What do Snails, The Grateful Dead & Cassette Tapes all have in common?

This Week’s Highlights:

Core Article: What do Snails, The Grateful Dead & Cassette Tapes all have in common?

Cool Stuff: Time Travel Enthusiasts – this is kind of cool

AI Info & Resources: I might be giving this a whirl on this eNewsletter…hmm

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What do Snails, The Grateful Dead & Cassette Tapes all have in common?

Do you have a morning routine?

After journaling, coffee, and meditation, my highlight is walking the dog.

There’s just something about being outside early in the morning in the spring when it’s still cool and crisp, and everyone else is sleeping…

As Emma and I were doing our spin around the neighborhood, we came across a few snails.

Snails are truly fascinating creatures up close. Emma was certainly captivated, endlessly sniffing the poor creature. I even captured a photo of Ms. Snail as she tilted her head, seemingly staring back at me…

Snails often get a bad rap, don’t they? You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘going at a snail’s pace,’ typically used to criticize something or someone for moving too slowly, perhaps not meeting the conventional standards of speed in business or creative pursuits.

That phrase resonates when you think about many entrepreneurs and musicians, including the iconic Grateful Dead. 

While they were in the thick of creating and performing, their progress might have seemed painstakingly slow, almost like a ‘snail’s pace.’ 

Yet, when we see their successes highlighted in the media, it appears sudden. It’s only when we delve into their backstories that we understand their lengthy, meticulous journey.

Success stories like the Grateful Dead, who started a band and struggled for many years until they became iconic and reached cult like status.

I just finished listening to “Marketing Lessons From The Grateful Dead by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan.” And what a story.

The Grateful Dead was at the forefront of changing the music industry. They loved “Innovating and Changing” the status quo business models in the music industry at that time.

They didn’t like the business model where bands made all their sales from creating and selling albums. They loved doing live concerts, so they decided they wanted to make money from their concerts and make money directly selling to their fans. 

They made more money by touring, selling out concerts, and selling merchandise than any other bands touring. 

The next thing they did was “Create Raving Fans (Deadheads)” – They endeared themselves to their fans. They encouraged sharing their music and allowed fans to record shows and trade tapes freely, which was against the norms of the music industry that typically sought to control the distribution of music.

This is what snails, the Grateful Dead, and cassette tapes all have in common. 🙂 

• Go at your own pace to create success (Stop beating yourself up for how long it’s taking.),
• When you tap into your genius, no one can stop you. It creates momentum, much like the Grateful Dead.
• Shakes things up – go against the norm (tap into your intuition for guidance)

Today’s inspiration is – 

• How can you shake things up in your business or industry by doing something you intuitively feel is right yet goes against the norm?
• Don’t think about it too much; just come up with the idea, confer with colleagues, and do it. 
• Work through and let go of any fear. 
• Find a coach (I’m here for you. :-), friend, accountability partner, or someone you can brainstorm with and take the leap.

It’s time. And there’s no such thing as coincidences or accidents. If you’re reading this, and you know who you are, this is your sign to simply do it. 

It’s spring, and summer is coming, no time like the present.

Here are a couple of additional strategies from the Grateful Dead to inspire you:

1. Branding and Building An Engaging Community: The band established a distinct brand that was closely tied to a sense of community among its fans. This community, known as “Deadheads,” was highly loyal, traveling across the country to attend their concerts. This sense of community and identity around the band was something that they actively nurtured through their music, their engagement with fans, and their overall ethos.
   
   What can you do to drive this in your work and your life – creating and engaging with your dream clients? Building an authentic relationship with your people. Be honest and real, and share from your most giving place.
   
    
2. Direct-to-Fan Sales: The Grateful Dead pioneered bypassing traditional music distribution channels to sell directly to their fans. They sold concert tickets and merchandise directly through their mailing list, which allowed them to keep prices lower and maintain control over their sales.
   
   What can you do to differently to shift and change the way you are selling and promoting? Think outside of the box. OR better yet, there is no box at all. Disrupt your industry much like Apple did with the music industry, and Netflix and other apps have done so with video and movies.
   
