Category: business storytelling

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business storytelling

The Big Problem with the Hero’s Journey for Business Storytelling

The-Big-Problem-with-the-Heros-Journey-for-Business-Storytelling-FBTWIf you’ve studied or read about storytelling at all, you’ve probably heard of what’s called the Hero’s Journey.

Never heard of it? Not to worry. If you’ve seen the original Star Wars Trilogy, you get the concept. (See also: Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and the movie I went on my first date to see, The Goonies.)

The Hero’s Journey, or the monomyth, was developed by Joseph Campbell and is a basic pattern of storytelling that is found in narratives from around the world. It’s essentially the universal story or myth, as it shows up across eras, cultures and geographies.

He wrote about it in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and described it this way:

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

Epic Business Stories with Yoda

Hello, Luke, Yoda and Darth. The Hero’s Journey, while universal, is an epic tale—which is why it takes three movies for Luke’s whole arc to play out. George Lucas actually wrote Star Wars using Campbell’s work and considered him a friend. (If you want to geek out with storytelling plus Star Wars, this video and visual breaks down the Hero’s Journey in the trilogy.)

The very epic nature of The Hero’s Journey makes it problematic for most for us as marketers. Relying on this type of story assumes we have the full attention of our audience as well as the content to make it work.

What if you don’t actually have a strong enough story with all the twists and turns of the Hero’s Journey? Your story falls flat and ends up trying too damn hard. You become yet another person sharing their “I quit my job” story, which is so so SO tired.

Is Your Audience Going to Stick it Out?

The reason the Hero’s Journey works and is the go-to is because it captures our attention and pulls us along for the ride. Plus, it’s the type of story we’re all conditioned to expect, thanks to novels and Hollywood.

The Hero’s Journey has 12 distinct steps:

  1. Ordinary World: This is the hero in their everyday life, before the adventure starts.
  2. Call to Adventure: Something happens to our hero and the adventure starts.
  3. Refusal of the Call: The hero tries to refuse the adventure out of fear.
  4. Meeting with the Mentor: The hero meets a mentor, who gives them  guidance and prepares them for the journey ahead.
  5. Crossing the First Threshold: The hero sets out for the adventure and crosses the threshold.
  6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: The hero is faced with the rules of the new world and during the process their strength is tested and they meet friends and foes.
  7. Approach: The hero has a setback and tries a new approach or idea.
  8. Ordeal: The hero is challenged with a massive obstacle, potentially a life/death situation.
  9. Reward: After surviving the ordeal, the hero meets their goal.
  10. The Road Back: The hero sets out on the road back to their regular life.
  11. Resurrection Hero: The hero faces the final test before returning to their everyday life.
  12. Return with Elixir: The hero returns to the ordinary world and brings back the “elixir” to help everyone else.

When it comes to your storytelling, do you think your audience has the time or inclination to sit through the equivalent of The Star Wars Trilogy to build the know-like-trust factor?

Unless you’ve got the charisma of a cult leader or Yoda is your business coach, it’s not likely to happen. People are busy and you’re just one more voice clamouring for their attention.

[Tweet “Are you Luke Skywalker? No? Then stop turning your story into an epic trilogy, says @magspatterson”]

Deconstructing the Hero’s Journey for Business Storytelling

One of the big problems outside of the epic nature of The Hero’s Journey for business storytelling is that, in many ways, these types of stories are not relatable.

We see several themes played out again and again as people tell these stories, a few of which you may recognize: the rags to riches story, the overnight success story, and the “I quit my job and you should, too” story.

Are these inspirational? Totally.

But if this story is the only one you’re telling, you’re missing the mark because you’re making it all about you. You’re not answering “what’s in it for me” for your audience.

There are so many ways to tell stories in your business, but if you’re going to use the Hero’s Journey, deconstruct it so you’re not telling an epic story, but a much more bite-sized one.

Every one of the 12 steps of The Hero’s Journey could give you the jumping off point for stories to share in your business.

Here’s a few prompts to get you going:

  • Ordinary World: What was your life like before you started your business?
  • Call to Adventure: Why did you start a business? What was the turning point?
  • Meeting with the Mentor: Who inspired you? What mentors did you have?
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies: What roadblocks have you faced? What roadblocks do you help your customers overcome?
  • Return with Elixir: What have you learned? How does that help your clients? Why do you get them?

Take these within the context of the bigger story of your business and how you help your clients, how you serve your community, how you are using what you know to make a difference, and why that matters.

