A few principles I live and write by.
Perfect is boring.
Imagine a flower pot from Home Depot and one from a pottery shop. They do the same job, yet their essence is entirely different. One is cookie-cutter, uniform, even sterile. The other is well-crafted, endearing, and just wonky enough to remind you someone made it. Preference?
Psst…
You can write, but I can write better. How do I know? Because I obsess about words and how they’re stated. And you obsess over your craft. And we hire each other to fill in the gaps.
Be that brand.
Brands are like people, so be the kind we want to be around. If we meet at a party and you shout your values, tout your achievements, and cloak your language in industry speak, I’ll exit stage left and find the person who makes me laugh, listens, and shares cool stuff. Be that brand!
Make it personal.
You don’t talk about yourself in the third person, so don’t let your bio do it either—especially if you’re a solopreneur. Say, 'Hi, I’m Simone,' not 'Simone is…'"
It’s okay to be different.
All the talking points, features, and benefits don’t matter if your audience doesn’t read your message. What gets a message read? Connection. Humanity. Show them who you are—not who you think they want you to be. Different is good. No person or company shines the same light. Share yours, not theirs and the world will notice.
Writing is like painting.
If every brushstroke did one job only, a painting would be sharp and one-dimensional. Mixing pressure, texture, and color create feeling. Good writers do the same. Each word has a reason for being—and sometimes, it’s simply to balance another.
WGAF?
Who gives a f*ck? The article about you in the Financial Times is impressive—you’re dying to share it. But who gives a f*ck, besides you? Why on earth do they care? Ask yourself the question. Find an answer. Share the article from that place.
There’s plenty more where these came from...