So, you know, I lead a double life.

Inspirational writer and social commentator by night, marketing, branding, and business person by day.

I know all the rules and strategies that you’re supposed to use to build an audience and sell to an audience and blah blah blah.

I also like to throw all of those rules out the window when it comes to my personal brand. Fuck rules. And fuck sales. (Why am I in marketing, again?)

[Can you tell I have a heavy Uranus/Aquarius influence in my natal chart? lol]

By all means, don’t be a total idiot and not promote anything… all I’m saying is, I lean more toward destiny when it comes to the success of my own content.

Even in business, I’ve always favored organic growth based on the value of what you put out over promoting the hell out of things, or in the case of social media, buying followers.

Maybe I’m lazy. Maybe I’m apathetic. Or maybe I have too much integrity to sell myself out.

I learned a few things while working in tech:

A good* idea is only as successful as your ability to communicate it passionately and enthusiasiastically.

*I say “good” because I’ve also seen a lot of people who are utterly passionate and enthusiastic about really terrible ideas, and they manage to dupe at least a few people into throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at them (and ultimately, down the drain).

Belief in one’s self and what you’re doing can get you really, really far. Maintaining your integrity around that belief in the face of money mongers and control freaks, and refusing to compromise your values* –– that’s what makes you a superstar.

*Refusing to compromise your values only works if you’re self aware enough to recognize when they’re based in ego and when they’re based in service to the greater good.

Maybe that’s why I love being in a room with people who are really passionate about what they do. They’re the ones who are going to keep pushing until they’ve succeeded, because they don’t care about the money. They care about building something bigger –– bigger than themselves and their next exit strategy.

I’ve never been that passionate about anything I’ve done in my career. Not marketing. Not branding. Not content. Not creative. Not tech. Only this –– this blog, or outlet, or whatever you want to call it. I’m honestly not even sure what it is at this point…

The only thing that maybe ever came close was the six years I spent as a board member building a nonprofit animal rescue, but even that light eventually burned out because it was never totally my own.

This… this is different. This is me, through and through. I’m the thing I’m marketing. And it’s different than just pitching expertise. I offer you more than that. I offer you my heart and my soul and my belief in you as a human being.

It’s not an idea. It’s a resolution. A dedication to a cause. It’s personal. It’s so fucking personal I have it tattooed on me.

So fuck the rules. Fuck the strategies. Fuck the funnels. Fuck the platforms and the fake ass instagram photos and the boosted posts. Fuck the marketing. Fuck the smoke and mirrors. Fuck the bullshit. FUCK ALL THE BULLSHIT.

It’s really just me and you, right here, right now. Me writing. You reading. This feeling – this passion, this belief in a cause greater than myself – that’s contagious. You’ll feel it, and when you do, you’ll buy in because you’ll be just as excited about it as I am.

People get bogged down in worrying about if they’re doing it right, saying the right thing, communicating the right message.

Your passion about what you do is enough. Scream it from the rooftops and you’ll find your people.

The quality of your work is what matters. The proof is in the pudding. Do what you do well, and your people will sing your praises for you.

Those two things? That’s all the marketing you really need. Those are the fundamental pieces of a successful marketing strategy. The rest is just bells and whistles.

Thanks for being here,

Ash

 

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