Slow Notes
Marketing for people who don't like selling
"I don't like marketing." Not the first, and probably not the last time I heard a business owner say this. This is due to many reasons. One of the reasons is a common misconception, thinking that marketing is just selling. Yes, selling is marketing. But marketing is not selling. Marketing isn't even promotion, though promotion is marketing. Marketing is a much bigger process. Let's start with a definition of marketing by AMA (it's a bit complicated, so bear with me): Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging of...
Slow Sunday: Starting anew
When you have spent lots of time, effort and money in building a certain kind of a life, career and business, starting over feels like the craziest thing to do. Did the time, effort and money you spent go in vain? Is it pointless to start over, especially if you aren't that young anymore? Does it seem like you failed, weren't good enough? Starting anew is scary and it can be lots of work. It may feel like a failure, instead of a beginning of something great, exciting and fulfilling. Starting over isn't a failure. You haven't failed if you decide to ditch your career and go after another. You...
All is quiet and still
All is quiet and still. The past is looking at you in the light of the stars. It doesn't judge, it observes. What does it see? Does it see peace, does it see love, does it see connection? Or does it see the war and the hatred? This world of ours, so tiny and new. And life, just invented a second ago. Too fast, you let it rush through in your hunger for power. Too fast, without stopping to look back at the light of the stars. Starlight doesn't judge, it observes. Breathe in, breathe in the light of the stars. Breathe in the life, the past, the bittersweet notes of the future. Breathe in...
Slow Sunday: Finding focus
This year I've been mainly struggling. With my work, with my life, with everything. I was stretching myself very thin. It all came down in November, when I found my breaking point. I had lost my way, trying to be everything to everyone. I was all over the place, doing stuff I didn't want to do just because I felt I had to. I was trying not to upset people, I thought I had certain obligations. I hadn't wanted to do web design and development for a while, but instead of ditching it, I had kept it and added on other services. There was no focus. Backup plans are great. Like safety nets, you c...
Slow Sunday: Getting over yourself
The first thought on your mind is I'm talking about you. Not a group of people, not an unspecified person. You, specifically. Who else would I be talking about? Your mistake is understandable. You, specifically and personally, are taking it personally. Your mind works that way. It's built to be selfish, to believe everything is about you. If you want to stop making this mistake, believing that everyone is always talking about you, you must first get over yourself. First, our own conduct online is to blame. The way we are talking about each other, when we don't want to name names. Subtweeti...
Why I'm ditching web design and development
I've been struggling with my work for a long while now. Web design and development has been in my life for 18 years or so, first as a hobby and soon at work. I even got a degree in digital media, because it felt like the thing to do. Before that, I studied computer science for a while. Yeah, a pretty clear path, don't you think? During these years something has happened. I have found myself less than satisfied professionally, creatively and financially. Things must change. Professionally speaking, I have felt being stuck for years now. I don't seem to be able to convey my expertise, and thes...
Read for your life
One thing is painfully clear. The technology has made information easy to access, and easy to create. This has led to incredible amount of lies being spread around. If an orange guy yells it loud enough, everyone will be sure to hear it. If someone wants you to believe a woman is crooked, all they need to do is to write a couple of articles and spread them around social media. The amount of information and disinformation is incredible. While you can always be fooled by all that disinformation, however smart and educated you are, this doesn't mean you shouldn't try and learn to see the differ...