In partnership with

Welcome to the 187th issue of SPARK, a weekly newsletter that helps you transform daily experiences into compelling content that
captivates and sells.

It had been a couple of years since I’d done a coaching call with this client (who is fantastic), so I was thrilled when she reached out to do a one-off session with me.

She has a creative agency (websites, marketing - both digital and print) for a very specific industry (nothing to do with marketing).

The first time I had a call with her, I was a little hesitant because the industry she serves is completely out of my wheelhouse.

But it didn’t take long to remember that people are people and marketing is marketing… regardless of the industry (I should put that wisdom on a fortune cookie 😆).

We had another great call, and… just to be super transparent, she shared something that really made my day (i.e., fed my ego a bit #justbeinghonest).

She had contacted a few other people and had another call with someone I know, but she was disappointed.

The suggestions given to her were formulaic and very “templated.”

At the end of our call, she thanked me for providing her with a unique solution, said she loved the ideas and felt energized and excited again.

Here’s the thing…

I’m all for frameworks and processes, but no one wants to feel like they’ve just been plugged into something without considering what makes them unique.

We all want to feel seen and heard.

The other issue with formulaic can best be summed up by this old saying:

“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”

There’s a time and a place for templates and templated processes… but when it comes to marketing, you will always be better off learning and understanding the strategy.

Then, you can apply it to new formats, styles, and markets.

Take AI for example:

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to use the tools (as we’ve all seen), but if you understand human behavior and the psychology behind what drives people, the tool, the technology, and the platform don’t matter.

You’re able to adapt and go with the flow.

Content marketing isn’t any different.

You're toast if you can’t tell a story and create content that connects to your reader/viewer/listener.

You’ll constantly be chasing the next tactic or platform.

New things may grab attention (like my obsession with what I’m now calling ‘Story Slides’ - see below), but if the story/content isn’t good, it won’t convert.

This differentiates people who create businesses of substance vs. those who go for the quick buck.

I’ve been noticing this in the creator/digital marketing space.

It feels a bit like deja vu with a new crop of people pushing old tactics with new names (list swaps, which were once called “JV swaps”).

I’m all for strategies like the list swap, but you must be very selective with who you swap with.

If you swap with someone who is only interested in list growth and hammering out affiliate offers, you’ll lose a lot of trust in your list—i.e., the people you’ve spent time and energy building a relationship with.

These same people then create products and tools to show you what they’ve done (is it me, or does this feel like MLM?).

I get that part of this is how some people learn.

However, I’d like to suggest that you cut your learning time down by focusing on the craft and mastery, which will ultimately get you where you want to go sooner rather than later.

And, because this is me being me, I’m also going to suggest that the journey is that much richer.

You end up working with ideal clients, connecting with people who fuel you instead of drain you, and you find a different (deeper) level of commitment and self-satisfaction that’s hard to describe.

And it’s priceless.

SPARK Spotlight 🔥

I mentioned this in my emails earlier this week. To learn about Story Slides, just click the image or watch the video here.

The secret to growing on LinkedIn in 2024

The secret to growing on LinkedIn in 2024

There's a rising demand for high-quality video content on LinkedIn. This presents a major opportunity for brands (and thought leaders) ready to step in.

Here’s how you can capitalize:

1. Grab your company's existing video assets, like interviews or webinars

2. Generate dozens of clips using OpusClip

3. Schedule your whole month’s worth of video clips on LI using our new Calendar feature

4. Reply to comments on your videos to foster your new connections

Want the full breakdown, with examples from companies like SaaStr and Chili Piper? Read it for free here

A Little Brainpower 🧠

I wrote this little diddy this week. How Paying Attention To What Lights You Up Should Absolutely DIctate Your Content Creation.

Learn Storytelling from Steve Jobs. A 42-second masterclass and lessons learned.

If you’ve been thinking about Substack, here’s some insight. A Few Cool Things I Learned About Substack This Week.

Tool Time 🛠

• Notes: This is for Mac only. But if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to take notes, check out Quick Note for Apple.

• Community: Build your own white-label community platform and launch it in 30 seconds. Check out Socially here.

• Website builder: Another AI option for building your website. Launch a beautiful website for free. Try Soloist.ai free here.

• Shorts: Another option for creating faceless shorts quickly. Try Latercut free here.

Definitely! 🤣

If you’re not from the States, you can see what these two curmudgeonly muppets were like here.

I have been getting outside as much as possible with the warm weather, which feels fantastic.

I’m now down to 55 days until I move back to Costa Rica, so I’m soaking up the warm summer nights and lovely weather here. (It’s the rainy season in Costa Rica right now).

This week has been a busy week - and a ton of fun.

I pulled the trigger on something I’ve wanted to do for a while:

This was going to be a special series on my podcast, but based on the response and a little bit of feedback, it looks like it may end up being a stand-alone podcast.

You can read more about it here.

Let me know if you know a woman who would be a good fit for the show.

I’m starting the interviews next week and hope to launch in mid-July.

This is more of a passion project than anything else, but I feel it may become something more.

Either way, I’m excited.

I’ll have more about the Summer Session of Everything Is Content in the next couple of days. (The cart opens next week!).

Have a wonderful day,
Kim