Anything that’s a barrier to getting your work in people’s hands is a problem.
I’m sorry, but if there are fans out there who can’t access your art because of copyright issues, corporate site blocking, password protection, greedy pricing models, platform compatibility, unclear registration forms, pointless rating systems, clumsy web addresses, laborious product registration, geographical restrictions, stupid security certificates, daily download quotas, bureaucratic sharing constraints, annoying error messages or outdated company policies, it’s time to rethink your distribution model.
I’m not saying you have to give everything you’ve ever created away for free, although I tried that recently and had a lot of success.
But as an artist, your goal is to get heard first, paid second. As an artist, your goal is to build as many bridges as possible between you and your audience. Without that great collision between your work and the outside world, you’re just winking in the dark. You’re the tree in the forest nobody hears.
Yes, many of the above barriers are out of our control. But that never stopped people like Henry Rollins, Radiohead, Louis CK, Aziz Ansari, Trent Reznor, Seth Godin and Kevin Smith from circumventing those barriers and taking their truth direct to market. Those guys never sat back and waited for some invisible jury to stamp their creative passport and tell them their work okay. They simply expressed themselves, shared it with the people who loved them and were compensated accordingly.
There’s no reason you can’t do the same.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… What is the bridge between art and audience?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.
Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?
Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s your social experiment?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “62 Types of Questions and Why They Work,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

I started online dating because I was tired.
Tired of being lonely, tired of being single, tired of not having someone to share my life and tired of sitting back, waiting for love to fall in my lap.
So I made I decision: I am going to find someone.
And on that fateful Saturday night, I paid a hundred bucks for six months, signed the waiver for the money-back guarantee, spent three hours perfecting my profile and committed to emailing five new people a day, every day, until I wasn’t lonely anymore.
Eight weeks later, I met the girl of my dreams, the love of my life and the proprietor of my heart. Best hundred bucks I ever spent.
What’s amazing is, millions of people around the world use online dating every day. And some find what they’re looking for, while other just find frustration. 

But my guess is, the only ones who truly win are the people who commit, with both feet, with every chamber of their heart, minus zero, for good, for real.
Not the ones who dabble. Not the ones who go halfway. Not the ones who take advantage of the trial period. Not the ones who only check their profile to see who winked at them.
The ones who play for keeps.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Where do you need to stop going halfway?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “20 Types of Value You Must Deliver,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

How boring is your company’s online training?

For dozens of free video learning modules on sales, frontline service, entrepreneurship and marketing, spend a few minutes or a few hours growing your brain and growing your wallet.

Tune in to www.nametagTV.com!

It’s one thing to be generous, give gifts, make an impression and create a moment worth remembering.
But if you’re hoping to run up the score just to guilt people into working with you, if you’re trying to make something happen in the first minute of the conversation, you don’t have someone’s best interests in mind. Creating a sense of indebtedness and social pressure to reciprocate doesn’t work anymore.
Instead of trying to make a sale, earn the right to a relationship.
Begin with some light stalking. Spend twenty minutes online looking for that one kernel, that one detail, that triggers a whole character, even a whole world, for your prospect. Something there’s no possible way you could have known. Then, when you show up at their office, hold something in your hand that speaks to that.
Help people think differently. Bring them new ideas. Create and capitalize on the content others neglect. Find value in the discarded, see things nobody else can see, then paint a picture that changes everything. Then, when you sit down with people, the ideas you share will equip them to spot a new story with their own eyes.
Actually start with the customer. Make tangible efforts to be relevant within their lifestyle. Help people with what they’re already doing instead of artificially squeezing yourself into their overcrowded lives. Then, when you call them on the phone, you’ll prove that you care enough to understand their world.
Be a stand for their greatness. Put their name up in lights. Give people a front row seat to their own brilliance. Instead of sending prospects an article of interest, write a blog post that turns their company into the article of interest itself, then dedicate to them. Then, when you send them an email, the subject line will edify their genius.
Focus on that, and the sale will make itself.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… Are you trying to make a sale or earn the right to a relationship?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “5 Creative Ways to Approach the Sale,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
Yes, I do more than just wear a nametag all day. My enterprise is actually quite robust. I add value to my clients in several cool ways.
Explore the myriad ways you, your people and your organization can leverage my talents.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your free prize inside?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “7 Ways to Out Leverage Your Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