Most of all, just start sharing stories. Storytelling is an art, so you never know what will be the thing that grabs your audience’s attention.

If you want more prompts for storytelling, check out The Storytelling Shortcut, a fun and fast guide to help you find story ideas you can use starting now in your business.

[Tweet “Try bite-sized stories instead of the Hero’s Journey for your biz storytelling. New post from @magspatterson”]

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business storytelling content marketing strategy

Three Strategies for Storytelling Online

blog 1.8

Last week I went to the Canadian War Museum with my son and husband, and being the storyteller that I am, I walked away humbled and with a lot to think about, especially when it comes to storytelling online.

Like so many of us, I’m fortunate that my connection to the concept of war is really only from studying history (yes, I’m a total history nerd) and with a grandfather who was in the Canadian Air Force in World War II. Over the holidays, I was given my grandfather’s dress uniform medals and that led to my son wanting to learn more.

Let me tell you, storytelling was the last thing on my mind on our family field trip, but from the second we walked into the museum I was rapt. The main area before you enter the exhibits sets it up as an experience where this is your story and this is your legacy. I literally had chills as I knew that I wasn’t just going to learn about history, but the stories and how it ties to my life today.

As a brand, when it comes to your storytelling, you should think of yourself as a curator, handpicking the best, most interesting and compelling stories for your audience.  Sure, you want to look at what you want them to learn, but also you want to consider things like what you want them to feel, how you can surprise and delight them and so much more. With that in mind, here’s three strategies from my museum visit for storytelling online:

Strategy #1: Context is EVERYTHING

When it comes to stories, context is king and queen, and possibly the earl and dutchess too. For your storytelling to be effective, especially online where it’s often done without the benefit of human interaction, you need to find ways to bring it to life.

If you were sitting with someone telling the story, they would get the benefit of so many things that aren’t happening with just the written word. They aren’t getting the benefit of your excited hand gestures, eye rolling for emphasis or the fact that you have a raging case of nerves featuring a leg that won’t stop bouncing.

So, how do you add context? I personally love a good backstory to frame things up or some real-time color commentary to amp up the interest level. Or maybe a customer quote or example. At the museum, throughout the exhibits, they included quotes from leading public figures and people who were there, on the ground as things were happening. Seeing the layout of a muddy WW I battle and some rifles is one thing, but reading a first hand account of how people were drowning in mud is what puts the heart and soul in the story making it impactful, and memorable.

Strategy #2: Be Unexpected

Stories are a pattern which we are trained to recognize from a very young age. When we hear a story we perk up and pay attention, because it’s so much more interesting than facts.

With stories, multiple parts of our brains are engaged, but over time as we hear the same types of stories over and over and over again (example: epic why I quit my job stories) we experience what I like to call “story immunity”. Think of this like when a book is really starting to piss you off with the flowery language and you start to skip ahead, or when you’re watching a mystery movie and you already figured out who did it. So you start to slowly disengage and suddenly the story simply isn’t as effective.

That’s why while stories are a pattern, sometimes you need to throw in a little curveball to surprise and delight people. To wake them back up and have them think, “whoa, didn’t see that coming”. Because as a lover of the mystery and crime genre, I can tell you this, there’s a reason we remember the things that totally throw us off. (Hello, did you read or see Gone Girl? Perfect example!)

[Tweet “Use the Gone Girl effect for better storytelling with @magspatterson”]

The goal with being unexpected shouldn’t be to create massive friction for your audience with everything you do but more to keep them engaged. Throughout the war museum, they had these little “did you know” signs that I absolutely adored. Each one included a fact that was definitely unexpected. Like I had no idea that Sir Ian Fleming did training with Canadian spies so he had material for his books.  See how that works? It’s interesting, memorable and definitely not typical.

Strategy #3: You Get to Choose

As you’re leaving the exhibit area they have a sign that says how we get to choose our future and how we proceed. Incredibly powerful, as I think so many times we all feel like we’re just a small part of the bigger puzzle.

As an entrepreneur, choice is what drives so many of us. Which is why so many times it boggles my mind that we choose to play it safe, to play small or to get stuck in a major case of the shoulds. When it comes to the stories you share in your business it is your choice – there’s no hard and fast rules about what you should be doing.

