waste any more time with Twitter.
I’ll share content there through automation and chat with friends here and there, but that’s about it.
I’m sticking with what I enjoy doing- which is long-form content ( someone else will repurpose it)—writing, podcasting, and, yes, getting back to video.
This brings me back to Dead Poet’s Society and the “Sweaty-toothed Madman.”
In this scene, Robin Williams asks Ethan Hawke’s character to describe what comes to mind when he looks at a picture of Walt Whitman on the wall.
He challenges him to “do better,” and then he closes his eyes. When the class laughs Robin covers his eyes with his hand.
He focuses, and ignores the snickering in the classroom, and this prose pours out of him.
That’s the kind of focus I’m challenging you to create for yourself.
Tune out the noise, the people, and the platforms that don’t work for you.
Then double down.
Let go of feeling like you need to be doing something a certain way because that’s how someone else grew their audience/list/following.
Every time you try to fit a square peg into a round hole, it’s going to fail.
Every. Single. Time.
And if you’re not sure what to start eliminating, ask yourself these two questions:
- How does this make me feel?
- Does this drive results? And by results, I mean the right results. Not vanity metrics, and not just a “big list.”
Once you’ve answered those questions, you’ll know what activities, platforms, etc. need to go.
Then sit with that.
And pay attention to how much lighter you feel because you’ve decided to create more space in your life.
The SPARK Spotlight 
I LOVE this newsletter. PJ Milani is brilliant when it comes to creating visuals to express ideas. It’s a combination of life and business ideas. You’re sure to find a nugget or two in every issue.
This issue is brought to you byLearnDash, the most powerful LMS for WordPress.
Featured Articles 
None of these are earth-shattering, but they’re great reminders. ”How to make readers fall in love with your writing fast.”
If you’re thinking about putting more energy into LinkedIn. Read “5 Tips on LinkedIn for Content Beginners.”
Improve your copywriting with these ”6 Favorite Ways to Practice Copywriting.”
Tool Time 
- Google Analytics: An alternative to Google Analytics that is completely compatible with GA4. Check out Analytify here.
- Forms: Customize your Google Forms & embed them on your website. Try CustomGform free here.
- Video captions: Create AI-powered captions for your short-form videos. Check out Submagic here.
- Video background: Chrome plugin for updating your video background with lots of variations to choose from. Use Webcam Effects free here.
My brain this week… 
And…
Since today is my birthday… I thought it would be fun to offer 50% off my Focus Session! 🥳
Click here for 50% off a 90-Min Focus Session
Let’s create a plan to knock the second half of 2023 out of the park!
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Have a fantastic day,
Kim
