At this point, I've got to acknowledge something. It's not something that would have escaped your consciousness if you've been following my story to this point. Then again, I don't think there is anyone that's been actively following my story to this point.
Anyway, here's what I'm getting at:
These daily updates have become less and less about the newsletter.
Oh, there's no doubt that I've got some stories to tell now, and these entries could easily be repurposed for future issues.
Additionally, this has always been about documenting the journey as opposed to anything formulaic, templated, or concrete.
But when I started this journey, I earnestly thought these posts would be about the steps we took to promote the newsletter and how they built excitement for the launch.
(Admittedly, that would have been much less exciting...)
The journey, rather, has been about how the universe has been continuously steering me towards personal expansion. I'm not much for mysticism, but there is something so completely organized chaos about it that it screams intelligent design.
At this point, I barely have the time or energy to even think about the newsletter, even as October 31 nears shooting distance. I've got things to prepare, but right now, I can't even bring myself to get up and work on the next podcast episode. I think I've passed the point of "shaking off" tiredness, exhaustion, and the lack of enthusiasm I feel for some of the work I do (I've already talked extensively about one of my difficult clients).
My days are now basically dedicated to writing, researching, editing, finding images and videos, formatting, scheduling, rinse, repeat. There's not a whole lot of room for much else, given that I'm looking to improve my financial standing.
I told one of my friends today, though, "It can't be long before I outgrow this work and expand beyond it. I'm going to be reaching such a high vibration that this work won't even be knocking at my door anymore." I can't see this situation lasting for long. I don't know why, I just know.
It's hard to believe... just four and a half months ago, I had no idea I would end up here. But there's more.
We Could Have Launched the Newsletter Already
It's not as though we couldn't have launched it long since.
I learned about, and even embraced the wisdom in building excitement in a product before its release, which is why we're here.
But that doesn't really matter, because:
Launches Don't Work
I know that some marketers will not only insist that launches do work, even when promoting to a small list, but that there's no other way to generate solid revenue from a new product. My experience shows otherwise.
The one and only launch I've done that generated results was not for something I was promoting, but rather for a jazz artist's crowdfunding campaign.
And, overwhelmingly, sales in my business happen as random occurrences and events, rarely if ever tied to any of my relevant promotional activity. All things being equal, I've found it's better to market than not, but steady and sustainable seems to do far more for my business than trying to do the mother of all world tour launches.
You either end up expending all your energy, unable to keep pace with regular weekly activity, or you perpetuate a stop and go cycle neither you nor your audience really appreciate.
I know that one of my "mentors from a distance" Dan Kennedy would call that a problem, but either a) my business is a drugged up lunatic werewolf with its own special sense of direction, or b) I don't know what I don't know, and as result, I can't do anything about it except keep learning.
You Can't Know What's Going to Happen
You can force events, sure. I sometimes wonder whether this is what some of the marketers I look up to do.
Do they say to themselves, "Everything be damned. Even if my spouse dies of cancer, I will keep building this infoproduct, because it needs to exist?"
I'm not morbid. I'm exaggerating to make the point.
(By the way, I know the mindset of some marketers, and... I honestly don't think this is too far off for them.)
Yes, we can make conscious decisions in life. We can will things to existence if we insist on following through on them. But I have no faith in the idea that something so forced could possibly be inspired.
I didn't plan for most of what has happened on this journey, and there's no way I could have. Much of it was well beyond my control. Things happened, and I had to respond. I was proactive and took charge where I needed to, but there is just so much that I could not have possibly planned for. Rental scams? Lawsuits? Consumer proposals? I've never encountered these scenarios in my own life.
I'm learning from all of it, of that I'm sure. But if someone followed me around for the last 49 days, I doubt they would be questioning me on the progress I have or haven't made with the newsletter.
All this may sound like justifying, and it's fine if that's what you want to take from it. But it reinforces the opposite for me, that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.
You may think things are supposed to go a certain way. You may think there are specific things you're supposed to be doing. But it could just be you pigeonholing yourself. It could be you taking what is a 10 for the universe, capturing it, bottling it up, holding onto it for dear life to keep it alive, and insisting that it's still a 10, when you've basically reduced it to a two by trying to turn it into a formula and an identity.
Expansion is the only way to stay aligned with the universe.
Today's Relevant Links
None!
Support the Development of This Project
- Upvote this post 👍
- Share this post with friends
- Follow me on Steemit
- Subscribe to The New Music Industry Podcast
- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
- Pre-order The Music Entrepreneur Companion Guide
I look forward to connecting with you!