The Sad Shortcut Society and The Noise Content Creators

So if you’ve spent any amount of time online searching for helpful information you’ve probably run into this time and time again.  It’s a little phenomenon that I like to call the “Sad Shortcut Society.”  No one wants to work and everyone wants to show you how to do some secret revolutionary thing and make a profit. A modern day twist on the old Multi-Level Marketing strategy.  They want to shortcut the years and hard work that it takes to become proficient at a craft or trade.

You can’t help a company with advertising or marketing if you don’t understand their industry or how business really works.  If you haven’t spent years or even decades in leadership meetings going over cost analysis or operating income reviews or inventory flow through modeling or fine tuning procedures for managers and employees or discussing strategies to increase market share…then just zip it.  Show people a cool tip you’ve learned on FaceBook  or a setting on YouTube that people might not know about, but for God’s sake don’t tell people how you’re going to show them a way to make 40 grand a month from their living room starting their own advertising company. My advice to this upcoming generation, which I truly believe is incredibly skilled and talented…put in the time and effort and you’ll soar to heights beyond your shortcutting compadres.  Stand out among the lemmings that are just looking to make a quick buck today and who really cares about tomorrow.

Stop creating “Noise Content” that will get you nowhere. Stop daydreaming about waking up one day and becoming the next online incluencer showing off their gaudy Lamborghini.  There’s no short cut.  It’s a myth. Anyone can create an illusion with a green screen to try to “fool” people into thinking you’re something you’re not. Yes, I get the irony here but I’ve spent the past 20 years in the trenches working for and with companies building my expertise so you defensive smarty pants close minded haters can bite me.

Be honest with others and yourself, work hard, find mentors, work for a good company, learn every day.  Be prepared to fail many many times and be prepared to humbly forgive yourself, get up, and move forward.  Once you have the abilities, skills, and experience…once you’ve built a reputation and a legacy of outstanding work, then by all means go out and get it.  Start working with one company and exceed their expectations.  Give them results and reporting that prove your worth.  Give them more value than what they are paying you for.  Become their partner and focus on building a long term relationship instead of just a one and done model.  Quit spending hours watching YouTube gurus trying to short cut for a quick buck and take the time to develop yourself.  Learn what it takes to win the long game and how to create true value to your clients and to our world.