Brady Helps

All natural things end.Because everything in our world eventually ends, we should beware of things that appear too unnatural -- too good to be true."Do this one thing like me and you can get 5000 leads per month.""Your contract doesn't allow you to book gigs independently of me for 2 years.""Our terms and conditions say you have to fill this form in triplicate in order to get a specialist on the line with you to talk about your desire to end your subscription..."I still remember that one customer, years ago, that launched expletives at a decibel level that dogs can’t even understand when they heard what sounded like that last bullet point.

How might band websites show us better ways to communicate with those we seek to serve?I analyzed the copy of 3 wedding band websites this week. I discovered that bands, like many of us, aren't writing for their readers."We play all of your favorite hits" -- all of them?"We work with only the best" -- my nephew is the best, do you work with him?"We love collaborating with brides" -- sure.Job seekers aren't much different."I lead cross-functional teams that drive revenue" -- so you collaborate well?"I employ listening and empathy to drive renewals" -- you're a human?"I hold teams accountable to key KPIs that drive leading results" -- ok.What if we started communicating in terms our readers understand?Some ideas for musicians:"We sound like the love child of a Harley and your Ford F-150,""Our music is for people who romanticize enjoying sunsets in Tuscany with their loved ones and a chianti served in rustic stemware.""We only play music that is guaranteed to piss off your parents and your parent-in-laws... obviously that's jazz."Ideas for the job seeker:"Firms that love me, love me because I make people problems go away.""I ask questions that cause customers to get out of their own way.""I discover where people find value, and I help them get it."This entry is at the unhealthy intersection of contrary, the proverbial rabbit's hole, practicality, and the absurd.

Inexperienced music enthusiasts revere artists that demonstrate speed and bravado -- as if there was an award for most notes played.Connoisseurs know that the best artists say more with less.How might we apply the wisdom of the connoisseur in all that we do?

In the past, I often associated Machiavelli with the phrase “the ends justify the means.” After re-reading “The Prince” I don’t get that message. Here’s how I imagine Machiavelli would re-write “The Prince” for you:What happens in life is neither good nor bad. History and those impacted by your behavior will judge you as good or bad. You must be willing to help or hurt others as situations require. Your ability to properly decide on a course of action is entirely tied to you seeing the world as it is not as you wish it to be.Your best defense against those who would hurt you are the allies and friends you cultivate. Create allies by helping people pursue their interests and create value. Life is going to lay traps for you — plan for them. People are going to hurt your friends and family — defend them.Winning isn’t winning if you had to burn down Rome to make it happen. Ultimately, people perceptions of your actions towards them will cause them to judge you good or bad. Carefully choose your actions. Willingly accept and live with the fate of whatever means you choose to reach your end. I don’t see a power hungry scorched earth manifesto there. Do you? I see a plea to take accountability, weigh the consequences of potential actions, and welcome the opportunities created by fate and fortune with open arms.

If you want information overload, Google or YouTube “ how to take book notes”. There are thousands of people on the Internet with the “one best” way. I have a simple method. I write out the name the book, the big ideas, and practical implementations. I tag my notes for easy recall. You and I don’t need more opinions about how to do life. We do what works best for us. We stick with it.

"Focus on what fascinates you, no matter how uncharacteristic. There is no purpose because there is no line connecting moments in time. There is no plot. You are not a story." — Derek Sivers, Read more.

I agree.

What I do now is based on my interpretation of the present. Now, I am writing my note to you and intend to write crisp sentences. Creating a clear and crisp note for you fascinates me, but it’s not my story.

The story of this blog is the story of all of its entries. Some entries are not clean nor crisp. There are entries that I wish I never wrote. There are entries that I am surprised you liked.

Instead of the blog, let’s think about you. The actions you are taking now - reading my note to you - is not your story. Your story is the interpretation of your history. The future is not written for you. And reading this note will not materially change what happens next.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

I love it. I highly recommend it. But…ChatGPT is only as good as the questions you ask it. If you are not skilled at creating beautiful questions or effective prompts, you will not receive the full benefit of ChatGPT. How am I using ChatGPT?Create a recommended reading/learning list for ecommerce marketing and metrics. Include free online courses from reputable sources.If I had a directory of text files that had notes that I kept, how could I use python to query that directory for specific key words?What motivates people to choose live music for their events? What sources exist online or through books that might help me answer these questions?What all can be learned about logical fallacies? How do I learn about the origins and histories of logical fallacies?ChatGPT then acts like a personal assistant saving me time and effort searching through ad-congested Google and Bing searches. We don’t have to be scared of AI tools like ChatGPT. In fact, our new economy will require us to become ultra-familiar with these tools.

There is so much information and knowledge available to you now. Why bother investing the money into an expensive school when free courses are available? Because for some people, the degree carries weight. Paper money is valuable because you and the people you exchange paper money with agree that it’s valuable. However, if I give you $5 USD bill and you don’t live in the US, you may not agree that the bill carries the same value. Perhaps a 5 EU note would be better? Degrees are the same.Degrees are valuable to those who believe the degree matters. Those people are aging out of the system. What is starting to matter is your portfolio - what you produced.I think I still support the route of learning all you can and producing work to show. I am much more impressed by the person who made something that uses multiple skills they taught themselves than the person who has a student-like framework about the world.

Jeffrey Beneker selected translated Plutarch’s essays on leadership in “How to be a Leader.” Plutarch was an OG historian, philosopher, and biographer. Like a Doris Kearns Goodwin of antiquity. I enjoyed Plutarch’s insights, but I don’t know that I would go out and buy this book new. Basically…If you want to get into politics/leadership, your character matters. Be of good character.Older people have much to offer society and should still be leading; however,Don’t expect old leaders to act like young brash whipper snappers.Plutarch offers lots of other insights that I found valuable — but today’s servant leadership literature leverages those insights at length. If you read this blog, you probably have already read something about servant leadership.I am fascinated by today’s literature on topics like leadership. If Plutarch’s accounts of failed and successful leadership mirror the wins and losses of today’s leaders. What have we learned in 1500+ years? And, that questions begs another, why haven’t we learned our lesson?Perhaps it’s because our nature is oppositional to itself. We desire to control while desiring to be free. We are a paradox. We desire to exert influence our way in spite of our histories. In writing this post… perhaps I have changed my opinion slightly. I might still go out and buy this book, second hand though. Why? Because, when I’m reminded of how many lessons we’ve had the opportunity to learn, I become more driven to apply those lessons now. Why? Because I guarantee my competitors aren’t.

Life has a way of throwing curve balls at us when we least expect it. Better to plan now for Murphy’s Law and be ready, than being surprised when he shows up.So much about life is intersecting luck and preparation.