Thursday Press #11: Can we take our relationship to the next level?
[6 JAN 2022] What this fam-favorite game taught me about business
IF YOU SEE ME LESS, I'M DOING MORE
.. except that's pretty much the opposite of what I'm doing in 2022
For the past 5 months, I've been dropping into your inbox every other week (or so), but if you don't mind, I'd like to take our relationship to the next level
I'm not talking Facebook official or anything like that, but weekly emails.
Nothing much is changing about the newsletter you know and (hopefully) love, I'll just be seeing you every Thursday for a quick chat, Pinterest/biz tip, and book rec.
Sending weekly emails is one of the goals I've set for my business this year, so thank you very much for joining me on this journey and holding me accountable.
Now, I'm going to skip over the 2021 recap (minus sharing some of my fave posts from the year), and tell you a lesson I learned from a game of marbles over Christmas.
Over the holidays, my partner and I packed up lots of games to bring with us to our families' houses, taking advantage of packed dinner tables and downtime. But the game that had the biggest turnout wasn't one that evoked riotous laughter or hours of intense strategizing; it was mancala. A simple marble counting game that Caroline's sister begged us to play over and over again.
Each game took about 15 minutes, and Caroline won probably 80% of them, much to my and her sister's chagrin.
I am sure there is a wealth of literature on the strategies of mancala, but I wasn't interested. Most games I went into just hoping for the best, with some mild counting skills to help me along the way. The deepest my strategy got was copying Caroline's moves.
If she started with her fourth slot, then the second, then the first, I did the same.
And you know what? It worked. But only kinda. While I won the odd game or two, copying Caroline didn't actually help me beat her. If she went rogue, all strategy went out the window and I was back to counting and hoping for the best.
It's the same in business. Watching what other people do and trying to copy it for your own business is going to get you so far.
What about when you reach uncharted territory and you don't have an example to copy? You haven't honed your own unique approaches to solving your business's unique problems, and you might end up feeling a little lost.
There is so much freaking advice about what to do and what not to do and exactly how to do all of those things. But simply trying to copy someone else's success isn't going to work out for you long-term. You never know what's going on behind the scenes, and it won't be authentic to you (and we all know how much of a buzzword authenticity is…)
The moral of this roundabout story? Take the building blocks of business advice that resonate with you and use them to build your own castle, your own way.
The Best of 2021
Hi, I’m Sarah — Pinterest marketer, former local journalist, and professional oversharer. Thanks for reading this edition of the Thursday Press! If you’re a fan of stories that turn into strategic Pinterest marketing tips, way-too-honest insights into online entrepreneurship, and the occasional cat picture, you’re in the right place.
Want more of what you’re seeing? Here’s how we can connect:
Check out my services. Whether you’re looking for Pinterest management or a helping hand to get started, I offer Pinterest marketing services for creative entrepreneurs who want to go from feeling good about their business to feeling ahmazing.
Read the marketing blog. Like your favorite lifestyle mag, but with more Pinterest tips, my blog is your go-to source for all things Pinterest marketing, content strategy, and human-first business ownership.
Grab your free Pinterest roadmap. Set up and optimize your own Pinterest business account so you’re ready to grow your business using Pinterest!
Browse my favorite business resources. From homegrown freebies to shoppable marketing products and my favorite business tools and apps, everything I use to run my business is right here!