I often tell people, and I have told you before, that I haven’t invented anything…rather, I am a good messenger for concepts, knowledge and eternal truths of direct response marketing to my online family (and those in my masterminds) who might not be aware of what came before…and how it can impact the future.
I’m also a messenger who can share through experience and story…which by the way, so are all of you.
And when I share I hope it’s not just a stroll down memory lane (because that is never my primary intention).
For example, when I write a tribute to someone who has passed away (who has left an indelible impression on me and the industry)–which I have done most recently for Clayton Makepeace (and in the past for such legends as Jim Rutz, Lester Wunderman, Fred Catona, Gordon Grossman and many others)–I try to share their “inventions” and contributions in order to pay it forward.
Those guys are much closer to being the true inventors…I am simply a faithful servant (i.e. a reliable interpreter of their wisdom) who can connect the dots in a unique way.
So are you.
Click on any of those names above to read what I wrote about those monumental inventors and innovators.
Dan Sullivan, the top coach for entrepreneurs in the world, says that what “management” (and its kissing cousin, “consulting”) were to the 1980’s, “coaching” (and innovating) are to today (in 2021)… and beyond.
And how you coach and innovate is an invention in itself.
I read this today (as I did last May…it’s not a one year wonder):
May Is National Inventors Month
Started in 2011 by the Academy of Applied Science and Inventor’s Digest magazine, it recognizes the curiosity and imagination of those who innovate and create.
I love all of the variations of those words: Curiosity, imagination, innovation and creativity.
And they take the word “invention” to an entirely new level.
Being an inventor, therefore, must include both original inventions and the expansion of an invention.
Aren’t both equally good?
I talked about this in 2019 in a post titled “Another take on Edison” which referenced another previous post from 2018, “12 Notes”–a post within a post–all of which come back to one question:
“Aren’t we all on reruns?”
I certainly am with this post and those I just referenced.
And I maintain you are too–all the time–and you should wear your reruns like badges of honor.
I will note that anything written “pre-COVID” (P.C.?) seems sooooooo long ago, that those reruns now qualify as brand new…although that’s irrelevant.
What’s relevant is how you “frame your reruns” whether P.C. or A.C. (after COVID).
I know I just violated the golden rule of email by giving you links to all of those past posts—which could take you off this one—but I am not concerned with that either.
And in case you missed last week’s post, “Reruns with a purpose”, you can check that out too…since this post builds on that one.
I just want to share with you as much as possible because I am proud of my reruns (and I also know you haven’t read them all which means they might not all be reruns to you after all). ☺
And if you have read them that’s OK since I know they are all reframed.
Having just completed watching the first three seasons of the TV series Genius—the first on Einstein, the second on Picasso and the third on Aretha Franklin (all inventors in their fields of physics, art and music respectively)—it all comes back to Picasso’s famous quote:
And since May is “National Inventors Month” and this week is also when I am hosting my Titans Mastermind meeting (with six innovators/inventors speaking who I will tell you about in an upcoming post), I want to send you today, as I did a year ago (D.C.–during COVID), five videos of various lengths –from one minute to one hour–all “previous inventions in search of another angle or explanation.”
I went down a rabbit hole on YouTube to find these videos that I didn’t know were there…or I didn’t remember recording them…or both.
While watching these videos, I realized that none of them contain an original invention; but every one of them is an expansion or expression of an invention, or, what I titled chapter two in Overdeliver, an “Original Source.”
That chapter could have been titled, “Where babies come from.”
I am still confident that I can be the messenger for you on all of these five topics below (and many others) if you are unaware (or uneducated) on any of them.
That’s what four decades in direct response marketing has bought me.
Here they are…short ones, long ones and in-between ones.
1) Direct mail on the back end of an online business
I didn’t invent direct mail (not by a long shot) but talking about it with Joe Polish regarding its application to online marketing was an evergreen discussion (and this one is the longest of the five videos—it’s a little over an hour)–and “skip ad” if one comes up–one of the dangers of pulling videos from Youtube):
2) You may not know it when you see it: Success leaves clues
I didn’t invent the attributes that were present in every A-List copywriter…but I was able to come up with these seven by working with dozens of them during my career…and I found this 9 minute YouTube video on the topic:
3) A direct marketer riffing with Socrates and a CEO Warrior
I certainly didn’t invent anything Jay Abraham ever talks about (he is a “first generation inventor”) but in this interview I was able to add on to much of his philosophy (this one is 45 minutes and we are interviewed by an amazing entrepreneur and business builder, Mike Agugliaro–and it’s NOT just for “plumbers, electricians and HVAC folks”):
4) Pain to pleasure
Here’s a minute and a half on a principle I definitely didn’t invent…but I bet most of you don’t do this exercise on a regular basis (and you might want to consider it if you can spare 93 seconds after you “skip the ad” that I can’t get rid of!):
5) Assessing your assets
And finally, here’s a one minute video (even shorter that the last one!) which is an adaption from Jay Abraham’s “Socratic Method” or “asking good questions” or “getting everything you can out of all you’ve got.”
I phrased it so I could get my head around it—in a more tangible way perhaps–and it’s worked for many of my clients and people who follow it (but for whatever reason they have not been exposed to it through Jay…and again, skip the ad):
I would love it if you could watch at least some of these videos–and email me back whether there was a tidbit you could apply to your business–or if you had any “a-ha moments.”
Or anything else you would like to share.
I’m fine if you simply write back to tell me, “I knew this already but your reminders made me think about things I would like to apply to my business.”
And of course you can tell me that there was, “Nothing new/I’ve heard it all before” which would confirm that I haven’t invented anything…nor have I interpreted anything useful for you either. ☹
I’m still convinced that I haven’t invented anything…but my deep dive into YouTube reminded me that I’ve got a storehouse of knowledge (all begged, borrowed or stolen from someone else) that’s still very useful to many…maybe even to some of you.
I’ve also been able to re-package it for those who didn’t get a chance to absorb it previously…or weren’t alive when some of these concepts were invented.
Or maybe it was simply articulated here in a way that you finally got it.
That would be as awesome too.
One final note on your relationship to being an “inventor”:
Give credit where credit is due to the true inventor of everything in your basket of content…and go back as far as you can to accurately trace where you heard it or learned it for the first time…and who originated what you think could be your unique idea.
Standing on the shoulders of giants (of invention) makes you even a bigger giant (of innovation)…and it will make you a great coach rather than an unemployed consultant…and you never need to take credit for inventing anything.
That’s a prescription for a life that will make you eternally grateful all the time…with happiness and humility.
That’s a prescription I can get behind.
Warmly,
Brian