Mar
12
What Is YOUR Role?
Yes, I am in Austin at SXSW (South by South West Interactive, the conference for cool kids like myself). Out of respect for the 26,348 of you who are NOT at SXSW, I will try not to talk about it too much. I’ve been where you are and I know how lame it is to have every blog you read turn into a starfucking extravaganza about a conference you’re not at.
Moving on.
I read a lot of books.
This is easy, because they keep showing up free in my mailbox. The books I read tend towards the Thought Leader category — books like Linchpin and Trust Agents and A Whole New Mind.
These are good books. Great ones. I couldn’t do what I do without them. Some books I probably couldn’t live without.
But as I read books like these, and occasionally their authors’ blogs, it is easy for me to think that the accepted thing to do with your big ideas is to write books and blogs about them. Put your shit in print. Tell as many people as you can. Change lots of lives. Rinse. Repeat.
This is not a bad idea, really. Seth Godin writes books that change people forever. People read them and go forth and change in a manner that can only be described as alchemy. Same with Daniel Quinn. Clay Shirky. Cory Doctorow.
But you’ll notice that these Thought Leader type books and blogs — the good ones, anyway — are actually about people who do not write books. They are about people in the thick of things. People who metaphorically get their hands dirty. People who literally get their hands dirty.
If you are called to write a book or a blog, by all means. Go forth — the world needs you, badly. But if you are called to do the stuff people write books about, that’s good, too. Maybe even better.
You do not have to write books. You do not even have to write a blog. It’s totally acceptable to simply get on with changing lives.
I like this, because this is what. I help companies make the change they want to happen, happen.
Well at least I try. It’s all very well knowing lots of cool stuff from some really great books and blogs, but unless the people want that change to happen ( and I mean really want it ) it’s not going to happen.
Right, I need to get my hands dirty…badly. LOL! I’m seeing SXSW everywhere, and the message is the same: go meet real people and do real work.
And do the things you really love doing, and comment because you love the discussion, not because you HAVE to. I’m enjoying the fun and the engagement and the learning, seriously (and finally).
Have fun at SXSW Naomi!
Love this. Might I add, that if you do write a book or a blog, it’s good to keep in mind that said book or blog doesn’t have to be about writing books and blogs. People get so caught up in the self-loving blogging community that they think they have to write their blogs about blogging, or about business, or the business of blogging – because their blogging heroes are writing about that.
I like reading about other stuff, too.
I agree, the entire blogging community is turning into a giant circle-jerk.
Yeah, that sometimes gets a bit ‘meta’ for me. All these books and blogs about “changing the world.” But who will actually do the work of changing things? We can’t just all sit around and write about it.
Thanks for the permission, Naomi!
(And have fun at SXSW…enjoy your caramels!)
Boy, you sure know how to take the wind out of my starfucking sails, Naomi ;-) We can still talk at SXSW, right? Assuming I can stop being totally lost.
More on topic: is there a reason why someone can’t be both a thought leader and a hands-dirty doer? It’s my belief that the best way to go about being a blogger or author or thought leader is to live your own advice before (or at least while) giving it.
This is why I heart you. Thank you. Some of us want to do stuff and not just talk about doing stuff.
Sending envious glances from here to Austin. Try not to feel guilty. ;)
As someone who has never once wanted her own Info Product Empire, I love you so much right now.
*Makes plans to make art.*
I love this. Thank you. :)
This is good, then, I feel I’m on to something.
I try hard to spot light cool people who are actually doing cool stuff, and their website is a sort of by product of what they do. I won’t drop any names (Rick Toone *cough*), but I just love that sort of thing, and I believe at least my readers appreciate it as well.
Naomi you just revealed the secret to fabulous writing and promotion!
“Put your shit in print.” I had no idea!
More on this later…I gotta go rinse…
Thanks for the reminder that sometime I need to get out and get my hands dirty. I fall into the trap of planning and getting ready instead of doing and changing on the fly.
I want to blend these two together, getting my hands dirty and then sharing that dirt with others in the hopes that they’ll join me. Mud pies, anyone?
I completely agree–it’s about both the theory/planning and the practice/putting things into action. Not always an easy balance but one to aspire to!
I SO second what Amy said above! My art involves textiles and then teaching people how to do them, more than paint, but what she said. :P
(Oh dear. Does that mean I have an “info product” after all?)
A Whole New Mind a great book? Jeez I thought it was a steaming pile of boring horse crap! Not that there’s horse crap that isn’t boring cuz it really only just sits there doing bugger all, but you get my gist.
I though Ken Robinsons back ‘The Element’ was about a frappagallizion times better.
I LOVE Seth, but I was also disappointed (first time ever) with Linchpin and didn’t think it clambered above so-so.
I’m a barrel of fun today aren’t I? It’s the bloody in-laws I tell ya.
Liked Trust Agents thought, that was cool.
Really, now a days most people are interested in advising, but only a few of them are ready to work on those advices themselves. I can understand what you mean by “getting hand dirty”, being a 22 yr old guy and trying to change self-defeating attitude of youths in India. When I left college last years to pursue my passion to help people live their best life, I felt what you written, everyday. There are lots of books in the store, lots of blogs on the net, but here in India(or in many countries) lot more people are there who either can’t afford the book/internet connection or may be can’t comprehend what is being told. So working with them hand in hand, making them understand in a way they can grasp easily is a real task, which is easier said than done. Thanks for this post, it gave me more self-respect. I wish more people take initiative to work more with people than with their Laptop keyboard.
A Whole New Mind: Got really excited to start with, after page 25 got really bored. It’s sitting on my desk as we speak Looking at me mournfully, only as unfinished books can.
Hands? Dirty?
Ew.
Typing? Good.
Linchpin is a book that is changing my world view at the moment. Inspiration comes from anywhere, including your blog Naomi, to go out and do the work. Thanks for the great post.
A whole new mind? Who’s the author? I believe that moving more and more to this online life, we lose the contact with the real, more thought-provoking world. And then I stumble upon your post.
Thanks!
I actually DID publish a book. Publishing a book doesn’t accomplish anything. You’ll find that those that make real money use their books as a platform for their consulting work. It’s practically impossible to make good money writing books unless you’re Gary V and someone gives you a million dollars to rant (and repeat “bust your ass” 97 different ways). But even he didn’t get that until he’d done something that had nothing to do with writing.
I study entrepreneurship. I have graduate degrees in it and all that kind of horse shit. I define it this way: “An entrepreneur is someone who identifies an opportunity in the market and acts on it.”
Lots of people can identify an opportunity, but that just makes them perceptive. And entrepreneur ACTS. They DO something about it.
DO something first. Then you’ll have something to write about if you really want to. We don’t need more people writing about opportunities; we need more people ACTing on them.
I really like the fresh perpective you did on the issue. Really was not expecting that when I started off studying. Your concepts were easy to understand that I wondered why I never looked at it before. Glad to know that there’s an individual out there that definitely understands what he’s discussing. Great job!
Я с Вами согласен. В этом что-то есть. Теперь стало всё ясно, благодарю за помощь в этом вопросе.