So we lost out on a caper a few days ago. We coulda saved the client a few cents on a piece on an item he’s done several times, not much total savings. Not much at all,really. Less than a good dinner out.

His response?
“The price is within pennies of my usual supplier so I will stick with him. Thanks.”

I’ll admit I was a little disappointed, more because I like the guy and consider him a thought leader in his field. I read his blog and his fb posts and wanna be more like him when I grow up. My disappointment wasn’t about the money, it was that I wouldn’t get to spend more time with him. That maybe somma his magical Midas touch would rub off on me.

Praps it already has tho. Because I understand where he is with sticking with a known supplier. The risk of the new guy (me) and the reward of the potential savings didnt square up well.

Interestingly, lost a different caper to a different client over a few cents. But in this case, I was the higher priced emcumbent. She went a cheaper path with a trunk slammer. A part time job kinda guy, working outta his moms basement when he’s not doing his night job.

It didnt go well, which isn’t really a surprise. I’m entirely too into this client to have a healthy attitude about loosing a piece of work over such a small amount. As the known quantity, it’s hard to see a close client,friend, and mentor shop somewhere else. With someone who can’t possibly be as into their head as I am.

Her response, after taking delivery from our cheaper competitor?

“Lesson learned. You’re the only man for me. “

Okden. Win a few, loose a few. Praps that choice made by my first example was actually the better one.

That’s comforting and discomforting at the same time.

I think I’ll focus on trying to be awesome and not so much about price.

Rinse,repeat.

Sometimes, more often than I care to admit, I need to slow myself down.

Call a ‘training time out’.

A stop.
A. Full. Stop.

Yesterday was one such time. Sugarmouse is at the farm this week, and I was up for some boys only time. Dunno exactly WHAT that was gonna be, but lets assume it would be something that sugarmouse wouldn’t typically be up for.

Oddly enough, it ended up being a few chess matches, watching fightclub,making French toast- tutored by popkinator who has the Midas touch when it comes to French toast,and ended up with a few chapters of narnia.
Currently in The horse and his boy.

It’s funny how as young teenagers their tastes in entertainment are so simple. So uncomplicated.

Boy meets girl. Boy looses girl. Boy strives to get girl back. Rinse,repeat.

That’s the loop we’re in, typically. Dunno that we ever actually break outta that. Then, finding the simple pleasures of lightly grilled sausages,thickly cut slabs of French toast, and a few robust rounds of chess.

Nope. Not what I planned at all.

But more joy than I coulda expected. Or asked for.

Sometimes, more often than I care to admit, I need to slow myself down.

Call a ‘training time out’.

A stop.
A. Full. Stop.

Yesterday was one such time. Sugarmouse is at the farm this week, and I was up for some boys only time. Dunno exactly WHAT that was gonna be, but lets assume it would be something that sugarmouse wouldn’t typically be up for.

Oddly enough, it ended up being a few chess matches, watching fightclub,making French toast- tutored by popkinator who has the Midas touch when it comes to French toast,and ended up with a few chapters of narnia.
Currently in The horse and his boy.

It’s funny how as young teenagers their tastes in entertainment are so simple. So uncomplicated.

Boy meets girl. Boy looses girl. Boy strives to get girl back. Rinse,repeat.

That’s the loop we’re in, typically. Dunno that we ever actually break outta that. Then, finding the simple pleasures of lightly grilled sausages,thickly cut slabs of French toast, and a few robust rounds of chess.

Nope. Not what I planned at all.

But more joy than I coulda expected. Or asked for.

Yes, the party did run kinda late.

So late that a reasonable parent prolly WOULD check their phone.

’ Do the teenagers need help?’ IS a great question at midnight. But the truth is…. the phone checking started well before midnight.

related-izzit ever acceptable to pass video around the dinner table,without regard to device size? Seems like these days there’s always a vast array of cat videos and ’ Charlie bit me!’ Riffs being shared.

On that direction-shared. When does sharing become escape?
“I’m tired of listening to you drone on and on and on like sons of misguided monty python skits. “

When does looking at ones phone and passing it about go too far? When do we step over share and into distraction?

Stumbled across a type of beer mug that doesn’t stand up correctly without a cell phone.

A cell phone placed underneath it.

Researching decoration options now.

Got breakfast in bed two days in a row. With some super coffee.

Slept in till an indecent hour. Watched a few movies, read some books, grilled and ate some ribs. Might swim some.
Gave snickett a bath while I shaved and ran the jacuzzi jets.

Next week there’s talk of a river trip, that’s always good clean fun.
Trying to get my mind right, it’s a blur right now with capers on top of capers.

You picked a lousy day to decide to be born a #kooziemongercorporateassclowndouchecanoecatalogcarpetbombinggladhandhashtagjackingcreepystalkersweatervestguy. We’re pretty focused on trying to help our closest mates suck less, and that’s getting increasingly hard to do for our haters.

