Contentment Creation

Content creation has a long and rich history that dates back to the earliest forms of human communication. From cave paintings to hieroglyphics to the printing press, humans have always found ways to express themselves and share their ideas with others.

In the early days of the internet, or Web 1.0, content creation was mostly limited to text-based content, such as blog posts and articles. However, with the emergence of Web 2.0 and its focus on user-generated content, content creation exploded in popularity and diversity. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter emerged, allowing users to share their thoughts and ideas in real-time with a global audience. In addition, higher resolution cameras and improved access to capturing devices from smartphones made it easier for people to create and share visual content, including photos and videos. This democratization of content creation has made it possible for anyone to create and share content that can be seen and enjoyed by a wide audience.

In 2005, YouTube was founded and revolutionized the way people consume and create video content. This led to the rise of the influencer and vlogger culture, where anyone with a camera and an internet connection could create and share videos with the world.

Around the same time, blogging became a popular form of content creation, with individuals and businesses creating blogs to share their ideas and promote their products and services. Additionally, the emergence of podcasting and other forms of audio content further expanded the diverse range of content available to consumers. With these developments, content creation became more accessible and diverse than ever before, offering something for every interest and taste.

Today, content creation has become a multi-billion dollar industry, with individuals and companies creating content across a wide range of formats, including blog posts, social media posts, videos, podcasts, and more. With the proliferation of new technologies and platforms, the history of content creation continues to evolve, as new forms of media and storytelling emerge to meet the demands of an ever-changing audience.

While the history of content creation has evolved to become a multi-billion dollar industry, it’s important to recognize the difference between content as a material and contentment as a state of being.

The terms “content” and “contentment” have two different meanings and contexts.

When we talk about “content” in the context of digital media or marketing, we are typically referring to the materials created and shared on different platforms, such as blog posts, social media posts, videos, podcasts, and other types of media mentioned above. The goal of creating content in this context is to inform, educate, entertain, or engage the target audience with the ultimate goal of promoting a product, service, or brand.

On the other hand, when we talk about “contentment” or “happiness,” we are referring to a feeling of satisfaction, fulfillment, and pleasure. In this context, contentment is a subjective emotional state that comes from within and is often influenced by various external factors, such as relationships, career, health, and personal goals.

While the two terms are distinct and have different meanings, there is a connection between them. The purpose of creating content is not just to promote a brand or product but also to connect with the audience and bring them happiness, whether through entertainment, inspiration, or education.

Content creators have realized that their work can have a profound impact on people’s emotions and well-being. They have started to focus not just on creating content that meets their marketing objectives but also on creating content that evokes positive emotions and provides value to their audience. This has led to a rise in the creation of content that serves a higher purpose than just promoting a product or service.

For instance, a travel blogger can create content that inspires their audience to explore new destinations, try new foods, and immerse themselves in different cultures. Similarly, a fitness influencer can create content that educates their audience on healthy habits, encourages them to stay active, and motivates them to take care of their physical and mental well-being.

By creating content that brings happiness and fulfillment to their audience, content creators can establish a loyal following, build a strong brand, and make a positive impact on people’s lives. Thus, content creation has evolved from a mere marketing tactic to a form of creative expression that can create a sense of community, inspire positive change, and foster contentment in people’s lives.

The 60/30/10 Rule: The Past, Present, and Future

Content creation is crucial for any business or personal brand. To make your content informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience, you can use the 60/30/10 rule. This framework suggests dividing your content into three parts: 60 percent about the past, 30 percent about the present, and 10 percent about the future.

By dedicating 60 percent of your content to the past, you provide your audience with historical context, which is essential to better understand the present and future. It can be about historical events, the evolution of a product or service, or the history of a brand. This stable and agreed-upon set of facts helps your audience see the bigger picture and make informed decisions.

30 percent of your content should be about the present, which includes current trends, news, and events in your industry. This ensures that your content is timely and relevant, keeping your audience engaged and informed. However, it’s essential not to focus too much on the present and miss critical context or opportunities.

Finally, 10 percent of your content should be about the future, where innovation and progress lie. You can provide insights or speculations about what the future may hold, predictions about industry trends, or new developments in your field. While it’s tempting to make bold predictions, be mindful of the potential risks and limitations of such content.

Following the 60/30/10 rule helps you balance historical context, current trends, and future insights, ensuring that your content is well-rounded and valuable to your audience. It also directs and focuses your content creation efforts, making it easier for your audience to follow along. Whether it’s making entire pieces dedicated to one subject or covering the past, present, and future all in one topic, this framework provides a helpful guide.

