You know how marketers always kick off newsletters and sales emails with some random story?

 

They'll launch into a seemingly irrelevant narrative about something going on their my life, or some pop culture reference, or some shared experience, and then they *shocker!* find a way to connect it back to something actually relevant, like, I dunno, web copy or SEO or their upcoming course launch or something.

 

Actually, I don’t even know why I’m asking—I know you know what I mean, because you read this newsletter and I use that engagement technique all the time. 

 

(For example: last week's story about my weird relationship with my dentist. Or the week before's story about the dude in line at Crumbl cookies. Or the week before that's story about PB&J preferences.) 

 

We can talk about WHY us marketers love to do that another time—the sparknotes version is because stories sell—but not today.

 

Today, all I can think about is biscuits.

 

Specifically, fresh, hot southern biscuits.

 

Biscuits are why I didn’t start this newsletter off with some clever story-turned-copywriting-tip.

 

It’s their fault you aren’t getting some elaborate, well-thought-out introduction, effortlessly leading into the rest of the email. 

 

…and there’s also the tequila, the drag show, the disco-themed bachelorette party, and the late-night flights to blame.

 

I spent this past weekend celebrating my best friend’s impending nuptials in Charleston, and my last 2 brain cells were just used on finding a semi-intelligent way to kick this email off with anything but “I’m tired and don’t know what to fucking write this week cuz all I can think about is how much I wish I could eat Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits for breakfast every day” :-)

 

So, yeah. No story. Just a mom in her late 20s who didn’t think to consider the fact that she probably couldn’t (and definitely shouldn't) rip Patron shots like she could half a decade ago, or the fact that she’d need to factor in actual time for rest in order to make the difficult transition from Bach Party Best Friend to Toddler Mom.

 

(Side note, though: chasing with white grape juice and pretzels helps with that first thing. Putting the Ice Age movie on repeat helps with the second one.) 

 

& while I'm ditching the intro story, I might as well go rogue and ditch everything else that comes with a normal TOC, too, right? I mean, why the hell not? We're already this far gone. *yawns*

 

Instead of my typical marketing tip, I thought it would be fun to share my most popular blog posts (as told by Google Analytics) from each blog category that I have on my site!

A couple Junes ago, I was the most inspired I’d ever been. 

 

I’d just finished all 700-something pages of Tools of Titans—one of my all-time favorite books—and I was in the middle of following along with James Altucher’s “Daily 10” practice, where you write down 10 thoughts/ideas, and if you can’t think of 10, you write 20.

 

If you’re thinking “Sara that makes absolutely no sense” - yeah. I know. 

 

…but when you read Altucher’s explanation below, you'll get it.

 

 

As a recovering perfectionist, I found a lot of peace—and challenge—in this sentiment, so I decided to follow along with the prompts from his chapter of TOT, things like “10 old ideas I can make new” and “10 books I can write” and “10 people I can pitch projects to.”

 

And let me tell you - I’ve never felt more creative.

 

Even though I have a ~creative job~ and I’m a ~creative entrepreneur~ (latest buzz word on its death bed IMO) I’m always thinking with a strategic and analytical mind; always 10 steps ahead, with a low buzz of anxiety always in the background of my brain.

 

 

& all that strategy and analysis is great… but it’s not what fuels me or my passions. Being a determined businesswoman is amazing and all—but being a passionate determined businesswoman is even better (and less likely to succumb to burnout). 

 

 

A few weeks ago, I picked up a copy of Tools of Titans for my new intern, Paige, and I was reminded of that blissful creative flow and surge of imagination + innovation reading it for the first time had given me. 

 

So, I got out my old journal and flipped through the pages I'd filled with my unapologetic dreams, and my sky's-the-limit ideas, and thought let's do this again. 

 

 

 

I want to feel inspired as hell again. And this time, I have a community to share those feelings with.

 

So, in every TOC issue for the month of June, I’ll be sharing a week’s worth of journal prompts for you to complete—if ya want!—along with me.

 

You can choose to make this a biz thing, or a personal thing, or a mix of both. On my end, it’s simply a fun exercise.

 

(But, double Capricorn, so obv it always accidentally ends up work-related. Oh, well.)

 

To kick things off, we’re sticking with that Daily 10 exercise I told you about earlier.

 

 

 

And, now, for the rules:

 

Well, actually, there’s just one rule. 

 

 

The whole purpose of this, as Altucher says, is to tell perfectionism and your protective ass brain to kick rocks.

 

So, have fun! Let your mind wander! & I’ll be back next week with more 👀 

 

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