3. Strategic Free Content: By allowing and encouraging the free exchange of concert tapes, the Grateful Dead essentially practiced what would now be considered content marketing. They understood that the more their music was shared, the more engaged their fan base would become, driving demand for concert tickets and other revenue streams.
   
   This is my favorite one. And often, when I’m working with clients, it feels opposite to the norm. Telling them that they need to give away their best stuff just feels so unrealistic. “How will I make any money if I’m giving it away for free?”  Well, the Grateful Dead is living proof.
   
   Thousands of fans gave away their concert tapes, and thousands of people still bought the tapes from the Grateful Dead because they wanted a better quality, longer-lasting tape.
   
   Don’t underestimate your dream clients. Look at all the books out there people buy. They often buy the audiobook, the course, the live classes, and more. It’s time we moved the free line. Your dream clients will love you for it. AND, I promise, you will still make money, even more than you ever thought possible.

And if you want some guidance on how to do any of this, you know who to reach out to. 🙂  I’m always here for you, your guide to authentic connection and engaging marketing. 

It’s time you stepped into your genius zone.

April’s half over, geez… And everything is still blooming – wow. I love the cool mornings and the warm evening.

NOTE: Oh and if you haven’t noticed, I’m on a little bit of a kick about sharing some pretty creative and impactful lessons in marketing from musicians. 🙂 I might have another one next week. Do share with me if you’re loving these or hating these. Any comments are much appreciated – thank you!

Paragraph I’m Pondering: 

“When you understand that nobody wants to read your sh*t, your mind becomes powerfully concentrated. You begin to understand that writing/reading is, above all, a transaction. The reader donates her time and attention, which are supremely valuable commodities. In return, you, the writer, must give her something worthy of her gift to you.” ~ Steven Pressfield, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t! And Other Tough Love Truths to MakeYou a Better Writer

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire:

“Every day, I open myself to new opportunities and insights, trusting that the universe conspires to amplify my business. I am a creator of innovation and a beacon of success. My actions inspire others, and my leadership transforms challenges into triumphs. With each breath, I draw in confidence and exhale doubt, knowing that I am fully capable of achieving greatness.” ~ Visionary Guide, ChatGPT—Shannon McC

Book Review:

Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan

Cool Stuff

• Any Time Travel Geeks out there? Here’s an interesting graph about how accuracy fairs in these movies
• Tips from Meta About Advertising and Post On Their Platform to Get More Eyeballs.
• Coke embraces the use of recycled bottles for its products – By 2030, half of its packaging will be made from recycled material. In March of 2024, its 20-ounce Coke bottles in the US will be made from 100% recycled plastic.

AI Info & Resources:

• Unlocking Creative Potential – If you use Google Photos, this is kind of cool – With this update, Google Photos users can effortlessly enhance their photos through AI magic.
• It might be worth giving this a whirl– it’s a tool to help you aggregate and deliver personalized content from various sources into a single newsletter hmmmm.
• This business is leveraging AI to teach English – double “hmmmmmm.”

Weekly Photos:

• Welcome to Scotland – some choice shots of our adventures in Edinburgh. We took the train from London to Edinburgh. The ride is about 4.5 hours in some very comfy coaches. We LOVED Scotland. Such culture, friendly people, and, oh, the views and windy, rainy weather. 
• The first pic is Alice and I in front of the Holyrood Palace.
• It’s not Scotland if there’s not a bagpipe within 150 feet of you!
• This pic is a shot from our hotel looking at Calton Hill which is a wonderful park and vantage point to see several views of the city.
• This bridge shot was taken from the train to Scotland.
• The landscape shot is taken from Calton Hill of Arthurs’s seat. Many people climb it for more amazing views. It proved too tough for us on this trip. It’s the highest point of an extinct volcano in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Couldn’t leave you without sharing my Ms. Snail picture.
• And of course – Emma’s nap time – this is how she always is after our walk.