The Spirit of Experimentation

The best way to have a good idea is to have a hundred bad ones.

It’s a painful process, especially if we’ve gotten
accustomed to being good. But any seed to imagination, any ignition of pure
creation, is not just healthy and safe, but practical and necessary.

First, it gives us perspective. It humbles our creative
spirit. Second, bad ideas come in handy for other problems later. Nothing is
ever wasted; every idea eventually finds a home. And finally, our process of
experimentation helps create the elbow room for good ideas to emerge. All we
have to do is listen.

In the decade I’ve worked as a freelancer, I’ve had thousands of bad ideas. Horrible ones. Bordering on embarrassing. Several of
which were executed, poorly.

But out of that slush pile, I’ve also had maybe thirty or
forty really, really good ideas. Ideas that spread, ideas that made money,
ideas that made a difference. I believe there are no successes or
failures, only the consequences of our experiments.

We can never lose that spirit. We owe it to our creative
selves to set up a consequence free space for experimentation. A safe place
where we can boldly fiddle our way to the truth.

Thanks to the web, the cost of doing so is approaching zero.
We can run hundreds of experiments a day, if we want to.

But that’s the thing: We have to want to. It has to be
important to us.

Otherwise, if we’re not trying things, every day, until we
die, we’re not fully living.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How many experiments did you run yesterday?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “11 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Are You Using Your Talents or Investing Them?

Freedom means finding a home for all of our talents.

Not hiding our light under a bushel, not asking for
permission to shine, not waiting to be picked, not waiting to be paid, and not
hesitating to take our talents on the ride they deserve.

Instead, allowing our entire portfolio of talents – tiny,
titanic and in between – to have a more prominent place in our lives,
regardless if the world approves.

Nobody epitomizes this more than
Keller Williams. At any of his hundred concerts each year, audiences drool as
he plays an average of twenty instruments per show, they marvel as he takes
live digital looping to new levels and they cheer as he sings hilarious lyrics
to improvised songs.

His life, his career and his fans
prove that talent isn’t just a gift, it’s an asset.

Our job, not just as artists but
as humans, is to invest it as aggressively, creatively and prolifically as
possible, and never to feel guilty about having it or ashamed about expressing
it.

Whitman said we contain
multitudes.

It would be ashamed to watch it
go to waste.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you using your talents or investing them?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “8 Ways to Out Question Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

The Nametag Manifesto — Chapter 11: The End of Disconnectedness

[ View the infographic! ]

“Everyone should wear nametags, all the time, everywhere, forever.”

That’s my thesis, philosophy, dangerous idea and theory of the universe.

My name is Scott, and I’ve been wearing a nametag for past four thousand days.

And after traveling to hundreds of cities, a dozen countries, four continents, meeting tens of thousands of people, constant experimentation and observation, building a enterprise and writing a dozen books in the process, I believe, with all my heart, that the societal implications of wearing nametags could change everything.

This is my manifesto: 

11. The End of Disconnectedness

If everybody wears nametags, we’re all plugged into the social network.

A nametag is an act of humanity in a moment of distance. And these acts allow us to feel a little more connected. Now, we have a constant spark for human contact. We are plugged in without a cord or a signal. We’ve found a way to mitigate loneliness and interact with people face to face in a way that actually resonates with their soul, not just their homepage.

This is the real social network. No matter where you go, you never have to feel alone for more than a moment. Because there are always people who know your name; there are always people whose names you know. It’s a constant reminder that nobody is the odd one out.

We don’t need friend requests because we’re all in this together, always, forever.

If everybody wears nametags, no more fear of missing out, no more eating alone and no more cliques.

# # #

You can read The Nametag Manifesto, in full, for free, right now, here.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your manifesto?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “10 Ways to Help Your Customers Know You,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012 – 2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Customers Don’t Know What They Want Until You Show Them

If we’re too busy listening to everybody, we’ll never hear the sound of our own voice.

Yet another great dilemma of the entrepreneur.

On one hand, we could listen to what people say they want. Do market research and focus groups until we’re blue in the face. And then launch something that predictably fits into their nice little box.

It’s the safe path that pleases people, satisfies their expectations and challenges the competition for a while.

On the other hand, we could figure out what people are going to want before they do. Give them what they don’t realize they need. And hope that they get to a point where they can’t live without it.

That’s the bold path that changes people, captures their imagination and erases the competition forever.

Steve Jobs rarely gave the customers what they wanted. He believed people didn’t know what they wanted until somebody showed them.

So he spent his career showing them.

