I became a fan of Sonia Simone's work the first time I read a blog post from her. To say she has a way with words would be an understatement. Lots of people have that talent. What she adds is a keen mind and a deep understanding of effective copywriting and Internet marketing. Two skills nearly all of us could be better at using.
I'm sure her talents are why she is the Senior Editor for Copyblogger, one of the most heavily trafficked and highly admired business blogs on the planet. When I read her post below, it resonated with me to such a degree I asked her for permission to reprint it here. If you have already read it, I would not be surprised. It was tweeted 523 times, more than any other recent post on Copyblogger. Regardless, its pithy advice remains worthy of re-reading
The Three Surprisingly Simple Keys to Success
Back
when I was writing
novels and working on getting them published, someone gave me a piece of
advice.
“You
need talent, luck, and persistence. Pick any two.”
It’s
probably been twenty years since I heard those words, but I still think of them
all the time. They don’t just apply to getting book deals, of course.
Whether
you want to paint, write, play music, raise a happy kid, design beautiful
houses, or run an online business that makes you happy and rich, you can
reach your goals with just two of those three.
At
first glance it might seem like two of them are out of your control. But let’s
look at that more carefully.
Talent
What
most people call talent is usually nothing more than
passion.
If
you love it, you’ll do it all the damned time. And the more you play, the more
you write, the more houses you design or symphonies you compose, the
better you get.
Yes,
there are a few “effortless talents.” There are people to whom the words come so
easily you just want to smack them in the head. There are people who play music
as easily and naturally as I eat ice cream.
But
more often, that sense of ease comes from passion and nonstop, almost obsessive
practice.
If
you have absolutely zero talent for your chosen field, you’re going to have a
tricky time. But usually, it’s a matter of fanning a spark of innate talent
until you start to become quite impressive.
The
more you work, the more talented you get.
Luck
I’m
quite a lucky person. I was born in an extraordinarily wealthy country, at a
time when women could do pretty much what we like, and in an era of vaccination
and modern medicine that kept me from being carried off by some infectious
disease at the age of 3 or 4.
Those
are all massive strokes of luck. They had nothing to do with anything I did — I
just lucked into them.
But
what most people call luck is very different. It’s “being in the right place at
the right time.” Having things just fall into place. Coming up with
opportunities just when you need them. Knowing the right people.
This
kind of luck comes from a few different places.
You
can improve your focus.
Just like you suddenly see red convertibles everywhere once you buy a red
convertible, once you start focusing on luck and opportunity, they pop up like
dandelions after a spring rain.
Nothing
magic makes that happen. Those opportunities were there all along – you were
just looking at something else.
You
can improve your frequency.
If you want to roll a pair of sixes, you’ll have much more luck doing that with
10 dice than you will with 2.
Pitch
a guest post to 10 A-list blogs and you’re a lot more likely to get a spot than
if you pitch 2.
Talk
to 1000 prospects, rather than 200.
Audition
for 10 gigs, rather than 2.
You
can improve your likeability.
Who “wins” the customer, the juicy contract, the retweet, the great
job?
Sometimes
it’s the one who’s the most “talented” — the one who’s producing the best
output.
More
often, it’s the one who’s better liked.
Be
nice to people. Make yourself helpful. Don’t throw tantrums (public ones,
anyway). Don’t build yourself up at another person’s expense. Make generosity
a habit.
That
successful raging jackass we all know? He may build some temporary success for
himself, but everyone’s rooting for him to lose. His karma is gaining on him, in
the form of a whole lot of people who would rather distance
themselves.
The
more you work, the luckier you get.
Persistence
This
is the simple one.
Just
don’t give up.
Keep
writing. Keep making music. Keep blogging.
When
something works well, do more of that. Learning from failure can work, but
learning from success is even better. Big successes come from nurturing your
little successes.
If
there’s someone in your life making you feel dumb for your “pipe dream,” stop
talking to that person about your goals. Possibly stop talking to that person at
all.
Watch
out for what’s sometimes called “inventor’s syndrome.” That’s what happens when
you’ve invented some product or system or service that you think ought to change
the world, but which, sadly, nobody wants.
Stay
light on your feet. Find the story that you want to tell and that your audience
wants to read. Find the intersection between passion and
service.
Be
too damned stubborn to quit, but not so stubborn that you won’t try new
approaches.
And will you succeed?
Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
~Dr. Seuss
Make
your own talent, make your own luck, and activate your stubborn streak, and
there’s nothing that can stop you.
Know
what goes great with talent, luck, and persistence? Some first-rate marketing
information. You’ll find it in the Copyblogger newsletter, Internet
Marketing for Smart People. Lots of practical advice you can put into place
right away, to make yourself so talented and lucky that you can’t help but
succeed.
About the Author: Sonia Simone is Senior Editor of Copyblogger and the founder of the Remarkable Marketing Blueprint.
Order from the Author
Order on Amazon Here
Download Chapter One

Get art marketing ideas!
Order Your Copy Today!

