The Art of a Great Introduction.I tweeted about generosity the other day. A way to provide without breaking the bank. It was all about making excellent introductions and networking. Here’s a way to be generous without costing your a penny: be willing to introduce amazing people to each other. It’s powerful, rewarding and free. — Chris Lema (@chrislema) You have a few minutes or a few phrases to tell everyone else what you know about the person you are introducing. Now is your chance to treat them with dignity. This is your opportunity to draw attention to important information. And now is your chance to make them shine. You see, we’ve all accomplished some amazing things. Each of us have certain unique qualities. When we draw attention to those things for other people, we not only help them feel more confident right now, but we also create the framework for how other people will view them. When you execute it well, people will pay attention. When done correctly, consumers are engaged and anticipate a good experience. And you can rapidly ruin the ambiance if you do it incorrectly. You can even make things more difficult for them, essentially putting them in a hole they’ll have to climb out of. Doing it Right So how do you introduce someone right? I think it comes down to three simple things. First, emphasise what makes each individual special. Don’t merely give someone your name and position while introducing them. That is not going to pique anyone’s interest or prepare them for anything. Make the individual you’re introducing feel special by emphasising one of their distinctive qualities. It will influence the way that people hear them. Second, highlight their achievements. Everyone enjoys having a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, it can aid in the discovery of common ground, which makes the person you are introducing feel more intimately connected to them right away. Thirdly, explain why it’s important to meet this individual. You can help someone concentrate on what’s important by concluding an introduction with what they can anticipate from this person when they interact with them or listen to them. What To Do When You Meet Someone This is my main recommendation. The next time you meet someone, stay in conversation with them until you discover something very fascinating about them. In this manner, you’ll constantly be prepared to introduce them to someone else in a fantastic method.

First, I’m Not Quitting People sometimes assume that what you write about on your personal blog is a mirror of what’s going on in your life, whether that reflection is direct or indirect. That might be the case for posts like the one I made yesterday, in which I discussed how to address a problem. This post, however, is not about that. I’m not planning on leaving. I think my job will keep me occupied for a while because I like it. However, I was recently asked to respond to a query concerning the appropriate moment to give up (or move on). When to quit/move to the next thing. I’d love your take on that in a blog post. — Zach Skaggs (@TheZachSkaggs)Four Scenarios That Tell Me It’s Time to Quit These are the four situations in which I would advise you to give up. You must have others. However, these are based on my own experiences and those of others I’ve known, who have opened me to the difficulties they’ve encountered. 1. Illegal Stuff is Going On We all picture the first scenario. You are reporting illegal activity, but nothing is being done about it. Illegal activity is occurring. Ultimately, you may find yourself entangled in the entire situation. I knew a guy who was employed by an airline years ago. After writing all of the documents that were required of him, he realised that a piece of equipment was broken. However, he was disregarded by all. He thought the fact that no one wanted to address the problem was more significant than the importance of the problem. He then went on. Then one of their aircraft went down. due to the problematic area he had indicated. The only silver lining in the court cases that followed was that he had already left the organisation. Going along with the flow is not an option when there are gravely dangerous criminal activities taking place. Thus, depart! 2. Work is Making You Sick I recently watched the 2016 film Miss Sloane again. I believe that the reason I adore the movie so much is due to its strategic and prescient elements. This quotation (as well as picture) comes from MagicalQuote. But there’s a more important line in the movie that applies here. Career suicide is not so bad when you consider the alternative is suicide by career. Miss Sloane (2016) At times, it’s necessary to take a step back and assess whether your work may be more detrimental than beneficial. If your employment is making you ill, it’s probably time to go, whether it’s because of a toxic workplace, emotional abuse, physical harm, or just so much stress that your blood pressure is rising. 