For instance, if you’re a fashion blogger, you can provide a historical perspective on fashion trends, explain current trends, and provide insights into the future of fashion. Similarly, if you’re a business owner, you can provide a historical perspective on your industry, discuss current events and trends, and speculate on the future of your industry.

By following the 60/30/10 rule, you can create engaging and informative content, establish yourself as a thought leader, and keep your audience coming back for more. It’s a helpful approach to ensure that your content remains relevant and valuable.

Breaking Cliques from Communities

Building communities is a natural aspect of human socialization. It allows us to connect with others who have similar values, beliefs, interests, or experiences. Communities offer us a sense of belonging, both as something to devote our energy to and for us to partake in. However, communities can sometimes become exclusive and develop cliques, which can make others feel left out and isolated. In this post, we’ll discuss some tips for building communities without cliques.

Encourage Diversity

One of the best ways to prevent cliques from forming is to encourage diversity within your community. This means being inclusive of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. This will help to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and included. A diverse group is resistant to singularity and echo chambers.

Foster Open Communication

Open communication is crucial for building a community that is free from cliques. Encourage everyone to speak up and share their thoughts and ideas. Create a safe space where people can express themselves without fear of judgment or rejection. This will help to foster a culture of openness and collaboration, which is essential for building a strong and inclusive community. Transparency limits fragmentation.

Focus on Shared Values

One of the best ways to build a community without cliques is to focus on shared values. This means creating a community around a common purpose or interest. For example, if you’re building a community around a particular hobby or interest, make sure everyone shares a passion for that activity. This will help to create a sense of unity and purpose, which can help to prevent cliques from forming. Identifying a strong central vision removes that responsibility from cliques.

Embrace Newcomers

Newcomers are often the most vulnerable members of a community, and they may feel intimidated or excluded. To prevent cliques from forming, it’s essential to embrace newcomers and make them feel welcome. Encourage existing members to reach out and introduce themselves, and provide resources and support to help newcomers get involved. This will help to create a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels valued and supported. Bridging the gap between the most and least experienced members minimizes the differences and maximizes similarities.

Address Cliques Directly

Even with the best intentions, cliques can sometimes form within a community. If you notice cliques forming, it’s essential to address them directly. Talk to the members involved and explain how their behavior is affecting others. Encourage them to be more inclusive and to reach out to other members of the community. By addressing cliques directly, you can prevent them from becoming more entrenched and damaging the community. Understanding the needs and origins of cliques reveals insight into the community at large.

It is important to understand why and how cliques form, as they inform us of the larger group. Building a community without cliques requires a deliberate and intentional effort. By encouraging diversity, fostering open communication, focusing on shared values, embracing newcomers, and addressing cliques directly, you can create a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels valued and supported.

Persisting Through Doubt

Doubt is a natural part of life, and it’s something that we all experience at some point. Whether we’re trying to achieve a goal, pursue a dream, or simply make a decision, doubt can creep in and make us question ourselves. But the key to success is not avoiding doubt, but rather persisting through it. In this blog post, we’ll explore some tips and strategies for how to do just that.

Identify the source of your doubt

The first step in persisting through doubt is to identify the source of your doubts. Is it a lack of confidence in your abilities? Fear of failure? Comparison to others? Once you know where your doubts are coming from, you can start to address them directly.

Reframe your doubts as questions

Instead of seeing doubt as a negative, try reframing it as a question. For example, instead of thinking “I’ll never be able to do this,” try asking “What do I need to do to achieve this?” This shift in perspective can help you approach your doubts as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles to overcome.

Focus on your progress

When we’re in the midst of doubt, it’s easy to get caught up in what we haven’t accomplished yet. But instead of focusing on what you haven’t done, focus on what you have accomplished. Take some time to reflect on your progress so far, and use that as motivation to keep pushing forward.

Lean on your support system

When we’re feeling doubtful, it can be helpful to lean on the people around us for support. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or mentor and talk about your doubts. They may be able to offer encouragement, advice, or simply a listening ear.

Embrace failure as part of the process

Failure is a natural part of any journey, and it’s something that we all experience at some point. Instead of seeing failure as a sign of weakness or inadequacy, try reframing it as a necessary step on the path to success. Embrace failure as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve.

Keep moving forward

Perhaps the most important tip for persisting through doubt is simply to keep moving forward. Doubts may arise, but don’t let them derail your progress. Focus on taking small steps each day, and trust that over time, those steps will add up to something significant.