After nine years of posting, thousands of hours of writing and over a million words in print, I’m joining Gapingvoid in a celebration about what I’ve learned from the wonderful world of blogging:
Blogging teaches you what freedom feels like. Hugh Macleod writes in his new book, “Own your own media and own your own platform, and you own your own career. Own your own career, and you own your own life.” And in my experience, the power to say whatever you want, anytime, without being edited, without the fear of corporate fingerprints – and to legally own everything you say – is about as free as it gets. God bless blogging and the freedom it provides.
Blogging teaches you to adopt an incrementalist mindset. It’s not about one key post that changes everything, it’s about performing day after day, helping a few people a little at a time, trusting that the accumulation of the work will bear fruit. And because most blogs are abandoned a few months after creation, maintaining continuity over the long haul separates you from the pack. The best way to beat the odds is through massive output.
Blogging teaches you to do justice to the things you notice. The day you start blogging, you start walking around like you’re holding puzzle pieces. You’re hyper sensitive to the world around you. And you approach every encounter as grist for the mill. This delicate sense, this posture of incurable curiosity, allows even the tiniest experiences to inspire you. And it keeps the queue filled with things to blog about forever.
Blogging teaches you to choose your currency wisely. Whether you value comments, page views, conversions rates, reader interaction, online awards, ad sales, new business, industry positioning, thought leadership or platform expansion, every blog is successful according to its own metrics. And as long as you regularly revisit what that currency is, nobody can judge how well your blog is doing but you.
Blogging teaches you that every blog post is a product. Every post its own piece of digital merchandise, with its own launch date, target market, social trajectory, leveragability and profitability. Some blow up, some just blow. Some make a killing, some just make a thud. But as long as you show up every day and post, you’re still in the game. But if you never click the publish button, you’re just winking in the dark.
Blogging taught me to give a daily gift to the world. They’re not just posts, they’re contributions to an ongoing body of work. They’re additions to my artistic legacy. With every day that goes by, that reservoir grows bigger. And like a forced savings account, when the time comes to make a withdrawal in the future, there will be enough of a surplus to tap into and convert into something highly profitable.
Special thanks to Hugh Macleod and Gapingvoid for restarting the conversations about blogging and turning our obsession into a movement that matters.

#Free­do­mIs­Blog­ging, indeed.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… What have you declined this week?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.
Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?
Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

Having an impact is a beautiful thing.
When the work you do inspires, influences, challenges, sparks, motivates and helps people in a palpable way, you experience existential validation, professional confirmation and personal gratification.
Unfortunately, you don’t always experience financial compensation.
And that’s the problem with impact – it doesn’t always convert to income.
Partly because of priority. Our society rewards mediocrity, worships incompleteness, celebrates stupidity, encourages negativity and retweets cynicism. Clearly, impact is not high enough on our value list.
Partly because of choice. Do gooders aren’t usually do wellers. It’s the curse of the idealist and the cross of the change maker. Apparently, impact is something the world expects for free, out of the kindness of our hearts.
Partly because of time. Impact always takes longer than we’d like to become evident, measurable and reimbursable. But that’s the reality of making change. It rarely adheres to our timetable.
But who am I to make a moral judgment on some sleazy internet marketing zilchbag who makes millions of dollars spamming total strangers with bunk offers based on disturbingly detailed personal information that they bought from some secret database?
The good news is, impact eventually leads to income. Doing work that matters eventually yields financial dividends. The hard part is trusting that process, believing that the world will reimburse our efforts accordingly.
Because sometimes, as an impact maker, waiting around for cash returns to show up can feel like banging your head against a brick wall.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What have you declined this week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

How boring is your company’s online training?

