Haven't I Said It All Before?
Jul 19, 2023 1:07 pm
Well hello, !
I took a mini-sabbatical at the beginning of this month, inspired by my friend Chloé Nwangwu. For an entire week, I scheduled zero client calls, eschewed all networking meetings, and ignored all business books, blogs, and newsletters.
The goal of the mini-sabbatical was to clean out the gunk from my filter.
We all have a filter. It connects to our inner wisdom — that indescribable phenomenon that helps us know when something is right and true for us.
What is right and true for me may not be right and true for you.
We don't hear that very often.
We live in a world that values definitive answers and bold statements about the one right way to build your business. We hear these messages on LinkedIn, at networking meetings, and in the books, blogs, and newsletters we read.
Our world is so noisy that it drowns out our inner wisdom.
So, I decided to turn down the volume. I spent my mini-sabbatical reading, writing, creating, and planning. My first stop was the public library, where I borrowed eleven books.
Eleven.
Um.
I am a slow reader.
Reading eleven books in one week is not realistic.
But having all of those options felt decadent. During my sabbatical, I read essays by Joan Didion, Roxane Gay, and Toni Morrison. I flipped through collections of poetry by Mary Oliver and Ocean Vuong. And I vowed to allow reading to be my mental palate cleanser, a little sorbet at the end of each day.
Cleaning out the gunk from your filter helps you reconnect to your inner wisdom and allows you to see your work from a fresh perspective.
And that is invaluable.
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Haven't I Said It All Before? How to Keep Writing When You Have Nothing Left to Say
You’ve likely written countless blog posts, articles, newsletters, and social media posts to share your expertise. After a while, it can feel like you’ve said all you need to say. Staying energized and engaged in the process can be challenging when that happens.
I get that.
But if you stop now, you will lose the momentum you’ve built. So, how do you keep going when you feel like you’re running on empty?
Repetition builds your reputation.
No one is paying as much attention to your content as you. You feel like you’ve said it all before, but your audience doesn’t feel that way. Yes, you might have people in your orbit who have been around for a while, and they might even remember you saying something similar in the past.
But you are not the only person they follow. And they are not the only person you connect with through your writing. You constantly connect with new people on social media and gain subscribers to your email newsletter. These newcomers are just starting to dive into your work, so they need you to share the wisdom you shared before.
Repetition is what builds your reputation. If you stop sharing your core expertise and start sharing something novel and exciting to you, you risk confusing your audience. And when our audience is confused, they stop paying attention.
The people you serve need you to keep saying what you’ve been saying.
Why?
Because they know your message is important but aren’t sure how to take action on it yet, and they want your ongoing support. That’s why they follow you!
Think about the folks you’ve followed for a while. Does it feel like they’re repeating themselves? Or does it feel like they are providing good, solid information with a handful of reminders and back-to-basics foundational information tossed in?
Your audience feels the same way.
Have you ever read a book or watched a movie and thought it was okay, then watched it again years later and thought it was fantastic? The book or movie didn’t change. You did.
As we grow and change, we receive the same message differently. Your job is to share your message and meet your audience — the newcomers and those who’ve been around for a while — right where they are.
Finding new ways to talk about the same old idea.
When I say repetition builds your reputation, I don’t mean that you should just share the same article again and again and again. That won’t serve you or your audience. Instead, I want you to share the same ideas in new ways.
Here are five tips to help you find new ways to talk about the same old ideas:
1. Collect and share illustrative examples. Think about the experiences you’ve had in your life. Which ones illustrate a point you make when working with your clients? These examples may come from a project you worked on, a speaking engagement, or a podcast interview. But they might also come from a visit to a museum, a book of poetry, or an art class. Each example you have (even if they illustrate the same point) can serve as the foundation of a new article. Different examples will resonate with different audience members.
2. Segment your audience. Your audience is not a faceless mass of humanity. It is made up of individual humans with different life experiences, needs, and desires. Whether your audience includes people across the corporate hierarchy, from executives to managers to employees, across sectors, from business to nonprofit to government, or across skill levels, from experienced to novice, each segment needs something different from you. Write articles that speak directly to the needs of each segment so you can meet every member of your audience where they are.
3. Consume business content with intention. Be an active consumer, whether reading a book or listening to a podcast. Look for statements that illicit a reaction. What is that reaction? Do you strongly agree or disagree? Is the statement oversimplifying something or overcomplicating it? What is the author or speaker missing? Write a piece responding to that content; don’t be afraid to dive into the nuances. That’s what sets you apart.
4. Revisit old material. Read blog posts, newsletters, and social media posts (paying particular attention to the comments). You grow and change, too, so this can be a rich resource for new articles. Read your work critically. Has your thinking evolved since you wrote that piece? Is there more you can share? Can you dive a little deeper into it? If so, write about it.
5. Take time to refill the tank. Read books and articles, listen to podcasts, watch movies, take a class, or visit an art museum. Allow inspiration to come from unexpected places.
It may feel like you’re repeating yourself. But that’s because you know your stuff! You, my friend, are the expert. Your audience isn’t. Don’t make them work hard to learn from you. Keep sharing your wisdom!
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"Repeating is the whole of living and by repeating comes understanding, and understanding is to some the most important part of living."
~ Gertrude Stein, The Making of Americans
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Client Spotlight: Chloé Nwangwu
"This piece would never have made it across the finish line without Erica. Truly. I'm not even sure I would have pitched as loud and large as I did if she hadn't been the little angel on my shoulder."
Recent Appearances
On April 2, 2023, I spoke at TEDxBentleyU. My talk was far from perfect, but I loved the experience and learned a lot about myself. In The Power of Not Knowing, I share some of my grandfather's wisdom and a bit about my writing practice.
Upcoming Events
Pitched to Published™
Interested in learning how to pitch, write, and publish articles for industry trade journals and high-visibility publications? Join me Wednesday, August 9 at 11:55 AM Eastern for a free mini-training on writing compelling headlines followed by Q+A. Register here.
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That's all for now! If you'd like to chat about writing, publishing, and building your reputation as an authoritative expert, drop me an email or book a call.
Take good care,
P.S. Are you looking for guest experts? If you have an online community of specialists, I'd love to show them how they can start writing for high-visibility publications like Harvard Business Review. Hit reply, and let's talk!
