I'm back with one election link (OK, two), a fresh new book I edited, and Mary Oliver
Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes!
For many of you this is your first Katie Martell weekly. Welcome! Please lower your expectations.
For my loyal subscribers, this is the first of my newsletters in about 6 weeks. I've missed you. I took a short hiatus from real life. In that time, I've wified-up. (It's Mrs. Martell to you now, thank you) and traveled around Europe with the other Mrs. Martell (no, not my mom, the other one.)
Travel gives you perspective. It shows you how similar we all are (though I will say we could all benefit from a trip to Paris. My friend Jess thinks every company could learn a thing or two from the French.)
Travel reminds you what matters. (Sunsets. Coffee. Love. Bread.)
Not that anyone is paying me vacation time (#consultantlife), but did you know we annually forfeit $52B in vacation time here in the US? If you are in the financial situation to do so, go away somewhere. All your work will still be there when you get home, I promise.
Here are this week's interesting tidbits - I love hearing your feedback! Feel free to get in touch via email.
1. The one link I'll share about this election.
2. OK, the only other link I'll share about this election.
3. [Video] How to be a thought leader (a parody).
4. I edited a book!
5. 5 Rules of Marketing
6. ... It's like being a firefighter led by an arsonist.
7. Latest work.
Quote of the week: Mary Oliver
1. The one link I'll share about this election.
I believe family, business, and politics don't mix. As soon as we got back to the US, it was election night, the result of which has driven unexpected rifts and argument between many in my life.
As someone who works in media, I recommend this fascinating look at the echo chamber of Facebook feeds from the WSJ "Blue Feed, Red Feed." The same lesson could apply to which news channels, blogs, or papers you choose to read.
2. OK, the only other link I'll share about this election.
Guys, the top 20 fake news stories outperformed real news at the end of the 2016 campaign. Media literacy matters, and this is why.
A quick note: I have a wonderful new client in Vancouver who I visited just before the election. My two cab drives to/from the airport in Canada were better informed about the issues facing our election than many US citizens I heard.
3. [Video] How to be a thought leader (a parody).
"I am a thought leader. You know I am a thought leader because I'm wearing a blazer, I have glasses, and I've just done this with my hands." Oh this is so good. Please watch.
4. I edited a book!
Yes, a real book, with pages and words (66,957 to be exact) and filled with actionable advice for marketers. I even have a guest chapter on creating buzz. Unleash Possible is authored by my friend Samantha Stone, and was a project we collaborated on over the course of the past year. Read more about what's inside, and go get your copy!
5. Five Rules of Marketing that Will Help You Find the Right Niche and Thrive
This author is right when he says "it’s almost as if, in this era of Internet specialization, marketing has become a series of systems rather than a single conceptual framework." This Entrepreneur piece is a great reminder of the basics, especially "Competing at everything often means winning at nothing."
6. The secret life of a startup employee: it’s like being a firefighter led by an arsonist
The title really says it all. While this certainly isn't true for every company, it's more common than not.
7. Latest work
I've got lots of work floating around in the wild. Highlights include the biggest myths about marketing asset management, how to lead digital transformation in your company, and a series about what real marketers have in their marketing technology SkillStacks.
Quote of the week
This poem was hanging on the wall of one of my client's offices. Every time I read it throughout my life, it seems to come at just the right moment. I hope it has the same effect on you.
Sunday
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
- Mary Oliver
Best,
Katie