For dozens of free video learning modules on sales, frontline service, entrepreneurship and marketing, spend a few minutes or a few hours growing your brain and growing your wallet.

Tune in to www.nametagTV.com!

I recently met a computer programmer who does government contract work.
When I asked about the state of the industry, he complained that most of his competitors were frontloaders. Not being familiar with the term, I asked him to explain.
He said their entire business model is getting the business. And that’s it. Nobody said anything about actually delivering. Once they get what they want, they collect their commission, throw the rest of the carcass back in the water and move on to the next guppy.
Like the waitress who delivers your food, then disappears for twenty minutes. Like the salesman who writes your policy, then never calls back after it goes through. Like the direct selling rep who signs you up, then conveniently turns you over to his supervisor. Like the moving company who takes your credit card info, then never calls to let you know their arrival time. Like the insurance agent who wins your account, then gouges you by raising prices at subsequent renewals. Like the factory who bids extremely low, then cuts corners to recover a profit margin. And like the consultant who books your contract, then magically reminds you of her no refund under any circumstances policy.
Those are frontloaders. And while their actions aren’t illegal or unethical, they’re still unacceptable, disrespectful and classless. That’s not the way you treat people and that’s not the way you do business.
If you make the choice to serve, consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… Who have you forgotten about?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “13 Service Phrases That Payses,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart.” —-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters
Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

Sadness is an inherent part of the human condition.
It’s not depression, it’s not devastation, it’s not a chemical imbalance, it’s not a sign of weakness, it’s not the end of the world and it’s not going to last forever.
It’s just part of life.
My approach has always been to have a positive foundation in place for when the sadness hits. To maintain a diverse portfolio of happiness, as it were, that builds emotional stability in any situation, helps manage risks I can’t control and weathers droughts through the many seasons of life.
First, with the asset of attitude. I assume a baseline posture of abundance. That way, bad situations aren’t as threatening. No one thing or one person can knock me off course. And if one area of life is lacking, that doesn’t mean my entire life is lacking.
Second, with the asset of awareness. I stay mindful of the entire horizon. That way, I never lose perspective on how unbelievably fortunate I am. Because relatively speaking, none of my problems are that dire. Most of the world would kill to for my context.
Third, with the asset of action. I hustle while I wait. That way, I juggle multiple threads of work simultaneously. Instead of standing by to be picked, I invest meaning in a wide range of creative projects. And I keep moving.
Fourth, with the asset of affiliation. I surround myself with like-minded, like-hearted and like-spirited people. They serve as mirrors to remind me how beautiful I am. And they remind me that roller coasters aren’t so bad if you have people to scream with.

That’s a snapshot of my diverse portfolio of happiness.

And thus far, the dividends have been worth it.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… Have you accepted life’s inevitable sadness?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “19 Ways to Build Buzz about Your New Website,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart.” —-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters
Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

In my work, I’ve always been the youngest person in the room.
Partly because I started right out of college, partly because of the nature of the industry, and partly because I’m just an old soul.
And for the longest time, I made the mistake of viewing my youth as a handicap. I assumed nobody would listen, or if they did, nobody would take me seriously. And as a result of that attitude, they didn’t. By making it an issue, I gave them permission to make it an issue.
But as it turns out, being young is a tremendous advantage.
We bring enthusiasm to kindle the energy of those around us. We bring perspective to broaden the thinking of those around us. We bring courage to inspire the confidence of those around us. We bring digital nativity to democratize the technology of those around us. We bring social networks to expand the connections between those around us. And we bring creativity to spark the playfulness of those around us.
What we lack in certainty we make up in curiosity, by asking the most disturbing questions around. What we lack in velocity we make up in flexibility, by being the most patient one around. What we lack in knowledge we make up in savvyness, by being the most digitally proficient one around. And what we lack in history we make up in courage, by taking the most risks around.
This simple shift in posture is the smartest, easier and cheapest way to show the world you’re here to contribute, age notwithstanding.
Just because you’re young, doesn’t mean you’re useless.
Focus on that, and people will stop asking how old you are.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Is it the years or the mileage?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “50 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!