I know most folks say to enter a new year boldly, but given how the last two have gone, I’m giving 2022 the side-eye until we get to know each other better.
That’s why I’ve decided to start 2022 with a look back at some of the highlights of 2021, and more specifically your highlights — the posts you all found the most interesting and valuable.
First up, the goofy stuff!
Best of the Swipefiles
Last year I settled into a pattern which you all seemed to really enjoy: highlighting one of my 10ish weekly Swipefile shares for a deeper look.
How could you use it? Why Good Arguments Make Better Strategy
Okay, this one isn’t actually about a weird story, but it was definitely one of my favorite articles of last year. If you read it, you’ll likely immediately see why: “argument” here is used in terms of “making a case,” which is exactly what the Red Thread is designed to help you do.
How could you use it? The world’s most dangerous garden
This one was fun not only for its unacknowledged nod to a major set piece in Ian Fleming’s James Bond adventure, You Only Live Twice (and in the latest Bond film, No Time to Die!), but also because it’s such a good example of how good marketing (and messaging!) can make commodities a lot more interesting.
How could you use it? There’s A Good Chance You’ve Made Out With A Drowning Victim From The 1800s
I got a lot of comments about this one, both in your emails to me, and on all the social sites where I shared it.
Best of the Videos
Sometimes you make a shift in how you do things that starts as an experiment, and quickly becomes your new norm. For me, that was my shifting my video approach to minute-ish long videos that were complete unto themselves, but also served as “trailers” of sorts for more in-depth posts here. As soon as I started doing them, both the videos and the posts about them became some of your instant favorites. YAY.
Message in a Minute: The Fool Wanders, the Wise Man Travels
This one’s all about the three steps to getting your message out into the world, and how important it is not to skip any.
Message in a Minute: Give them something they can’t unhear
Here, I introduce a trio of qualities that make a message not just irresistible, but unforgettable — and how those three come together in what’s known as a “moment of truth.”
Message in a Minute: You can’t have more than one “front door”
My thanks to my Red Thread Mastermind group for telling me they wanted more on this topic. It’s something I say to my clients often, especially when they’re trying to pack in a whole bunch of features and benefits right at the beginning of a message.
Best of the Rest
Every now and then (and especially last year while I was moving), I write something without there being a video that goes along. Three of those were also some of your favorites last year, so here they are again:
Curiosity is a curve. Where does your message fit?
Man, I use this graph all the time now, especially whenever I talk about making sure your message is relevant to your audience. So useful.
Why your idea alone is not enough
A favorite topic of mine overall is how to operationalize ideas — how to take a great idea and actually put it into practice. This post is a summary of the most important concepts that frame how I think about doing that, and how you can apply them, too.
How are you using the three dimensions of expertise?
This was my response to the Clubhouse craze at the beginning of last year (remember that?!). What started originally as an offhand comment because an important way for me to think about what I do and where I spend my time. Looks like you all found it useful, too!
Let’s do this, 2022
They say the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Well, now that I look back on some of the things you and I explored together last year, 2021 definitely had some bright spots and some perspective-shifting moments, didn’t it?
That makes me even more excited for what’s ahead, and what new ideas we can share this year.
Now that I look back on some of the things you and I explored together last year, 2021 definitely had some bright spots and some perspective-shifting moments, didn't it? Click To TweetPlease note that many of the links are affiliate links, which means if you buy a thing I link to, I get a percentage of the cost, and then donate it to charity.
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