In the past I was told I should share more personal stuff on social media. And you know what? I considered it for a minute and then decided I was good with what I was doing because sharing more stories in that way is just not me. But it may be you, and that’s totally fine – the point is we all have a choice of how much, when and what we share with our storytelling online.

You choose this adventure, including your stories, so use your power for good to help you build your legacy the way you want. No consultant, coach or guru expert type should override what you know in your gut to be true. Sure, they can guide you and give you the tools, but if you’re talking about your messy divorce when that gives you the willies because you’re being told to be more human online, stop. (As I’ve said before, you don’t need to be more human, you already are human.)

[Tweet “What the Canadian War Museum taught me about storytelling by @magspatterson”]

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Over three months we’ll cover storytelling, content strategy + content creation and then guest posting/securing interviews. You’ll go from where you are today to having a plan and actually implementing things without losing your mind.

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business storytelling

The Fine Line Between Vulnerable and Victim

blog 12.4

One of the most refreshing things about being an entrepreneur is the freedom to be imperfectly human.

Let me explain. Being in communications, especially in a corporate environment, there’s not a lot of room for error. It’s all about the details…and with good reason:

The public company’s press release on quarterly earnings with a 3 where there should be an 8 in a string of numbers can cause a major issue with shareholders.

A typo in the name of one of the executives in a media guide for an event (with 50 reporters attending) means the next day that person’s name is published in 49 places with the wrong spelling.

Or when someone’s business card proof isn’t checked…suddenly the Director of Public Relations…is the Director of Pubic Relations and they only find out after handing out cards at a major industry event.

Details matter. And being human isn’t entirely possible when you’re striving for as close to perfection as possible. Which is why when I showed up in this fun loving new world of entrepreneurship, all the being vulnerable and authentic seemed refreshing as suddenly I didn’t need to have a heart attack over a typo.

Until I noticed a pattern. Where storytelling goes so, so wrong and takes a sharp turn into “holy shit, are you kidding me territory.” There’s storytelling…and then there’s some stories that shouldn’t be told in your business.

Before I go any further, this is not to deny or belittle anyone’s sad stories. We’ve all got them, some of us more than others, but just because you have a story doesn’t mean it’s one that should be shared. There’s no entrepreneurial rule that says you need to dish all the dirt on your past (or present) to be likeable and human. How much you share, how deep you go, is up to you.

But before you share anything else personal, give some thought to what exactly you’re doing because it’s a fine line between vulnerable and victim.

Continue reading “The Fine Line Between Vulnerable and Victim”
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business storytelling content marketing strategy social proof The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #44 – Turning Your Clients Into the Hero

episode 44 image

Diving into the world of storytelling today and talking about how to get out of the “Hero’s Journey” and focus on turning your clients into the hero instead. If we’re always talking about ourselves, we’re missing the point – and customer stories help engage our audience in a totally different way. And it’s a solo show, just me and you!

Items Discussed in this Episode:

  • Maggie’s history of ‘voice of the customer’ campaigns
  • Why we should be using customer stories instead of just quotes
  • Maggie explains why storytelling actually works
  • Why making your client the hero instead of yourself is so much more impactful
  • The different kinds of proof and when to use each one
  • How and why to ‘step up’ from just using testimonials

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

  1. Are you always talking about yourself? Then stop it! Let your customer’s be the hero. Look at how you’re sharing your clients’ successes and how you can step it up.
  2. What’s one type of proof you can add into the mix to let your customers shine?
  3. Learn more about how customer stories can impact your business with The Client Brewery.

 

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The Client Brewery is now open for registration – and Marketing Moxie listeners can $50 until 11/15. If you register after that, I’m extending the $50 off to you – just use the code MOXIE at checkout. Learn all the details and join us at the brew table – The Client Brewery.

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Links for this Episode:

HelpScout

Hubspot

The Client Brewery

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

 

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business storytelling

Where’s the Voice of the Customer?

blog 11.20

Everyone loves a good story. As children our brains are trained to recognize stories as a pattern and it goes from there. We learn how to read, how to write, we start watching movies…and it’s all about the story.

The bulk of communication we do on a day-to-day basis is rooted in stories. If you stop and really observe, it’s pretty much all stories, all the time. And with good reason, stories are a vehicle for breaking down concepts and sharing ideas. Because, wouldn’t it be really annoying if we just cited facts and figures to each other instead?

With so much storytelling around us, that’s why I find it surprising that entrepreneurs rely so heavily on one type of story. There’s so many types of stories we could (and should) be sharing, yet the Hero’s Journey is left to do most of the heavy lifting by many entrepreneurs.