3. You Aren’t Having an ImpactMore than any of the other two, these final two have pushed me to grow and progress. Before I go any further, let me clarify that, in my opinion, there are good reasons to move on while you’re in a leadership position. When you work in an entry-level position, it’s different. One front-line employee at another company sent me a series of text messages (I wasn’t the only one) lamenting how horrible things was at their job. It’s called “spilling the tea,” I believe, these days. I was receiving information that wasn’t supposed to be disclosed. Nevertheless, I had a straightforward query that I have posed to a lot of people: “Have you been hired to solve that problem?” It could be time to move on if the response is affirmative and you aren’t making a difference. However, if the response is negative, it’s time to take a backseat and unwind. It doesn’t imply you have to fix something just because you see it isn’t working well. Something may not be incorrect just because you perceive it to be so; you may not have the necessary context. However, I have known people and experienced this myself, where we are recruited into an organization with the intention of bringing about change. Eventually, though, you come to the realization that the change you were hoping for is not possible. I’m not advocating that you simply leave the room. But I remember having a very clear one-on-one with a manager a few years back because I was utterly unable to have the kind of impact I thought my hiring was supposed to. We worked through a number of instances, and his advice was quite beneficial. So beneficial  I stayed for several more years.But I’ve watched and worked with others who didn’t get the same feedback and their decision was different. It was time to move on for them. And so they did. 4. You Aren’t Learning Anything New In the majority of these cases, the issue has been determining when to leave a corporation. I haven’t spent any time discussing leaving a product, leaving the startup you established, or anything similar. But everything of the foregoing is relevant to this final one. I consider work to be a trade. Usually, you exchange your skill and time for money. However, I see it as a trade-off for the chance to learn new things—along with my time, talent, and effort. Therefore, I’m prone to think that it might be time to give up or move on if I’m not learning anything new at all. Let me change that again. I’m not advocating that you quit if you’re not getting the knowledge you want or anticipate. That is, if you are not picking up any knowledge at all. We’re not always very good at knowing what we ought to be learning. We believe there is a single thing we should be learning, and if we aren’t understanding it, we want to move on. That’s not my recommendation. I’ve said it a million times: I believe that everyone needs a brief stint working for a corporation at some point in their lives. Friends who are startup founders detest that advise. However, you are in charge when you are

“Dad, you’re crazy.” As a senior in high school, my daughter has feelings for multiple boys. Today one showed up, and they conversed. I asked her at dinner tonight if she planned to text him to maybe schedule a hangout for tomorrow. She appears to know more about the anti-pitch than a lot of the people I engage with in the WordPress community, based on the look I got. She is aware that the golden rule is to avoid appearing overly dependent. It’s perhaps more accurate to say “thirsty.” That’s why the anti-pitch is so powerful. “You were right.” I answered a Clarity call a few years back to address a person’s enquiries. Yes, I did. To be honest. However, they didn’t appreciate my response, primarily because it didn’t agree with their opinions. “You were right, even if I didn’t want you to be right,” they said when they phoned me back a year later. While I was grateful for the criticism, I had trouble recalling a conversation from a year ago. When they enquired about my coaching, I informed them that my fees were too high for their stage of development. I did not approach them. I pitched them down. I declined their offer. With grace. I even suggested other people for them to speak with. Similar to my daughter, their reply was along the lines of “you’re crazy.” Pitches Don’t WorkPitches don’t seem to be effective anymore. I believe their downfall began soon after Valentine’s Day in 2005. Yes, that is quite particular. But I don’t suppose we noticed if pitches were failing back then. It would take a few more years for YouTube to reach its current level of popularity. Though YouTube was established on February 14, 2005, we didn’t hear someone say, “I just looked it up on YouTube” for a little while. However, we now hear it constantly and everywhere. You may be wondering why I believe pitches are unsuccessful. And the answer is actually quite easy. It all comes down to information availability. Customers were left in the dark by the previous asymmetry, and those who were  doing the pitching with all the knowledge. The disparity is eliminated by having unrestricted access to knowledge and information. And with it, the pitch loses its significance. The know-it-alls and the know-nothings are not in the room. Everyone is an expert in everything. After a few searches, they can at least assume they do. Why Does the Anti-Pitch Work? Now don’t get me wrong, the anti-pitch isn’t the Heisman. I’m not suggesting you simply tell everyone no (that’s another post). The anti-pitch works for three reasons: How Does the Anti-Pitch Work? The world in which we live is overrun with pitches. We are therefore on watch. Because it moves in the opposite direction, the anti-pitch is energizing. We concentrate on the obstacles, difficulties, and outcomes that lie ahead of us rather than just the good things. This honesty is so unique, the contrast so striking, that it frequently astounds and delights others. The