And the entire world watched in awe.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What do you need to decide?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “12 Ways to Out Service Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!



What Nobody Tells Us About Our Dreams

There’s nothing more painful than being patient with a dream.

Even if we do cast a vision, enlist support from every angle, hustle while we wait and take small, daily steps to move the pile forward, the dream still feels miles away.

And in the process, our expectations get crushed.

It takes longer than we like. Nobody tells us that when we answer the call to adventure, we might be placed on hold for a year.

It feels harder than we predicted. Nobody tells us that arriving to a new world is just as demanding as thriving in it.

It aches more than we thought. Nobody tells us that when we decide to play a bigger game, chest pains and anxiety attacks come with the package.

It changes more than we imagined. Nobody tells us that when we take the plunge, we have to leave parts of our former selves behind to stay afloat.

Turns out, waiting in line to get tickets for the game is just as important as the game itself.

But the upside is, all the prework to the dream, all the battles and pains and tears and doubts, are essential in building our resilience for when the dream finally comes true.

Because by that time, we’ll be so beaten up that resistance will back down. It will know we mean business, and it will get the hell out of our way.

And the dream will have no other choice but to come true.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… 

How long are you willing to wait?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “10 Reasons Your Business Doesn’t Really Exist,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on
who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want
to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the
bottom of my heart.” —-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

The Nametag Guy Live — Hire Yourself

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your nametag?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “11 Ways to Out Google Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Excuse Me, But Nothing Just Happens

Six years ago, my left lung collapsed.

When I woke up in the recovery room with tube in my chest,
the first thing I did was ask the surgeon why this happened to me.

He said it was spontaneous.

Spontaneous. Really. That’s your diagnosis? That’s the best
you can do? Surely there must a more biological reason behind this physically
traumatic episode.

Not really. It just happens, he said.

Excuse me, but nothing just happens. Especially not the
sudden failure of my primary respiratory function.

So instead of accepting what the doctor said, I spent the
next week in the hospital making a diagnosis of my own.

My lung collapsed because I got too successful, too fast,
too early. My lung collapsed because I didn’t have a healthy relationship with
my breath. My lung collapsed because I allowed my career to take priority over
my health. My lung collapsed because I didn’t possess the physical, emotional
and mental constitution to manage my own chaotic life.

I told myself a lie because I knew the truth wouldn’t be
enough for me to change.

And it was the best decision I ever made.

Sometimes dishonesty is the best diagnosis.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What are you unwilling to accept?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “11 Ways to Out Market the Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on
who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want
to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the
bottom of my heart.”
—-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

Out With The Meh, In With The Amazing

It’s hard to turn down food when we’re
really hungry.

Whether it’s a down economy, a struggling enterprise or a lonely love life,
desperate times activate the primal instinct to say yes to whatever satisfies
our hunger.

So we settle. We give our love, our attention and our resources to the highest
bidder, accepting opportunities that are more meh than they are amazing. And
before we know it, mediocrity settles in like an unwelcome dinner guest.

I’ve had multiple periods of meh in my life, both personally and
professionally. Turns out, even though it kept my heart afloat, kept my
business churning and kept my ego from whining, meh ultimately left me feeling
unfulfilled and resentful.

But thanks to a few honest jabs from a compassionate mentor, I made a decision.

Take a sledgehammer to
as much mediocrity as possible.

So far, the pile of rubble is shaping up nicely.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What meh do you need to destroy?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “9 Things Every Writer Needs to Do Every Day,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on
who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want
to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the
bottom of my heart.”
—-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

The Profitability of True Exclusivity

People don’t want duplicate happiness.

It’s only when we help them experience a joy they can’t have
in other areas of their lives that we create a real, lasting and profitable
connection. 

It’s only when we offer them a one-time, limited edition, never
before/never again moment that actually captures their imagination, that we win
their hearts forever.

It all depends on our embodiment of three powerful words:

And nowhere else.

True exclusivity.

Sun Studios offers this kind of joy to their session
musicians. Anybody in the world can sit down in the most famous booth in the
world, actually play music with the very instruments Elvis once used, and feel
like real rock stars – if only for three and half minutes.

True exclusivity.

And nowhere else.

It’s rare, and that’s precisely why it’s remarkable.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What type of exclusivity does your brand offer?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “27 Affirmations to Prepare Yourself to Listen,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on
who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want
to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the
bottom of my heart.”
—-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

The Nametag Guy Live — No Labels, No Limits

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your nametag?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “23 Ways to Make Your Fans Super Happy,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg


That Guy with the Nametag


Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting


[email protected]



Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

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