The Hero’s Journey is a storytelling style that we’ve all been taught thanks to Star Wars and other epic stories.  The term Hero’s Journey was coined by Joseph Campbell who broke down 17 parts of the journey. But I’ll give you the short version – hero lives in ordinary world, hero is called to adventure, hero refuses the call, hero meets with mentor (ahem, Yoda), hero decides to heed the call and leaves to pursue it, hero undergoes tests, allies and enemies, hero goes through ordeal, hero survives and is ready to see their journey through, they are then severely tested (think final showdown with Darth Vader) and they come home. The end.

While there’s nothing wrong per se with the Hero’s Journey, it assumes certain things, starting with the fact that your audience is engaged enough to hear your epic tale of how you ended up where you are today.

Continue reading “Where’s the Voice of the Customer?”
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business storytelling

3 Strategies for Owning Your Story as a Boss Lady

blog 11.13

Today’s post comes to you as part of the Bosslady Blog Tour – yesterday we had an awesome post from ​Lisa Consiglio Ryan, which you can check out here.

The BossLady Blog Tour features 12 entrepreneurs over 12 days sharing how to channel your inner boss lady. It’s the kickoff to The Bead Effect, which is a kick ass product that I personally adore.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as a boss lady, don’t let that idea scare you. If you run or own a business, you are a boss lady. I know that feeling all too well. Because for nearly 8 years, I would have never said I was a boss lady. I was a freelancer, a contractor, a hustler….but definitely not a boss or a lady. (Now…I’m a boss…lady maybe debatable.)

Like me, you may not feel comfortable with the idea of being the boss, and you may feel pretty freakin’ far from being a lady. Which is where the power of story comes in. The story we tell ourselves, and the story we tell the world about our business. Without the right story, we hold ourselves back and play small. We’re “good enough” when we could be SO much better than just good.

Until we own our story of being a BossLady, our business will suffer.

Continue reading “3 Strategies for Owning Your Story as a Boss Lady”
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business storytelling

When Straight Talk is Straight Up Unprofessional

straighttalk.jpgHave you ever got an email that didn’t sit quite right with you? Or read an social media update that seemed a little over the top?

Of course you have, we’ve all been there.

The awkward moment where things seem off. You feel a little creepy crawly on the inside as you think “what the what is that all about?”

For me, a common culprit of this feeling is rudeness dressed up as straight talk, especially online. It makes me all kinds of squirrelly when it happens.

Before you think I’m some sort of lightweight and need to harden up, I’m a huge proponent of being straightforward and honest.

Just ask my friends, they will tell you. None of them will ever ask me for the truth if they don’t really want to hear it because I WILL give it to you straight. I’ve actually lost friends over the years because of my inability to sugar coat things.

Straight Talk As a Cover for Being Rude

That’s in my personal life. In my professional life, I take a lot of care in what I say and when I say it. Years of working as a consultant and being paid for my opinion has taught me how to filter and prioritize my thoughts.

I still don’t pull any punches, but I think before I speak. I choose my moment. And I run everything through a filter to figure out the best way to present the information.

This is not meant to brag in any way shape or form. It’s to set the stage for what I’m about to say next.

I think that straight talk without context is just a cover for being plain old rude. Especially when we are operating without the benefit of body language, eye contact or tone of voice.

[Tweet “When straight talk is straight up unprofessional. New blog post from @magspatterson http://bit.ly/PlO6z9”]

Saying you are “just being honest” is an excuse for being too damn lazy to think about how to package the information properly. It signals to the world that you are so self-centred that you can’t be bothered to give a crap about other people’s feelings.

Why Having a Larger Than Life Personality Doesn’t Get You a Pass

That extra moment of thought is what separates the amateurs from the pros. Even if you have a big old personality and even more vigorous opinions, you still don’t get a pass. (At least not from me.)

Straight talk and honesty should never be an excuse (or your shtick) because it’s doing zip to elevate your brand. While I am willing to admit it works for a select few, but I think they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Carefully calculating the most impactful way to communicate with your audience (or to your client) will fully dictate how it is received. Maybe it is a sandwich with a heaping scoop of negative between the slices of bread or a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down.

Occasionally, you may even need to deliver the unbridled truth to get it through their skull, but only once you’ve taken the time and care to weigh out all of your options.  Then you add some context so your straight talk is way more constructive and designed to help, not hurt.