In conclusion, doubt is a natural part of any journey, but it doesn’t have to hold you back. By identifying the source of your doubts, reframing them as questions, focusing on your progress, leaning on your support system, embracing failure, and keeping moving forward, you can persist through doubt and achieve your goals.

Darkest Before Dawn

The phrase “darkest before dawn” suggests that success is most uncertain and difficult just before it’s achieved. This concept applies to our lives in many ways.

Reaching success requires hard work, persistence, and sacrifice. There will be times when everything seems to be going wrong, and it feels like success is impossible. During these moments, it’s important to remember that it’s darkest before dawn. We must continue to push through the difficult times and keep moving forward.

Having hope is also crucial when striving for success. It gives us the strength to keep moving forward and believe in the possibility of success. When we have hope, we can see beyond the challenges and obstacles in our lives and focus on the potential outcomes.

Failure is an inevitable part of the journey to success. It’s through our failures that we learn valuable lessons and gain experience that can help us succeed in the future. When we experience failure, we must remember that it’s not the end of the road. It’s a temporary setback that can be overcome with perseverance and determination.

In summary, success requires hard work, dedication, and a positive mindset. It’s often most difficult and uncertain just before it’s achieved, but pushing through the tough times, holding onto hope, and learning from our failures can help us achieve our goals.

Drawer Dollar

I couldn’t have been older than 6. We lived in a duplex in Glen Ellyn. It was the first home I remembered living in. My parents moved from Seattle to Kenosha to finally a suburb outside of Chicago. I still remember the first day I went to school and my father dropped me off at the bus stop.

My father told me stories of how when he was young, his brothers and him had very few possessions. He grew up extremely poor and had a small dresser he shared with his brothers. They each had one drawer for their special belongings. I don’t remember what my father kept in his: diaries, makeshift toys, or money. He told me he was so poor growing up he would gather the pits of peaches to use as toys and he would unravel cigarette butts for their paper. Even as a child I could understand how poor he once was and how I wasn’t as poor as he was as a child.

He asked me to place a few of my things into a drawer. I didn’t really have much, I didn’t collect anything from outside like rocks or stamps or coins and my father had yet to fill my drawer with teenage things like he did with pens and trinkets later in my life.

The only thing I remember possessing was a $1 bill. My mother or father must have given it to me to teach me to save or to treat me for candy. I stored this dollar carefully in my drawer.

One evening my parents were arguing. I heard them yelling about “qian,” the Chinese word for money. I listened from another room, scared of the situation. I had never seen my parents angry at each other. Why were they so upset? I thought they could work through anything together.

They continued to argue and I ran to my drawer. I didn’t want my parents to argue about money so I grabbed the only money I had and ran back to the other room. I must’ve ran to my mother for a hug and cried out she could have my money. My parents saw the dollar in my hands and laughed. They told me not to worry and to save my dollar. I was so sad I could not help.

The next day I walked to the corner store across the street. I took my dollar and looked for Wrigley’s Double Mint gum. It was 25c and I knew my father enjoyed them. I bought one pack of gum and excitedly ran home. I gave my father my gift and he smiled at me. He thanked me and told me not to worry.

Later in my life, I would be hit by a car and receive a decent amount of settlement money. My parents would ask me for a large loan and I would accept without question. They were able to pay me back, but I wasn’t really concerned on how or when and I don’t remember the details. All’s I know is they never fought about money after that. My father’s business stabilized and the arguments died down. He was right, I shouldn’t worry.

Cutco Leads

When I was a young college student, I spent a winter break selling Cutco knives. It was one of my first sales experiences working for someone outside of my family, as a young adult. I was asked to reach out to my network of friends and family to try to solicit knives. At that age, most of my friends and family were people I knew not by choice but by proximity. It was strange calling high school friends, especially since many declined and that may have been my last interaction with them.

There was one particular day I won’t forget. We typically had training and meetings once a week after the initial onboarding. Our sales director asked a few of us to come in on Saturday to try to get ahead. I was interested in seeing what additional effort and work would yield, so I decided to come early that Saturday.

We went into a small room, not our usual conference room. There were maybe a dozen other people in the room. Danny was our sales director’s name. Danny said that Cutco needed more sales members and that we would help him find them. He passed around a notepad and pen to each person around the room and went back to the front. He pulled out a $20 bill and said the person who produced the largest list of potential Cutco employees got the $20. He said, “Go” and everyone started writing down names and numbers and scrolling through their phone.

I recalled Biel, the person’s name I was told when I was first called by Danny a few months ago. I was told Biel recommended me and thought I would do well in this program. Biel was a student a year above me who I had met casually through another club. Since he was older, at the time of Danny calling I thought Biel was doing me a favor. After working with Cutco for over a month, I realized where I was sitting. I was sitting where Biel was sitting months ago. Except I had stopped seeing Biel around the office. When I first did training, I saw him here and there. As the weeks passed, I didn’t. What was going on?