anti-pitch can sound like the “warning” I was just mentioning, or it can sound like a “no, not right now.” “I don’t think this is a perfect fit,” is what the message is trying to express. If I were you, I would act as follows. The goal of the anti-pitch is to be helpful, and even memorable, so that the door isn’t firmly closed.How Does the Anti-Pitch Sound? Allow me to demonstrate two basic situations and the sound of the anti-pitch. Alongside a Job Applicant Our work is really demanding here. It will feel difficult, require a lot of focus, and require learning the subject. It won’t be simple. You almost seem to be stating that you would prefer not to work here. You don’t say that, though. All you’re doing is pointing out the truthful details that others miss. Thus, when a potential employee weighs their options, you come across as the trustworthy one. Additionally, the challenge motivates someone who desires to push oneself. With a Potential Customer We’re not the most affordable option in town, to be honest. I would be pleased to provide you with some options if you would want a less costly choice. Once more, it seems as though you’re telling them to go somewhere else. However, you’re not. All you’re doing is informing them that this probably won’t work for them if price is their main deciding factor. People Often Come Back I mentioned the caller a few years back to you. then gave another call. The fact that I wasn’t in pitch mode astounded them. Perhaps they thought that I would accept any customer, for any sum of money. They had never met me. However, they phoned me back again a few months later to give me an update on their development. And by then, they were aware of what they wanted and what it would cost and we worked together for a couple of months. Because I hadn’t shut the door behind them, they returned. I hadn’t pitched them, though, either. I had explained to them why they weren’t a good fit in an honest manner. They went to work, clicked right away, and then left. With the anti-pitch, I’ve seen that individuals frequently return.

I recently learnt about a LearnDash customer who was advised to switch to a rival LMS since it integrates better with WooCommerce. It was absurd, wholly untrue, and relied on faulty reasoning to support its position. It is absurd to suggest that LearnDash and WooCommerce don’t operate well together. Here’s my suggestion, though, on how to make WooCommerce even more useful for LearnDash course developers. Enhancing WooCommerce and the My Account Page Playing around with video. I’m not a video editor, so trust me. Until today, I have never done anything but click “export” when it comes to videos. This work is undoubtedly difficult, but I demonstrate what I mean in the video below. To view this video, click the image: https://youtu.be/Bv4S4rwReRs Pretty, huh? To be honest, I’m completely incompetent at this. However, I am aware of how to improve WooCommerce so that LearnDash users can benefit much from it, which is why I made the video. When you download and install the free Code Snippets plugin, this is the code you require. Keep the code safe. Put Snippets in Place. Next, select Import from the Snippets main menu. At that point, you should feed it the downloaded file. Why is This so Powerful? It’s all about friction. When a user buys a LearnDash course using WooCommerce, they don’t know where to go afterwards because WooCommerce shows them a receipt. In a previous video I showed you how I use a custom thank you page redirection plugin to let them know they should go to the My Account page. Reducing friction improves consumer satisfaction. The friction that a new consumer has when they get lost is removed by what I just demonstrated to you. That’s not a problem with LearnDash. The reason for this is that the two events were not connected. For this reason, I enhanced WooCommerce with these three scripts to remove any obstacles and link the two on the My Account page. It’s absurd to imply that the only way to get around this friction is to use a different LMS plugin (particularly because doing so will make the LMS experience less enjoyable overall).Reducing friction improves consumer satisfaction. LearnDash is the Market Leader for a Reason I am aware that I work for LearnDash every day. I may therefore appear biassed to you. You’re correct, too. not that I work there, though. To be clear, I could have bought any WordPress LMS plugin available on the market. I work for the Liquid Web team, and they provided me the finances and approval to choose and submit an offer. I’ve used and worked with all of them, but LearnDash was my first pick. I am biassed, of course. I believe that my initial decision to lead the team there, as well as my subsequent purchase and role-taking, were the proper ones. We are the industry leader not because I choose it over the competition, but rather because educators and course designers have a long history of producing high-quality products. We are not merely producers of plugins capable of imitating other functionalities. Not just plugin developers agree that this is an excellent market for new product development. We are experts in LMS and online course development that are looking to enhance the WordPress environment with a fantastic offering. And from the beginning until the present, it has been the case. I adore WooCommerce. I also adore LearnDash. And they both collaborate rather well. Never allow anyone to mislead you.

