Author: Winston Ash

by Winston Ash on Business

Marketing Works

I do a lot of thinking about business. I take action on these thoughts all the time. That’s my process. Think, do; then adjust. It works most of the time. But it means I fail a lot. It’s the scientific method applied to marketing. And for me it works. But that’s not why I do it. I learn these techniques to help others apply them. Here’s an example.
 
My client is an author. He’s written his first book and working on his second. Before me he was on social media and getting it done. But as he says, it was ripping time away from him. He works a full-time job, takes care of his family. While writing his second book and on top of all that he’s supposed to be on social media. Commenting, replying, putting out content, creating graphics. How? It’s possible, but not sustainable.
 
That’s where I come in. I take that hard part and make it easy. How? I do it. My company produces all the content based on who you are. We get to know you. And this is my favorite part. We get intimate by building trust. We become friends. And that’s why I love my business. My clients are my friends. Yes, they pay me. But even if they didn’t I would still do this. It’s great to see a post do well. To see people respond and say how much they love the content he’s putting out.
 
At the end of the day my client could do this himself. But he wouldn’t have time to focus on everything else he has to do. And it’s a simple choice. Do this or do that. No pressure on my end. Either way I’m going to keep providing this service. It’s a benefit to my clients. I know if I don’t provide it they will search somewhere else for this to get done. But that employee you hire won’t care as much as you do. To that person you are putting food on the table. That’s not my case. I’m building a business I can be proud of. Or that employee does care, but you also have to provide benefits and some months you don’t have the funds. With me don’t worry about it.

No long-term contracts, no benefits. Only our deal. You like what we do, stay with us. You don’t, let us know and you can leave at the end of the month. No hard feelings, but it is personal. So I will want to know why.
 
Back to my client. He loves the service because I provide guidance. Not everything I say will work. But I will work through it with him. I will be his Chief Marketing Officer dedicated to getting results on social media. He has an idea and I will do it. Test it and show the results. At the end of the day it’s about results.
 
Results matter. It’s not about the number of likes, follower, or re-tweets. Even though those things matter. At the end of the day it’s about what happens. The feelings that your customers get from you. Their experience. And, results. Guess, what? Marketing works. And the best marketing is by telling your story. Over and over again. To as many people as will listen. But to each person as a person. Not a robot. Not a salesman. 
[clickToTweet tweet=”But as friends having a conversation. And that is the best type of marketing that works.” quote=”But as friends having a conversation. And that is the best type of marketing that works.”]

Thanks for reading! Did you enjoy it? Leave me a comment below. Would mean a lot to me and I appreciate it. All feedback welcome.

I can be found on Twitter @winstonash1 and Instagram @winston_ash where I love to talk about business, politics, tech, self-education, and success.

 
by Winston Ash on Business

Gambler and Banker

I admit it. I’m addicted. The high of winning is greater than the low of losing; and, I crave that moment right before I know the answer. The moment of truth. Where options abound and the probabilities are endless. Fire in my belly from both fear and excitement. Losing only hurts for a while, but winning. That can hold me over.

Photo by Charlotte Coneybeer on Unsplash.com

Photo by Charlotte Coneybeer on Unsplash.com

 
When I have decisions that have consequences – read, all. I try to figure out all the angles and outcomes. Then I assign a probability to them. All this happens in an instant. At the end I make the best guess and roll the die. Win, lose, or draw the game is on now. And I’m excited.
 
Why do I say gambler and banker? Because that other side of me is a banker. The conservative, penny-pincher with T-rex arms when it comes time to paying. This part of me makes sure that every move makes sense and pays off. Getting this guy to put up money is like getting an addict to part with drugs. Not a pretty sight. Smart, consistent play that maximizes long-term wealth generation is what I’m all about on this end. What does that mumbo jumbo mean? 
Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash.com

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash.com

[clickToTweet tweet=”In two words: Don’t lose.” quote=”In two words: Don’t lose.”]
And in that space where both are happy is where I try to live my days. Blissful ignorance of the greatest upside. But a wary eye turned toward the downside risk.
 