I had a friend who got really sucked into the program. Every time we met, he was talking about sales. Looking back, it’s kind of cute seeing his entrepreneurial spirit. At the time, it seemed like any other indoctrination I had seen him face, from Jehovah’s Witness to environmentalism. It was extremely annoying, especially since I had known him before sales. His enthusiasm for Cutco began to become off putting. He would later be pressured to open an office in central Illinois by Danny, only to have it fail months later.

Back in the class sized room on this Saturday morning, I looked at my phone and all around the room. Danny was busy looking at his phone, smiling at the prospects about to roll in. I put my pen up the paper and then gave up. I couldn’t write down a single name or number. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get myself to fork over my contact list. When Danny’s phone timer went off, he asked us to finish our lists and turn them in. I turned in a blank sheet and ended up doing my last Cutco appointment that week.

Cutco primarily worked off of first hand recommendations. It taught me a lot of valuable sales skills, from scheduling tactics to navigating a close. While the products were good and the pay acceptable, it preyed on inexperienced college students and young adults to perform sales and to leverage young adults for their social networks, mostly of neighborhood families. The worst parts of Cutco were the assertiveness of their sales tactics and the indoctrination of naive salesmen. I am glad I was able to gather some practical advice from the little time I spent there and I’m glad I was able to keep my integrity when reflecting upon my situation and its inception. First hand recommendation is an incredibly strong sales tactic but a chance at $20 was not a worthwhile exchange with my adolescent phone book and it was a great lesson to learn early on.

A WoW Guild is a Business

In a previous post, we went over the differences between a business and a public service. In this post, we’ll cover how a World of Warcraft guild is not a public service, but rather a business.

While building a World of Warcraft guild may seem like a hobby or a public service, it is much more akin to running a business. Because there are so many competing guilds in WoW, a successful guild requires leadership, management, resources, and exclusiveness.

Leadership is Key

Just like any business, a successful WoW guild requires strong leadership. A guild leader must be able to set a vision, establish goals, and motivate their team to achieve success. Guild leaders must be able to communicate their vision and goals clearly to all members of the guild. They must also be able to listen to feedback and respond to concerns from members of the guild. Guild leaders must also be able to manage conflict and make difficult decisions that may not be popular with all members of the guild. They must be able to coordinate schedules and ensure that all members are working towards the same objectives. Guild leaders must also be able to identify areas where coordination is lacking and take steps to address these issues. While leadership is necessary in both businesses and public services, leadership is more often necessary in a business due to the need to adapt, takes risks, and compete with the others in the marketplace.

Management is Critical

A WoW guild is not just a group of players who come together to play the game. It requires careful management to ensure that all members are working together towards a common goal. Guild leaders must manage player schedules, organize raids, assign tasks, and monitor performance to ensure that the guild is progressing and achieving success. In contract, public services may be organized into different departments or divisions, but tend to be flatter structures with less hierarchy compared to businesses. Businesses are often empowered to make decisions quickly and independently, as the success of the business often depends on quick decision-making. These types of decisions cannot be easily reached through public and bureaucratic consensus, as their decisions often have broader implications for the public. Without central leadership, management becomes more self-delegated and results become more selfish or microscopic rather than for a greater good.

Resources are Limited

In a business, managers are focused on increasing revenue, managing costs, and generating profits for shareholders, while public service managers are focused on delivering high-quality services to the public, often within a set budget. Public services are funded by taxes from the government or local community, while WoW guilds, on the other hand, must rely on their own resources and fundraising efforts to support their activities. This means that guilds must be self-sufficient and manage their resources carefully to ensure that they can continue to operate. Just like a business, a WoW guild has limited resources. These resources include the player pool, player time, gold, and other in-game resources. Guild leaders must manage these resources carefully to ensure that they are being used effectively. This means making decisions about how to allocate resources, whether it be investing in new raid times, new gear, or purchasing more materials for the guild bank. Several factors such as funding, allocation, accountability, and risk tolerance vary greatly from businesses and public services.

