When you create content on a consistent basis, there are a few ways to provide value.  You need that content to be informative (how to) or entertaining (think Tik Tok) or to have a point of view (opinion).  From my perspective, the best content can sometimes do all three…with the right audience.  But if you want to stand out with your content, having a point of view is really important.  Otherwise, what is the point?

The challenge with having a point of view is that you need to take a stand.  You have to put yourself out there.  When you take one side of an issue, you run the risk of alienating or upsetting someone with the other point of view.  And the moment you put yourself in that position, “that voice” starts to get really loud in your head.

You know that voice. It’s the one screaming in your head telling you not to do it.  That voice tells you not to speak too loudly, share too much or be too proud.  I battle with that voice all of the time.

I have been wrestling hard with that voice over the last 24 hours.

Why?  The Promo UpFront podcast.  Bill Petrie and I record the Promo UpFront podcast every week.  It comes out on Friday.  We cover topics around the marketing and branded merchandise space…and we try to do it with personality.  We have said for years that we wanted to have the conversations that were being had in the parking lot…not in the actual meetings.  The goal is to have an unfiltered conversation and give our true takes on what is happening in this space.

And (for the most part) I think we have done that.

But when you have real unfiltered (and unedited) conversations and release them into the world, there will be push back.  We have had that happen on more than one occasion.  Sometimes, it’s because we gave our opinion and a person (or group) didn’t like it.  And occasionally it’s because we were just plain wrong.  It happens.  But that’s what happens when you put out an unedited, unfiltered podcast every single week.  It’s part of the territory.

But every once in a while I struggle with it.

Today in the Promo UpFront podcast, Bill and I give our take on several topics.  We try to be informative about what people in business can do to grow this year, talk about how many hours salespeople work, and even discuss when to push back on a client on creative work.  But what has had that voice yelling at me for the last 24 hours is the discussion around the online 18.  It’s a list of online influencers in the promo and marketing space (and Bill and I are on it).  I give some “hot takes” on the list…and while I stand by what I said…I can’t help but think it’s going to upset some people I respect.

I would love to say that after a while it becomes easy to “ignore the voice,” but I am not sure that is true.  It’s a journey.  I do want to have a point of view.  I do want to push through and keep creating content that has an edge (and value).  But on the other hand, I don’t want to be a jerk either.

So if I have been a jerk…I am sorry.

Here’s to being better tomorrow.

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