Are You Like Me? If you watch a lot of films, like I do, I wonder if you’re similar to me in that you wish there was some extra material accessible to see after the film ends. Yes, I simply want more films after viewing them through to the end. Interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and commentary are what I want. I desire everything. I want to demonstrate to you today how to fulfill the same needs of the people who purchase your courses. The Bonus Content I’m Talking About (& Not Talking About) To be clear, I’m not referring to the outdated stuff that you frequently see individuals pushing on you in an attempt to convince you to buy anything. Occasionally, landing pages with ten offers for supplementary content combined with the primary product are displayed. Examining that content attentively reveals that it is typically out-of-date information that has already been marketed as the “main” offering and is no longer relevant. Its only task now is to sound decent in the area dedicated to extra content. That is not what I am discussing. I am referring to the premium extra content that consumers desire. the things that entice others to spend more time with you. Additionally, we would like to make it available to them after the conclusion of your course (not before). Tools I’m Using To make this work, I’m using several WordPress plugins: The amount of power these plugins combine is incredible, as is the range of things you can create if you know how to get it all to work. How It All Works Together So let’s begin with the basics. I started by making a course in LearnDash. This is a condensed version of my 21-lesson Telling Stories course, which I originally had. As I’ve previously mentioned, the reason I did that was because 21 classes is too much for a subject on which most people don’t want to become specialists. Then I used WooCommerce to create a product that you can purchase on my website. The best thing about utilising FluentCRM is that it interfaces with Woo’s product section directly, allowing me to tell it the tags to add for customers that purchase this product. I then begin developing my bonus content delivery mechanism with FluentCRM. There are two distinct automations shown. ID #4 is the first line where you see an email encouraging you. This email serves as a motivator for those who have finished six of the thirteen lessons. Additionally, it informs them that they will receive a unique incentive at the conclusion of the course. They are waiting for the automaton with ID #2. It only appears following the conclusion of the last lesson. That’s what sets it off. Additionally, the email provides a unique link to their supplementary content, which consists of eight extra classes in this example. The last step is using WordPress Fusion to prevent anyone without the appropriate tag from accessing the bonus content page. We check that users are logged in first. WP Fusion will look at FluentCRM and grab all of their tags after they log in. They will then compare their tags to the page’s specifications when they visit it. A Bonus Content Delivery System All of this sweetness culminates in an additional content delivery system. A reusable solution that can be applied to as many courses as I publish—two already exist, and four more are in the works. I’ll be working into the evenings to finish this and get ready for a new 2022, so it will be a hectic week.

