The case for putting out bad content
Recently a client and dear friend reached out and said her episode for her show would be a little bit late on the recording.
No problem, I replied. It happens. And it’s better to be a day late than miss a week entirely.
So she got it done and sent a message to let me know.
“It’s not very good,” she said meekly and with just a hint of defeat.
“Way to talk up your show; I’ll be sure to add that to the description” I joked with her.
The thing that many folks miss when it comes to creating content is that it’s more a series of mediocre outputs that makes success than hitting a home run every time you go up to bat.
I love baseball, and think it has so many useful comparisons to us as content creators. Think of the hitter who is considered successful if he gets a hit 30% of the time he goes to the plate. But there’s a lot of those outs that are victories in their own right. Sometimes the guy hits it hard, but right at one of the fielders who catches it and it’s an out. So says the box score, but that pitcher has got some things to think about next time that fellow is up to bat.
Then sometimes the weakest ground ball is a hit and scores the winning run.
You just never know what will happen with that game, which is why I love to watch it. Much more so than football, which more often than not is won by arbitrary rules and “penalties” than real skill, but I digress.
Point is that success is just being consistent. Even consistent mediocrity is better than sporadic greatness. Mediocre means “middle of the road” or “average.” It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just you being you, showing up when you say you’re going to show up.
So to my friend who’s feeling down because her episode wasn’t stellar in her mind, I say: “Buck up, little camper! You’re doing just fine.”
James Newcomb
P.S. My wife Sana and I are making some changes to our business structure, and the offerings we…offer. Which is why I haven’t really had anything to promote recently. But it’s important to just keep plugging away on these emails, for no other reason than to not be a hypocrite after writing what I just wrote 😉