Membership is a privilege, not a right

Membership has both rewards and responsibilities. In terms of rewards, unlike a public service, joining a WoW guild is not a right or entitlement. Members must meet certain criteria and be approved by the guild leadership before being admitted. This means that guilds can be selective about who they admit and can choose to exclude players who do not meet their standards. In terms of responsibilities, public servants are often expected to serve for a certain period of time, while WoW guild members are free to leave at any time. This means that guilds must work hard to keep their members engaged and motivated, and must continually recruit new members to replace those who leave. Businesses must compete with other companies in the same industry for customers, market share, and profits. This requires strong leadership that can develop competitive strategies, differentiate products and services, and build strong brands. Public services, on the other hand, often have a monopoly on the services they provide and do not face the same level of competition. As a guild, attaining and retaining members is never guaranteed and is a tremendous sign of positive growth.

In summary, building a World of Warcraft guild is more like running a business than a public service. A successful guild requires leadership, management, resources, and exclusiveness. Leadership is necessary for both businesses and public services, but more often necessary in a business due to the need to adapt, take risks, and compete with others in the marketplace. Management is critical for a guild to ensure all members are working together towards a common goal, something most easily accomplished in a hierarchical business structure. A WoW guild has limited resources that must be managed carefully, unlike public services funded by taxes. Membership in a WoW guild is a privilege, not a right, and members must meet certain criteria and be approved by the guild leadership before being admitted.

Public services are beholden to a general population, not a privileged subsection, are funded by taxes, not business revenue, are regulated and controlled, as opposed to free and creative, are owned by government or public organizations, not groups or individuals, and face little to no competition, unlike the free market. The only way a WoW guild could be a public service is if Blizzard provided a default community guild with no guild master or hierarchy and with no agenda or leadership.

Wringing Stones

wandering through drought and salt
finding some shade and resolve
wondering what it’s called
staring at open palms

it’s not a double tree
it’s a stand with no banner
what they couldn’t see
a test with no answers

fruit from a field unsown
neighbors have left from cold
a tree that bore only stones
squeeze them till we find gold

inspire the attendance
lead them with conviction
the toil seems endless
context breeds recognition

too tight of a grasp
we find blood of the rock
too light of a tap
is an unsculptured block

stand on two feet
in the discourse we listen
in the moment of heat
we strike with precision

a future unseen
with each seed of hope
we are a state in between
the blood and the stone

Leading with Conviction

As a leader, having conviction is crucial to achieving success and inspiring others. Conviction is a deep-seated belief in one’s principles, values, and mission. It gives leaders the confidence to make tough decisions, take risks, and pursue their goals with unwavering determination. In this post, we will explore why leaders need conviction and how it can benefit their organizations.

Conviction creates clarity

Leaders with conviction have a clear understanding of their values and goals. They have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and how they plan to get there. This clarity helps them make better decisions, prioritize tasks effectively, and communicate their expectations to others. When leaders are uncertain or indecisive, it can create confusion and delay progress. Conviction provides a solid foundation for leadership and ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards a common goal.

Conviction inspires confidence

Leaders who have conviction inspire confidence in their teams. When employees see that their leader is passionate about their work and has a clear vision for the future, they are more likely to feel motivated and engaged. Conviction also gives leaders the strength to face challenges and overcome obstacles, which can be reassuring to employees who are uncertain or anxious about the future. By demonstrating confidence and resolve, leaders can inspire their teams to believe in themselves and their ability to achieve great things.

Conviction fosters accountability

Leaders with conviction are accountable for their actions and decisions. They take responsibility for their mistakes and learn from them, rather than blaming others or making excuses. This accountability sets a positive example for employees and encourages them to take ownership of their work. When everyone in the organization is accountable for their actions, it creates a culture of responsibility and trust. Conviction also helps leaders stay focused on their goals and avoid distractions, which is essential for achieving success.

Conviction promotes innovation

Leaders with conviction are not afraid to take risks or try new things. They are willing to experiment and innovate, even if it means stepping outside of their comfort zone. This openness to change and willingness to take risks can lead to breakthrough ideas and new opportunities. When leaders are too cautious or risk-averse, it can stifle creativity and limit innovation. Conviction encourages leaders to embrace uncertainty and explore new possibilities, which can be a catalyst for growth and success.

Conviction builds resilience

Leaders with conviction are resilient in the face of adversity. They are able to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving forward, even when the going gets tough. This resilience is essential for overcoming challenges and achieving long-term success. When leaders are resilient, they inspire their teams to be resilient as well. By demonstrating strength and perseverance, leaders can create a culture of resilience that can help the organization weather any storm.

In conclusion, leaders need conviction because it provides clarity, inspires confidence, fosters accountability, promotes innovation, and builds resilience. Conviction is not something that can be learned overnight – it requires a deep-seated belief in one’s values and goals. However, with time and practice, leaders can develop the conviction they need to achieve great things and inspire others to do the same.