 the SPARK ~ 139 – Escape the Social Media Puppet Show
Hi, {{ subscriber.first_name }},
You’d probably agree that most books tend to be better than their movie adaptation.
Even movies we love don’t always quite live up to the book (especially when you’ve read the book first).
One exception to this rule is The Godfather.
I read the book before I saw the movie (both in my early 20s) and was super impressed with the movie. They nailed everything (side note: there’s an incredible series on Paramount+ about the making of the movie called ‘The Offer’).
I liked the second movie but have to admit I never got around to watching the third and final Godfather, but there’s one line that I remember from the trailer because it reminds me of social media:
Am I right?
This is a piggyback to yesterday’s email about Threads.
If you missed it, you can read my post here, where I have made a very conscious decision to stay focused on the bigger picture right now, which means not jumping into yet another distraction platform.
As I was writing that post, I had an image of a doodle come to me.
We’re running from platform to platform, like a puppet on a string, doing a little bit here and a little bit there but never really creating the solid foundation that will support our long-term goals.
Look…
I get it.
The idea of a fresh start somewhere and the potential for free traffic is appealing.
But let me ask you this…
What would your business look like TODAY if you had…
- Stayed focused on writing quality blog posts five years ago and published a few times a week? (even once a week)
- Chosen one platform to focus on before moving to another? (and measured the results for that platform as you grew it)
- Spent ‘X’ amount of hours every week getting better at copywriting?
- Set targeted goals for growing your email list and put the time and energy into that (beyond an opt-in on your site) when you launched your business years ago.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m guilty as charged.
There are some things that are incredibly easy to stick with (this newsletter for one) and then other things where I turn into distracto-ball’ and go sideways. 
So I’m doing a lot of “Entrepreneurial Adulting” and holding myself accountable.
This also means cleaning up and letting go of things that don’t support my long-term goals and future vision.
I had to remind myself of this yesterday when I went out for a walk in the afternoon.
I decided it would be a great idea to go around 4:00 pm, when it was pretty roasty toasty.
It’s been almost 10 months since my back surgery and now that I’m feeling better, it’s time to get my strength back. I’m keeping this simple with walking and some bodyweight exercises.
The thing with a herniated disc is it presses on your spine, which causes nerve damage. The nerves heal very slowly so for the past 10 months my right leg has felt much heavier and I’ve had a slight limp (espcecially when I’m tired).
Back to yesterday’s walk.
I go out for my walk with zero pressure or expectation other than to move my body and get some much needed water in.
As I was walking I notice an older gentleman (at least 20+ years my senior) across the street but a little behind me.
But not for long.
Before I know it he’s passed me at a pace that felt like warp speed 🤣.
All I could do was laugh and remind myself that I might be slow today, but with each walk I’ll pick up the pace.
I made a commitment to my future self to get my strength back and the pride I felt by honoring that commitment was all I needed.
What commitments have you made to yourself?
Remember that YOU get to decide what your business looks like and how you spend your time.
Choose activities that support your goals, not a billionaire man-childs goals (Elon & Zuck).
The Spark Spotlight 
Book: 10X is Easier than 2X – How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More By Doing Less – Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
You might be sick of hearing me talk about this book, but this was the nudge I needed to double-down on my commitment to myself.
Featured Articles 📝
Simple tips that you can practice today. ”14 Brilliant Headline Writing Tips From The World’s Greatest Copywriters.”
A great guide on improving your YouTube thumbnails. ”I’ve designed over 500 YouTube thumbnails. Today I’m going to share all my tricks for making thumbnails FASTER.”
A short video showing how to use ChatGPT for SEO. ”ChatGPT SEO Playbook: Fast Rankings Have Never Been Easier.”
This issue brought to you by KadenceWP
Tool Time 
- Video Ads: I haven’t tried this yet but this is pretty unique. Create video ads free. Try Breakout Clips here.
- Drawing & Doodles: Create hand-drawn doodles for marketing, presentations, & more. Try Drawify 3.0 free.
- AI Headshots: I still haven’t tried one of these but think I just might. Turn selfies into headshots with Aragon.ai here.
- Video Creation: An AI video generator, text-based video editor and screen recording in one. Try Visla free here.
A little truth bomb this week from VisualGrowth.com 
It’s actually happening!!! 
I’m hosting my first-ever, women’s business retreat in October with my dear friend & branding expert, Liz Weaver.
This first event is small and we’ve already sold a few spots through personal invites. I have a more invites going out this week, but it’s a first come first serve (we have 5 spots left).
We’re including everything in this event… you just need to get yourself to Costa Rica.
This unique event, set in beautiful Potrero, Costa Rica, combines mindset, lifestyle, and business, helping you define and achieve income goals, create an additional recurring revenue stream, and increase your quality of life.
If you have any questions about the retreat that aren’t answered on the registration page, feel free to hit reply and ask me directly.
Have a fantastic day, Kim
p.s. Still not getting the results you want with ChatGPT? Grab my ‘Conversations with ChatGPT Beginner’s Workshop’ here.
