If I Am Ever Going to Support Something…
Perhaps you’ve noticed, but I don’t really do endorsements here. I just can’t get behind a person, a place or a thing that I haven’t experienced directly, and derived value from. How could I assure you of the value of something or someone I’ve never actually worked with? I can’t. So I won’t. And I haven’t.
This decision is despite ‘information’ otherwise insinuating that one could grow rich and buy a yacht if only they had some affiliate advertising on their site.
I love money, I do, but my focus is on value. And I will not support things just because I can profit from them. I am committed to associating with excellence, in every facet of everything I do. I can not ignore the cost to my business of promoting the mediocre, and not really helping people. It is not worth compromising my most prized asset, my integrity.
This is Me Supporting Something… and Why
Two weeks ago, Mark Dykeman of Thoughtwrestling offered me a free review copy of his ebook on mind mapping. His offer let me read the ebook with no strings attached. It wasn’t conditional on my agreement to review it publicly (as I have experienced before), he simply offered it with no instructions other than he appreciated feedback. He did not attempt to control the exchange, and this I perceived as confidence in his Self, and in his product. It made me even more interested to read what he had to say. I appreciated that he trusted that I could determine how, and if, I wanted to support him.
His Product Inspired Me
I’ve being mapping my mind, and my clients, for a few years now. I find mind maps are a great tool for planning creative projects and determining:
- The Big Picture – what you want to achieve
- The Pieces and How to Get Them – what it will take to achieve your goal
- The Motivation – how everything fits together
After reading Mark’s ebook, UnStuck Focused Organized – Using Mind Mapping, I was better able to focus my Pay-What-It’s-Worth Pricing book project, and was inspired to create this mind map of my ideas.
Click to actually read this bad boy
What Compelled Me to Write This
- Quality – Mind maps are a super helpful brainstorming tool for anyone, no matter your learning style, and Mark’s ebook can help you to utilize them effectively.
- Integrity – Mark’s willingness to give freely, and to let me determine the value of his work created a strong desire in me to give back and share my positive experience. It’s the same strategy of reciprocity that underlies Pay-What-It’s-Worth Pricing. Let go of trying to control others and trust in them that they can determine the value of your work.
