By Gini Dietrich
About a year ago, I was introduced to one Rich Brooks and it was kind of astounding we’d never run into one another.
Same circles. Same friends. Same allies.
He interviewed me for his podcast and we quickly hit it off.
He runs a web design and Internet marketing company called flyte new media.
He runs a conference called The Agents of Change.
He hosts a podcast called The Marketing Agents.
And he lives in one of my favorite cities in the U.S.
And here he is…on the Spin Sucks Inquisition hot seat.
What is the Biggest Mistake You’ve Made in Your Career?
Not getting the help I needed early on.
These days I’m more willing to hire a coach, take that course, or delegate to a more talented team member, but back in the day I tried to take it all on myself.
That definitely stalled my company’s growth.
What is One Thing About Yourself that Would Surprise Most People?
That I used to work as a waiter where I had to dance on the bar top every time the song Charlie Brown played in this synchronized dance with the other waitstaff.
I think the chain was called Stash & Stellas.
If You Could Achieve Everything You Ever Wanted in Life, but Had to Die 10 Years Sooner, Would You Make that Trade?
Yes, because one of the things I’d wish for is 20 extra years of life.
Snap!
What Industry Advice or Practice Would You Most Like to Cry Foul On?
Just the idea of quantity over quality.
It’s an old saw that we’re overwhelmed by data and information, but truth be told, it’s really that so much of it is crap.
(And I’ve been guilty of it myself.)
I’m finding myself more attracted to companies and marketers who are creating less content, but spending more time researching and polishing that content first.
What is the Best Book You’ve Read in the Past Six Months?
Along the lines of the last answer, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.
For me, the best aspect of the book can be summed up in (paraphrasing here): Non-essentialists say, “I can do it all.”
Essentialists ask, “What can I go big on?”
That to me is just the advice I needed.
Why Does Spin Suck?
It obfuscates the truth.
It causes you to work on the message and not on the problem.
Where You Can Find Rich Brooks
Every fall, Rich and his team put on The Agents of Change Digital Marketing Conference in Portland, Maine (and online).
I feel like September is a good month to go to Portland. I’m sure there is a lobster festival at the same time. So check it out. Register. And go!
And you can find Rich on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, and on his podcast, The Marketing Agents Podcast.