This Is Marketing: You Cant Be Seen Until You Learn to See

“It’s not for you”

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We’re not supposed to say that. We’re certainly not supposed to want to say
that.
But we must.
“It’s not for you” shows the ability to respect someone enough that
you’re not going to waste their time, pander to them, or insist that they
change their beliefs. It shows respect for those you seek to serve, to say to
them, “I made this for you. Not for the other folks, but for you.”
Two sides of the same coin.
It’s the freedom to ignore the critics who don’t get the joke, the privilege
of polishing your story for those that most need to hear it. . . . This is where
you will find work that you can be proud of.
Because it doesn’t matter what people you’re not seeking to serve think.
What matters is whether you’ve changed the people who trust you, the
people who have connected with you, the people you seek to serve.
We know that every best-selling book on Amazon has at least a few one-
star reviews. It’s impossible to create work that both matters and pleases
everyone.
The comedian’s dilemma
One of the great comics of our time is booked for a gig in New York City.
His agent isn’t paying attention, though.
The comic shows up at the club; he’s in a good mood. He brings his best
material. He’s up there, working the room, and no one is laughing.
Not a peep.
He’s bombing.
After the show, he’s beating himself up, thinking of quitting comedy
altogether.
Then he discovers that the audience is an Italian tour group, and no one
understands English.
“It’s not for you.”
It’s entirely possible that your work isn’t as good as it needs to be. But
it’s also possible that you failed to be clear about who it was for in the first
place.

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