Where do you spend your days?
 Thanks for reading! Did you enjoy it? Leave me a comment below. Would mean a lot to me and I appreciate it. All feedback welcome.

I can be found on Twitter @winstonash1 and Instagram @winston_ash where I love to talk about business, politics, tech, self-education, and success.

 
by Winston Ash on Business

#GTD: Be More Productive, Do Less

It sounds counter-intuitive but it is the truth. How is it possible? I want to say philosophical things here. But the truth is, I’m lazy. I want to get the most done with the least amount of effort on my part. Being the lazy person that I am, I’ve adopted rules. Touch things only once. If I’m going to be doing it again, make it into a template. Forms and checklists are the easiest templates. They are fast to create and easy to use.
 
Be as specific or as general as needed. I know, very helpful. But it’s true.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Your system needs to suit you.” quote=”Your system needs to suit you.”]
My wife and I have completely different ways of handling information. Me, I love seeing everything but without the details. I want the big picture. My wife wants each item on paper and detailed. What goes where, and when is it due. My system and hers are different; guess what, that’s ok.
 
Here are the basics of my current system. FYI: It changes without warning.
 

Tools

  • GTD – This is my strategy for handling everything thrown my way. I’ve read all three books and implemented this system. Do I follow it perfectly? No. But I have come a long way since putting this system in place.
  • Trello – I use this for my major projects, to gather information, and to deal with clients. Trello is my go-to for everything visual. I put clients work in here and then send the link to my clients so they can stay informed. The best part of this is that I only have to do work once. By having it available all the time my clients have access on demand.
  • Todoist – This is my task manager of choice. I needed something that could connect to my phone and sync seamlessly online. This gets the job done. The only negative is that there is no client for my Mac. If they had a Mac client then I would be able to keep everything connected across my entire technology stack. Hope this is in the works. Either way, a great piece of software.
  • Calendar – Anything that must get done on a specific date goes here. Recurring tasks, meetings, deadlines. All entered into here. My calendar is the holy grail. I live by it and allow it to control my life.
  • Evernote – This is my online reference system. I used this for a task manager but it was not built for that. I use it as my second brain now. It holds all my memories and things that I need to know.
My recommendation to you. Find a system. Start small and go. Nothing needs to be perfect. But this will allow you to get more done and have a greater impact.
 
With my system in place, I have more time at home. More time to learn. And my favorite thing – read more books. I encourage you to try this out for yourself. Let me know how it goes.
 
by Winston Ash on Coding

Documentation = Success.

I look at the size of the task ahead and balk. Thinking about all the things I need to learn gives me ajida. But that is only one part. The other part is my impatience grows. Daily I long for the time where I will be good at coding. When it becomes second nature like driving a car or walking. But alas, here I am. At the end of the beginning.
 
For the next phase of study, I put together an education plan. Speaking to an IBM employee at a party recently gave me the idea. We discussed how he got his job and many other details. What I gained from that conversation was an idea that has stuck with me. Planning and executing is the name of the game. Without a target (a defined outcome) then I will never get to where I want to be. I digress. I heard this many other places and have never put it into practice. Why now? What’s different? The simple answer: me. I’ve realized the error of my ways. Documentation is critical to success. It allows me to see where I have issues and adjust for them.
 

Here’s what the next 90 Days plan looks like:

 
by Winston Ash on Coding

Ready? Set. Go!

I choose to do more. Curious and willing to learn.
 
Focus on doing. Spend time thinking and abstracting.
 
The journey is my goal.
 
Let’s start back at square one.
 
 
by Winston Ash on Founder Journal

The Mountain

I fight.
I got this, I can do this.
Then something gets in the way.
And I overcome it. Then another. And another.
I fear I won’t get there. The path gets harder. Uphill and steep.
I crawl, scratch, and scramble. Almost there.
Then I crest the peak. And realize this is the beginning.
The top is much higher.
At these times, I pull out the file.
The one with all the notes everywhere.
What does it say?
The words I need to see.
Get back to work.
Keep shipping.
Write and rewrite. Then do it over again.
How many times? I don’t know.
When will it be over?
That I do know.
When I’m shocked by the ending.