Biggest fuck up
As a self-published author, my biggest marketing/advertising fuckup without a doubt was advertising somebody else's product on Facebook Ads. I got the...
The most useful piece of advice I have heard is "In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is a failure. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible" from Seth Godin.
I was very honest with my buyers. I told them I was unstable. Including that, if I was up at 5 am, I was still partying with mates, clients, politicians, and celebrities.
It’s always great to have a steady supply of work when you’re freelance. If you have someone offering you 20-30 hours of steady work, you’re obviously going to take it.
It’s normal to look at an ambitious goal and feel daunted by the journey ahead. It’s also human to look at people around you and compare how you’re doing.
I worked for a mobile tech start up in San Diego in the early 2000s. This had some rockstar founders and was supposed to be a huge thing. I was part of their round one of hires.
Hundreds of pounds of gear a week, normalised by the ‘well everyone else is doing it’ narrative. And countless 4 am stop-outs with members of my team, often resulting in carnage at work the next day.
What needs to change is a return to the fundamentals of responsible journalism: thorough research, unbiased reporting, and a commitment to providing readers with meaningful insights.
This was our first project for a huge household brand. I saw our hard work closing the deal, and my financial projections disappear in front of my eyes.
I was summoned to London to see the sales director. I knew I hadn’t royally screwed up, but when you’re dealing with a hairdryer of a human, you never know.