I was informed as a child that getting into a reputable college required me to get good marks in high school. And in order to land a decent first job, I would need to perform well in college. And so forth. Part of that, I’m sure, was accurate. However, in an ever-evolving world, having an excellent Berkeley degree alone won’t guarantee that you’ll be ready for the kinds of opportunities that open up. In my instance, I received my degree right before the open internet became live. For what I would eventually perform at my profession, no degree could have adequately prepared me. However, you know what my favourite outcome from my time at Cal was? Graduating.Finishing. Indeed, that was the issue. thus it was difficult. Additionally, I considered quitting a few times. In addition, a few of my classmates had already dropped out when I started. Finishing was the thing that convinced me In what way did it persuade me? that I could complete. That’s the effect of ending. It demonstrates your ability. It assists you in realising that you possess the ability to persevere and not give up. I completed 366 days of nonstop blogging today. Every day. As I began on the final day of the previous year, this post serves as the final one for this one as well. I kept a blog this year, every single day. Not writing about what I had for lunch or anything similar, just trying to be helpful. I understand that you probably already believe—or soon will—that quantity is not as important as quality. You know what I respond to that, too? Quantity plus quality has even greater influence. Since being consistent isn’t about what you consistently do. It is its own goal. I define consistency as follows:You show up. Even when you don’t want to.You put in the time and energy. Even when it’s hard.You embrace the process. Even more than the result.You finish. Even when you weren’t sure you could.As I mentioned to you the other day, I’m not giving up. You know why, though, I would advise someone to hire me if I were? For the reasons mentioned above. I am capable of showing up, working hard, accepting the process, and finishing. That kind of individual is someone that every team wants on it. The Power of Consistency I was once informed by a guy I knew that I was a guy with “ideas” but no execution. That stuff is why I adore it; it just keeps me going. Here is what I completed during the previous year:Managed the development of the Plugin Performance MonitorManaged the development of WooCommerce Automated TestingRan due diligence and helped close the acquisition of LearnDashTook over the GM role of LearnDash and hired more staffLaunched the first version of “Skip the Grind” conferenceRan CaboPress with 50 people flying in/out of Mexico without COVIDoh, and…Wrote a new post. every. single. day.I just finished watching AppleTV+’s Swagger. “Show up on three,” the coach says as he gathers them for their first basketball huddle. They give him a questioning glance. “Arise!” Is that a call to action? However, it is. Since the key to execution is simply being present. Regularly. Want to Become a Better Blogger?As a result, when I was blogging daily, I would receive questions about the process and how to improve my blogging from comments, direct messages, and Twitter replies to my posts. These are unrelated questions regarding everyday blogging. These are related to the most typical difficulties faced by bloggers: freezing while staring at a blank page and being impatient with the length of time it takes to write. I realised I needed to take more specific action to assist folks even as I responded to the inquiries. Contact JP Tech Communication for more blog consistency.

The Question Was Simple I received an email last week with a straightforward query. Is it possible to use a membership site to safeguard content on an existing WordPress website without the need for a membership plugin? Even though the question was straightforward and contained no unclear phrases, it did cause me to pause and consider it. I was attempting to determine whether this could be done, how it would function, and lastly, why anyone would be interested in this.Why Would Anyone Want This? I started to understand the context as I continued to read. Their intricate WordPress website was created by an individual who is no longer with us. Numerous plugins were installed, and conflicts were arising from updates, which was causing some drama already.The owner of the facility could not afford for everything to crumble or topple over. Thus, it was too dangerous to integrate a brand-new, feature-rich membership plugin. If they didn’t have a membership plugin, could they still construct a membership site? That was the query. The Answer Turns Out to be Simple Too As it happens, there was a solution. I wrote about it back in April 2020, during the global lockdown. It seems like ages ago, I hardly remember it. MemberStack is the name of the membership software as a service (SaaS) solution. To find out if this could be done, I made a prototype. And as soon as I realised that it was, I made a brief 4-minute tour that explains everything.