When you are stripped bare and words are all you’ve got, you simply can’t get away with being clever or subtle the same way you can when you can see the smile playing on the person’s lips or hear the teasing tone in their voice.

Don’t let your straight talk be an excuse. For the love of pete, please don’t rely on emoticons to do the job where your words should, because a smiley face doesn’t give you a pass for being a self-centred, thoughtless jerk.

[Tweet “Just “being honest” is often code for being too lazy to bother. @magspatterson explains. http://bit.ly/PlO6z9 “]

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business storytelling

Show Don’t Tell. Why Saying You Are SO Authentic Isn’t Cutting It.

March 27th Blog Post-001.jpgLast year, when I really set out on my voyage as an online entrepreneur I was so taken in by how real, just how authentic everyone is.

After years of working in corporate, it was refreshing to have so much personality included in the brands I was following. Hell, it was enchanting. I was completely bewitched.

I even wrote about how I felt liberated and how excited I was to be able to share my own authentic voice in a blog post.  Fast forward less than a year later and….and let’s just say the novelty has worn off.

Now I feel like I’m walking into a fraternity keg party only for the “ladies drink free” element. The music is too loud. The boys a just a little too forward. I want to chug my free draft as fast as humanly possible and get out of there.

In the online world, the word authentic is so overused, that I have the kind of hangover only draught beer at a frat kegger can give you.

Let me explain.

I seriously heart people who are real, honest and open. I pride myself on being direct and straightforward. So my issue is not with the idea of being authentic, but rather from people constantly proclaiming how authentic they are.

The more you tell me you’re authentic, the less apt I’m going to be to believe you. In fact, I’m going to roll my eyes.

[Tweet “Stop telling me you’re authentic. Show me instead. New blog post from @magspatterson.”]

Stop telling me you are authentic. Show me instead.

Anyone can say they are authentic. But more times than I can count, the cases where I’m being told you are authentic I see anything but. I see carefully worded, controlled and contrived messages. I feel a disconnect between you saying you’re authentic and your actions. My intuition is screaming at me that something is off.

Instead of brow beating us into submission to prove your authenticity, let people get to know you as a person and respect you as a professional. A real person. Not some cultivated, phoney baloney online persona who is just SO authentic. Please. Stop it. It screams “pay attention to me” and as the mom of a 9-year old, I don’t need that in my professional life too.

Instead of telling me how authentic you are, SHOW me. And not as a strategy. Not as a ploy to get attention. As part of what you really and truly do.

Maybe it’s your amazing ability to follow-up, how you write your blog posts with funny little anecdotes, that you give freely expecting nothing in return or your commitment to being someone who is a super connector.

Whatever it is, do it and do so damn well so that people can truly feel and experience your essence. You’ll never have to say you are authentic ever again because people will simply know you are the real deal.

Constantly proclaiming you are authentic is anything but. Challenge yourself to dig a bit deeper to find more and work on showing it instead.

[Tweet “Proclaiming you are authentic is anything but. @magspatterson riffs on what to do instead.”]

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business storytelling Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs

87 Things You Need to Stop Overthinking Right Now

87 Things Post .jpgBack when I worked with corporate clients, I had one client where the term “web speed” was the mantra.

It was our shorthand for the fact that we needed to keep things moving and not get stuck in the quagmire of endless cycles, needless revisions and general ridiculousness.

Now that I’m out here working on the web with online entrepreneurs, I’m realizing that web speed isn’t always as fast as you may think.

Here comes this week’s ugly bit. The reality is that when you are flying solo (or even with a small team), where we damn well should be hyper agile, we’re stuck in a chronic paralyzing pattern of overthinking things that don’t matter.

Should you become a cavalier loose canyon disregarding thought for everything, throwing caution to the wind like you’ve had one jug too many of Sangria on a hot summer day?

No. But It’s time to stop overthinking everything and get to work already. Read on for the non-official “overthinking it” list based on my non-scientific survey.

The Non-Official Overthinking It List

Following a 100% non-scientific survey in a couple groups I’m in, I’ve got a monstrous list of items that my fellow entrepreneurs from designers to coaches kindly revealed to me. (There are not 87 total, but there is a LOT!)

Scary stuff coming up here…read on if you dare.

It’s okay, I’ll go first.

