Friends of Dave #27: Whoa, We're Halfway There
Time flies when you are having fun. Reflecting on a half year of producing this newsletter.
I'll try to keep the opener quick this week -- we all have barbecues to fire up, summer time beverages to consume, friends to see and fireworks to watch.
Hard to believe I have been doing this newsletter for basically half of 2017 at this point. While it ain't always easy to carve out the time to do it, I honestly have been having a blast every step of the way. And I hope you have been enjoying it too.
If you like to write, read and/or network, I strongly recommend that you too consider putting together your own newsletter at some point. Not only is it a great personal branding exercise, it is a phenomenal way to regularly reconnect with people without being overt about it. I can't tell you how many of you I have spoken to over the past few months where an article I have curated or an intro I have written is the ice breaker to our conversation (without me bringing it up). And, honestly, I have to say that I do curate and often share articles with certain subscribers in mind. So if you are seeing something you personally find interesting, there is an excellent chance it was included for your benefit.
Some valuable lessons I have learned over the past 26 weeks of putting together "Friends of Dave":
-- Expect it to take about 1-2 hours total throughout the week to read and select the most interesting stories.
-- Expect it to take about 1-3 hours to write a detailed intro to the newsletter. You should view it essentially as committing to writing a weekly blog post.
-- Come up with your own style and format to the newsletter. It could be informal, it could be personal, or it could be none of the above. People generally respond to authenticity, so no matter what, I highly recommend producing something that people who know you would say is in your voice and reflects your interests and expertise.
-- Start small in scale and expectations. Don't worry about how many readers open it or click on stories. Just produce something that you like, experiment and tweak it along the way. Add subscribers after you have "beta tested" for a while so you make sure you have done some trial and error first.
-- Be consistent, add value, and stay on your schedule. Sure we all get busy, but you will definitely lose your audience if your email goes out sporadically. Also make sure that the articles you select will be interesting, valuable, provocative or entertaining to your audience.
-- Schedule it to go out on the weekend. People get busy during the week, but have a lot more free time (and get a lot less incoming email) on Saturday and Sunday. And if they don't get to it then, they always have their Monday AM commute to catch up.
-- Finally, and most importantly, have fun with it. If it is a chore, or becomes stressful or time consuming, stop doing it. Your readers will be able to tell well in advance.
If you want to get started yourself and have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Happy to share more details about making email newsletters work for you whether it be for personal networking or professional marketing.
I hope you like the articles I have selected this week. I included a couple long ones for you to check out while you lay in a hammock or by the beach, but all of them are really good and share some common themes throughout.
Have a great weekend and enjoy a happy and safe July 4th. 'Murica.
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
Why Our Attentions Spans Are Shot (long read) — nautil.us
There are two approaches by which we can diminish the negative impact of interference on our lives: changing our brains and changing our behavior. Note that these approaches are not mutually exclusive; they are complementary, and you will likely achieve the most beneficial outcomes if you pursue them concurrently.
While a bit long, this is a fascinating look not only at how we have allowed technology to make us less efficient, but also how it has changed how we process information. Worth the time.
In the AI Age, “Being Smart” Will Mean Something Completely Different — hbr.org
It’ll be all about emotional intelligence and embracing humility.
Amazon buying Whole Foods isn’t about your groceries — www.wired.co.uk
Retail futurist Doug Stephens explains why Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods is about more than healthy foods. Here comes that 4 letter word again that starts with "d" and ends in "ata".....
For Your Day Job...
Why Salespeople Win or Lose a Sale — hbr.org
Decisions aren’t always rational. Turns out, being a friendly salesperson who understands their product may gain you some modest success, but depending on your industry, those that study their product and fit even further and work on their charisma to increase their effectiveness are the most successful.
Using Data to Produce Great Marketing Content — moz.com
The people at Moz are pretty smart folks. In this blog post (and most of their blog posts are pretty insightful for both marketers and entrepreneurs), one of their scientists talk about how great marketing content can make an impact if you expose, relate, surprise, and share.
The building blocks of a data-driven culture — techcrunch.com
To be data-driven requires an overarching data culture that couples a number of elements, including high-quality data, broad access and data literacy and decision making.
Football’s Next Frontier: The Battle Over Big Data (long read) — mmqb.si.com
What is playing out right now in pro sports may well foreshadow the future for the rest of us. “What we’re doing in terms of the wearable space and empowering these players as patients, as people, as employees, will translate into other industries,” Sansiveri says.
What we are seeing now is that the most cutting edge IoT and wearable technologies are not only going to the military or government for use, but now, due to the amount of money being spent and generated, also professional sports.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
Scientists Have Managed To Erase Memories In A Snail's Brain — www.iflscience.com
Big whoop. Call me when they have the ability to erase "Call Me Maybe" from my brain (and now yours if you clicked it).
The peak age for beauty, wealth, and more — www.businessinsider.com
Interesting tidbit not included here: The peak age it is acceptable to take a duck face selfie? Not yours.
And The Last Word....
The Power of a Monthly Poker Game
Whether it is poker, a regular tennis match or even book club, there is something about gathering with close friends and mild acquaintances on a scheduled basis to share in an activity that invigorates us and helps us feel like we belong.