Ultimately, timing and the things you can’t control—like your decision-making—will determine whether you succeed or fail. The majority of people struggle greatly with making decisions. However, it’s something you can improve on. Now let’s address the more difficult dynamic that is beyond our control: timing. In life, everything comes down to time. Correct? Sometimes We Just Can’t Predict the FutureThere are always instances where you wish you could go back in time and say, “If only I knew then what I know now.” Those are undoubtedly timing problems. However, it is difficult to forecast the future, therefore timing is a challenge. Palm Pilot after Apple NewtonEver worked incredibly hard on an idea you had, only to have it fail miserably? However, after a few years, someone else steals the idea and makes millions of dollars. Imagine it is 1992, and Scully is carrying an Apple Newton Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) as he exits the stage at the Chicago CES. Did you have one? I didn’t. However, in 1996, Palm Computing released the PDA, and I was undoubtedly the owner of one. Read more about it here. The timing was perfect. No one can predict when we’ll be ready and conditions will be perfect. We’re Not All Victims of TimingI adore stand-up humour. I enjoy seeing them at work. More than anything, though, I enjoy seeing how they create their work by going behind the scenes. This video, which shows Jerry Seinfeld writing a joke, may be familiar to you. I like how much attention to timing, speed, and his statement that he would remove syllables from sentences to tighten the rhythm are highlighted as he discusses his art. Put another way, stand-up comedians don’t believe that time is something they have no control over. On the contrary. They have complete control over timing. My point is simple – some creators (and some industries) have realized that they aren’t victims of timing. So what does that mean? Can we control timing enough to make it work for us? The Timing Mistake We Often MakeI was preparing to buy my first house when I was 27. I was ready to move out of rental housing, had a solid career, and lived in Northern California. What is the first house you purchased? 1400 square feet was mine. Furthermore, it was far bigger than my flat and more than I needed. I was ecstatic. But just think for a moment, Chris, you’re going to have two kids and you’ll need an office so you can work from home. You will require an extra piano room since your future wife will want to play the piano. What if I had stated that I required 3,500 square feet as opposed to 1,400? Since I wanted to be certain that my current circumstances would function for my future expectation. In 1997, I made my first house purchase. We’re almost done with 2022 now. You have no idea how ridiculous it would be to expect the house I selected in 1997 to provide for all of my needs twenty-five years later. If you have ever launched a new business, let’s make it more relatable for you. Consider the initial few months of that trip. Did you start by coming up with a fresh name for your company and then hire someone to design a logo? Have you ordered any t-shirts or caps? How about stickers? In order to feel professional, a lot of people I know dive headfirst into creating logos, designs, and even custom branded apparel. And I’m sure that others can clarify all of its rationally.However, these are signs of the same issue. We don’t know if our company name is appropriate or will stick around. We don’t know if the colors we selected were a terrible mistake or right on. There are many things we don’t know until the business is up and running and we have a clear picture of who our competitors are.It’s easy to confuse movement with progress.We convince ourselves that we want to do things (like purchasing a home or launching a business) perfectly. Thus, we begin propelling ourselves ahead. Believing we’re taking on the correct challenges and, above all, being happy that we’re making progress. However, advancement and mobility are not the same.Premature movement is one of the most frequent errors I observe. I’m referring specifically to premature optimization. I think that’s the worst timing error that most people make. It’s the kind of planning where you say, “I won’t start with 1400 right now because I plan to need 3500 square feet someday.” Allow me to demonstrate how and why this timing error is frequently made. After that, we’ll discuss how to avoid it. What is Premature Optimization?I’ve worked with, mentored, and given advice to hundreds of business owners over the past 20 years, primarily in the technology sector. Nearly all of them have made the mistake of optimizing too soon. It’s without a doubt the greatest and worst timing error I’ve ever witnessed. What then is it? To put it plainly, it refers to taking action ahead of time. An alternative phrase for it would be “solving an issue before it becomes an issue.” Here’s an alternative interpretation of the term: it refers to the unreasonable desire to act now in order to solve a hypothetical future issue. Not that it sounds cruel. So picture me defining this, not for you, but for myself. I have more power within me. especially when you understand that there are things about me that make me keep making the same mistakes repeatedly and that I will undoubtedly repeat them if I don’t learn this lesson. To start, how many of us are able to foresee the future? Not one. Correct? Let’s just concede that we will never be able to address some future issues because we will never be able to see around those corners. You may understand why I might think premature optimization is illogical already. thus it won’t even