One item I spend way too much time thinking about is list size. Given the stage of my business my list size is just fine, but all the list size comparing, bragging and boasting makes me think I should have more. It’s enough to make even someone confident start to feel well, inadequate.

I’ve heard the list size conversation compared to worrying about the size of, ahem, parts of the male anatomy.

It’s not the size of the list, but what you do with it, right?

Obsessed With Bullshit Numbers

Jumping off from my list size inadequacies, number obsession is a HUGE issue for a lot of people. From social media likes to list size to Google Analytics…if there’s a number people are all up in it.

Reviewing your web site traffic numbers at 2 a.m. is neither healthy or sane. Wigging out about every single unsubscribe from your list….I’ll stop flogging you to make my point.

Stop the Insanity! (Imagine I said that in my best 90s infomercial Susan Powter voice.)

Measuring all of these things is a necessary part of growing and managing your business and it gives you a tangible way to record progress, but it’s a fine line.

Strategy to Stop Overthinking It: Set a schedule for checking these numbers weekly or monthly so you can see progress but not fall into a trap of fixating on quantity.

Numbers won’t keep you warm at night. You know what will? Quality. Creating real engagement with your clients where you are fulfilling your vision and goals.

Torturing Yourself Over Details

One of my mantras for this year is progress is better than perfection.

Details totally matter, but at a certain point, you’re getting into the murky water of minutiae that no one but you gives a toss about.

A few of the ones I heard from my round-up were:

“Formatting blog posts and spending time on deciding if I should use H2 or H3. This issues holds me back from hiring a VA because I’m not convinced they will get it right.”

“I know there’s a better time of day to send out posts on social media but I get so stuck on the when, I don’t actually get around to doing it.”

“I hand code my Infusionsoft emails so they are perfect.”

I know and love each one of the people who shared their torrid tales of perfection. Believe me, they all know that their actions are not entirely rational.

The sad part of our perfectionist ways is that no one is going to notice and while we pain over the details, we could be selling another package or getting more sleep.

Admitting it is the first step, so I think it’s up to all of us to be more aware of these things and reframe it. Limit your time, or better yet, just stop before you start.

Strategy to Stop Overthinking It: This week instead of making a to-do list, make a stop doing list so you can make better use of your time.

[Tweet “End your overthinkery. Make a stop doing list. New blog post from @magspatterson http://bit.ly/PsQDs8”]

Copy & Content Roadblocks

This is one I can personally attest to as a copywriter and content strategist. So many of my clients come to me with this exact problem.

Overthinkery abounds when it comes to content. Some jackpot examples to prove my point were shared:

“I wish people knew that things like your title or your program name don’t matter as much as they think they do.”

“Every time I sit down to write I start to worry. Is the style right? The grammar correct? Is my word choice strong enough. And that’s even though I know it will be edited after I’m done.”

Before we have a total moment here together, I am not going to dispute the fact that your messaging, your branding and your copy matter. For me to say anything else would be ludicrous given my line of work.

The real issue is when you let these things become barriers or excuses.

Beware the content roadblocks that keep you from moving ahead….the next thing you know you’re on the lazy river of content creation not getting a damn thing done. (Hey,I know, I love a lazy river, but those are for hot summer days with some SPF 30 and a pair of shades and not your content creation.)

Not getting your opt-in offer done because you’re stuck on a single word in the headline is not what a real pro does. Pick the word and get going on the next thing. That blog post you’re spending 5 hours writing….unless you are a writer by trade, save the draft and send it to your editor.

A task will expand to the amount of time you give it. (And I am not making that up, it’s called Parkinson’s Law.)

Strategy to Stop Overthinking: Creating FIRM dates for your content can help make a huge difference to getting things done. Better yet, set a specific time aside with a start/stop time for when you create content.

Step up and be the boss. Stop letting your tasks expand into all available time because you are overthinking it. If you need it, seek out accountability with a partner or mastermind so you actually get it done. (I’ve got a great beta program, details below to help with all things content too that can help with this whole issue.)

Are you ready to stop overthinking everything? Share your tale of what you are totally overthinking below and what you can do to break away from it!

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business storytelling

Three Unexpected Lessons from My Online Business

unexpected lessons about online business Since I started this blog three months ago, every single post has literally flown out of my fingers. Not a moment of hesitation as I shared my ideas, tips and PR secrets. Until now. Complete idea paralysis.

I was supposed to write about bios today, but I wasn’t feeling it. Then I decided I’d write about media pages and then Google Authorship. And finally, I decided to do about a million other things instead of writing this post. Folding the laundry was starting to look good. Not a good sign.

