When I started this blog thing (when it was still about logistics), I said to myself, "if nothing else, stay consistent". I failed to do that, now it's about marketing, and I've failed once again in the last two weeks. The reason was COVID which I wouldn't recommend getting.
While I was out for the count, I did have time to realise some things after the worst of it passed. The strangest of which - that this wasn't the first time COVID messed up my plans.
Two years ago, when I had just started my business, on the 11th of March of 2020, a week before the Australian Formula One weekend. Thanks to some very generous friends who threw me the opportunity, I was set to fly to Austin, Texas, to represent Victoria at SXSW. Then history happened, and I didn't go.
Fast forward to the last couple of weeks when starting in April of 2022, a week before the Australian Formula One weekend. I meant to kick off a brand new (and big, valuable) marketing contract. Then I got COVID, and everything hurt.
I don't know why this keeps happening. Every time I'm on the cusp of "making it" as a mediocrely successful independent businessman. A disease creeps in, and bitch slaps me back to square one.
The pain endured was second to none. I hadn't really been sick in over two years. Closer to three. And now, I was fighting for what felt like my life.
I woke up at the peak of my misery of Friday night when I woke up at 2am, unable to breathe through my nose. So cold that it felt like I was in an ice bath. Headache. Turning over hurt. And my ears felt like someone was stabbing knives into them.
This led to strange doses of feverish sleep where I dreamt in extremely intricate detail about French chefs trying to teach me the four most-correct ways to make potatoes... No seriously. I think watching Ratatouille had something to do with this.
Being consistent was the goal, the one thing that I could control, and now I'd failed. Again. I couldn't be like all of the online influencers and gurus and coaches that go on and on about how vital it is to stay consistent.
They were better than me. I got the contract but was now like everyone else. A one-hit-wonder. Like John DeLorean. Or whoever sings Love Shack.
The formula for trust is consistency over time - people know what to expect from you because they've seen you show up and deliver many times.
Consistent delivery is why we trust Federer to be good at Tennis, Facebook to be evil, Google to give you answers, Ferrari for selling great merch, and for me to trust that Raiz is the most annoying investment app in the world. Who has - since January - sent me 56 emails, not counting the ones I've deleted.
Sticking around shows people that you aren't in it for the burst of fame and success - showing up, pillage, and then leave. It's time you've put in to care about whatever you're choosing to work on. Consistency builds trust, but it takes selflessness.
The last time I was locked down, I worked on the method I now use to build strategy and produce content. This time, I had the opportunity to ponder what I wanted to do with this blog/email/newsletter/spam thing, but since I don't have two years of lockdown, I might need your help with the next bit.
---To Be Continued ---