It’s a damn fine day to be on our team.

Well, that’s kinda true. And kinda inaccurate. The cheerful message, Swagclub turned 2 today, came from the blog site tumblr.

That’s true. We’ve been on their channel for a solid two years. And our prior site, squarespace for another four or five before that.

The switch was a technology related thing- I found it easier to post from my phone via the tumblr. And post we have. Daily.

Every. Damn. Day.

It’s interesting to me to see the weekly, alternate weekly,once a month guys, or the crickets that take over the dormant blogs.

Have they nothing to say?

Are they so busy that they couldn’t riff about something?! ANYTHING?!

Seriously?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting everyone has the great American novel in them (currently mr.twains huckleberry Finn- no arguments accepted).

But surely you lot have something worth saying. Something worth sharing.

Had a little convo with a girl this week at a content marketing thingy hosted by- their words, not mine- “the largest b to b marketing agency in the state”.

They went on for a solid hour or two about the importance of- shocker- content.

Content. Platitudes about the importance. Content. And how great they are at making content. Obvs.

Dunno. I’ve read somma their content.

Pretty much pablum- a proper length of pasty white suburban guy for me. But that’s prolly client driven, right?
No. It’s not. It’s them covering their asses. Politically correct pablum. But that’s easier to sell than edgy and authentic conversations. Or so I have read.

Anyway, I’m talking to this stunning young friend afterward about content.

‘Did you hear anything new today?’
“No. “
‘You doing anything with your content?’
“No, why would I?”
‘Dont you think you’ve got something to add to the conversation? Something about what it’s like to be you?’
” I’ve never thought about it that way. I think I’ll start. Now. “

Dunno that she actually will. But I may or may not have to give her a little nudge. She’s actually shockingly clever, and interesting, and prolly does have something to say. And I’ll wager her version will be more interesting than the expert content creators at “the largest b to b marketing agency in the state”.

Fact- she’s more likely to find her authentic swing, her voice, and possibly even her clients voice, because she’s not burdened with fronting as the largest b to b marketing agency in the state. She’s still vulnerable,transparent,and her. Not her legal department. Not sanitized.

She’s just her. She’s ready to flex her muscles and start where she is.

That’s enough.

I’d chose raw, young, authentic, vulnerable, full of wonder, over big.

Big. Schmig.

Big doesn’t mean great. Big just means big.

So yeah. This channel is two years old. Today. And it’s daily.

Daily discipline. Hope more toes dip in. Hells bells, most everyone on the planet has a twitters or fb or LinkedIn presence. And most check or update them daily.

Sharing the fiddly bits of their lives.
Transparent.
Vulnerable.

Honest.

That’s a better place to start nudging toward greatness. Daily share of their hearts.

Not big.

Imho.

2years seems such a short time. But I’ve been telling stories for 46. And I’ll be telling them another 46 years. Touch wood.

Happy bday, young little tumblr voice.

Spankings shall be delivered poolside.

I’ll be the first to admit that our, no MY, first completed triathlon was pretty weak. On the grandscale of things completed, it’d be a stretch to claim I finished with any sense of style, Grace, or dignity.

My colleague in our October triathlon crime was held back by my unprepared state. Seriously attempting to be better prepared this August.

Under two months away. In the dog days of summer.

I’ll be ready to hit all three elements hard and finish like a pro this time.

Chrissakes that training last time felt good. Better than doing the actual event, really.

It’s so on.

pitch day.

He lived for it.

Without regard to the win. It was the pitch he liked. referred to it as the exciting pay of the roller coaster. past the Fiddly bits of the white knuckles and grimaced faces.

The sweet spot. The authentic swing. Leaving nothing back, unleashing the hounds. Swinging from the toes.

Related- read that the 6 most important words you can tell your children are “I love to watch you play”.

Yeah. That.

I hope that is what God’s saying today. He’s been coaching me, sometimes gently other times not so much. Coaching me along for 46 years. Hope he’s watching today. This caper is the culmination of all those long years.

Try saying that to your children today. Then your team. Then yourself.

I love to watch you play.

The tumbler that I so love has been wonky. Damn.

That awkward moment when you realize that everyone is kinda winging it. Everyone.

Haters.
Lovers.
Competitors.

Hells bells, Even us. Seat of the pants navigation, and building the rockets while attempting to fly rockets.

It was good to hear another industry expert talk today about content being key, and the importance of a well balanced campaign in a variety of channels. There’s no silver bullet. That applies to the swag channel especially, as the endless question of “what’s hot?” can only be answered honestly by a simple ” it depends. “

It. Depends.

so much is up in the air, adjusting too much can have severe unintended affects. And effects.

Back to content creation- you’ve gotta start with what matters.

Your story.

The rest falls into place. If it makes sense.