Like many of you I’m a master procrastinator when I feel resistance. And for some reason, I realized I was not going to write about bios this week, or anything specifically about PR.

After a day of decisions and planning, I decided I’d rather write this post about my business.

I’m eight years into my journey as an entrepreneur as a PR strategist and freelance writer. But when it comes to the online world, I’m a fresh new baby still figuring this thing out, so I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned so far. Consider it my 90-day recap.

1. Transparency is Where it is At
Up until now, transparency has meant being straightforward with my clients and that’s about it. Because, let’s face it, PR is about telling a story and more often than not you are going to stretch that story to the most believable claim. That’s PR speak for finding a story and being creative, but staying within the lines of what’s true.

Online entrepreneurship is like the wild west in so many ways. So many claims and sales pitches, it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s spin. It’s noisy and it’s tiring at times.

That’s where transparency comes in. I find that I personally respect those entrepreneurs with authentic transparency. That is, they are honest and share, but not to the point of ridiculousness or so much so that it just doesn’t feel real. Sharing insights and inspiration (and not the humble brag about the time you made 7-figures) is what resonates with me.

Click to Tweet – Why I don’t want to hear your humble brag and other lessons about online business from @magspatterson http://bit.ly/1amik8v

So, in the true spirit of business transparency, yesterday I decided to kill my Claim Your Fame workshop. It wasn’t the right time and I’m more than okay with that. Sometimes you need to cut your losses and I’m surprisingly good with it. (Insert cartwheel here if I could actually still do one.)

My mission is to focus on my one on one offerings and writing services through 2014 and see where this adventure takes me. And so far, so good. I love being able to get down and dirty in someone’s business, digging out their stories, nailing their PR strategy writing their about page or ghost writing their killer content. The point is to do more of what you love, right?

2. I’m Beyond Grateful for My Clients, Corporate and Otherwise
Shifting from corporate, service-based consulting services to a fully online business is going to take a long time. Hello, elephant in the room.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ve realized that I’m deliriously happy that I can take my time and figure this out as I go, and not be worried about my bottom line.

For someone who’s a full speed ahead, let’s make this shit happen kind of girl, that’s a biggie. Major. Possibly earth shattering.

Doing things slowly isn’t really how I roll. Eight years ago I quit my job, without a client in sight, so I sort of had it in my head that I could pull that off again.

Three months in I realize that idea is going to be a recipe for disaster. Could I do it? Totally.

I know that I don’t really want to. Maybe my hustle is approaching middle age and I’m willing to try a different way. I want to have the cash to bootstrap this baby so I can grow it the way it was meant to be. I truly enjoy the work I do every day for my corporate clients and there’s no reason I can’t do that and work with entrepreneurs too.  I know, totally obvious, but I was in all or nothing mode.  Bad business decision adverted.

Good news for my corporate clients, you are safe for a good long time, I’m not going anywhere. Your guest posting programs, blog posts and whitepapers are still going to get all the TLC in the world from yours truly.

3. Crazy Good Relationships
As an adult, especially when you work from home, your opportunities to meet people, especially ones you have things in common with are limited. I have no coworkers to bond with and leaving my house requires putting on real pants. (Only partially joking.)

It’s not like I’m hurting for friends. I’ve got a circle of friends that truly get me like no other. They’ve seen the good, bad and seriously ugly cry. If I was going to give them a them a hashtag it would be #knowswherethebodiesareburied or #friendswhoholdbackyourhair.

To have the opportunity to meet even more smart, strong women that share my passion for the Internet, books and so many other things has been incredible. This has been probably the biggest surprise of all about doing business online, the crazy good relationships I’m forming with women that are beyond awesome. (I know that’s a lot of effusive language, but I promise you, it’s all true.)

Words truly escape me trying to sum this up. And that’s saying something. Because, I’ve got words, words and more words at all times.

There’s always someone willing to help, to answer a question or to pick you up. Amazing. And something I now realize that I’ve been sorely lacking in my business. I may be in business for myself, but I am definitely not alone. I’d list you all, but it’s a long list , so I’m sending a special shout out to the Fresh Crew, and Thrive Hive.

Tweet This – 3 Unexpected Lessons @magspatterson has learned from her online biz. http://bit.ly/1amik8v

Got a lesson learned from your online business? Comment below.