"Do you wanna be happy?" – J Cole (Intro).

My knee-jerk answer is yes. Of course, I want to be happy.

But then I think, why am I not happy right now?

Why am I not doing the things that lead to a state of bliss?

We say we want many things in life. But do we actually mean it?

So, let me ask again: do we want to be happy? If yes, let's do the things that lead to happiness.

Enjoy this week's letter:

Marketing Micro Essay 💡 S2E3: SEO + AI + Revenue-driven Featuring Tom Winter

(Time to read: 4:25 minutes)

Why does marketing exist?
Why are we investing in SEO and content?

And how the hell do I use AI to improve my marketing?

Tom Winter has answers to all of those questions…and more! He is experienced and incredibly intelligent.

I had to ponder many of his answers, replaying the episode three times. And I continue to pull out new insights from it.

Click here to read my top five that will help you make progress on your marketing (you can also listen to the episode below)

Listen to episode 3 with Tom Winter

Three Books / Three Quotes

“A point of view is different from having a point. A point is an idea intentionally expressed. A point of view is the perspective–conscious and unconscious–through which the work emerges.” – Rick Rubin (The Creative Act: A Way of Being)

The best marketers (and humans) have a strong point of view (POV). The average ones have points. The difference is that those with a strong POV can pivot and allow the best to emerge from it. Those with points are rigid with the development of work, resulting in subpar outputs.

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“If you want to develop good judgment, start by asking two questions: ‘What do I want in life? And is what I want actually worth wanting?’” – Shane Parrish (Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results)

I believe a decision is defined by what it helps the person acquire. If you make a decision to take millions from the poor legally so you can buy your next vacation home, it doesn’t matter how rationally you approach it; it’s bad. So it’s vital we define what we want and ensure it’s worth acquiring, and then make good decisions to get it. That’s the definition of clear thinking.

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“A good actor, like a good empath, has to understand the stories the character is telling themselves.” – David Brooks (How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen)

Think about someone you love and who you may have a conversation with in the future. Think about the stories they tell themselves to believe (and say) the things they do. Next time you’re with them, ask them for one of those stories, in an indirect way (“Tell me again, how’d you come to get that stance? What led you to believe X?”)

Heard / Saw / Experienced

Heard:

F*ck anyone who pays to have sex with underage girls.

(Excuse my French – I needed to get that off my chest)

I recently watched Michael Porter Jr.'s interview with Kat Emrick (who was sex trafficked as a teen) on his video podcast.

It disgusts me that people will traffic children/teens.

It makes me furious that grown men will pay for sex with them.

We need to discuss this topic more. We need to bring this issue to light because it's not only Mr. Epstein and the billionaires engaging in it. It can be the man down the road who has a successful career.

If you haven't spent the time to listen and educate yourself on this topic, I'd recommend listening to this woman's experience: https://youtu.be/W8nx9RQKQfo

Saw:

Progress is easy to ignore.

Specifically, progress takes time. This week, I hit my one-year mark with O'Connor Connective. While I was a nervous wreck initially, I've come a long way.

Last week, we had the privilege of attending a ribbon cutting for our client (Legacy Hotel). In between bites of a croissant sandwich, I realized how lucky I am.

How different life and work are, only one year removed from my last job.

All that to say, if you keep moving forward, improving, and being optimistic, life will change for the better.

Maybe not tomorrow, but it will. Trust me.

Experienced:

I need to confess something: I have confidence issues.

And one of my best coping mechanisms for that is to degrade myself. Whether in speech or thought.

While self-degrading jokes work well, this is more than that. I had a friend reach out and express this as feedback after listening to my podcast.

It was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for the courage to share.

What have you not shared with something that could be the exact thing they need to hear to improve? Share it!

Thank you for reading this far. I hope you’re back next week.

Stay well!

– Jo (every second counts)