I’m the kind of person who takes in a lot of ideas, loves to try things I think will “optimize my life,” and, when I find something that actually works, tells basically everyone I know about it. Sometimes that’s a podcast or a book. Sometimes it’s software (lately, Otter and YNAB). Sometimes it’s just a trick or idea or a life hack. I just love sharing about things that make life better — sometimes those things are about business, and sometimes they’re just about living life.
So this year, I’ve decided to start a weekly email to share these life hacks that I love. Each week, I want to send you one idea that you can “steal” to make your own life, or your own business, better. I’m a firm believer in stealing ideas for your business, because once you actually adapt them to suit your business, your staff and your customers, they’re entirely different anyway, and it’s not stealing anymore. (For example, when I was still running Church Street, I heard about the Barons’ “Tweet Your Seat” promotion, and I ran a “Tweet Your Drink” promotion at Church Street. By the time we ran ours, the prizes and concept were different, but the Barons’ promo was the spark for ours.)
I thought of this weekly email idea late last year, and I was so full of ideas that I literally pulled over to the side of the road to write it all down. And that list keeps growing — I already have more than enough ideas to get us through the next six months, and the list gets longer every time I run across a great idea in a book or podcast. The idea that I can amplify other creators, some of whom have big followings, but others who are small like me, is really exciting, too.
If you’re already on my email list, you’ve be getting these emails already. Here’s today’s email, on the concept of “Manager Time” versus “Maker Time.” (Search your email for “Rollwagen,” or open up that Spam folder if you haven’t seen them.)
I’m truly excited about these emails. As it’s gotten harder and harder to battle Instagram’s and Google’s algorithms, I’m very happy to have a way to reach you directly. And you can reach me, too — when you reply to the email, it comes right to my inbox. I’m incredibly thankful to everyone who’s replied to tell me they’re enjoying them, or to tell me they’re stealing the idea I’ve shared for their own life or business. It’s seriously a bright spot of my day, and I’m so grateful.