Picking Someone’s Brain

No, I’m not writing a zombie apocalypse novel. I’m talking about the figurative notion of picking someone’s brain.

I had an opportunity to talk to someone recently about how he uses social media to promote his church and where he works. This prompts me to confront my love-hate relationship with social media, but that is its own blog post entirely. Today, I’ve been reflecting on the tips he gave me, and I’ve been thinking that I really need to sit down and develop a marketing plan.

One of the great things about talking with other people is the variety of ideas they can provide. Personally, I’ve been using Pinterest as I dip my toe in the murky waters of self-promotion. My friend talked to me about how he used Facebook for marketing, and he told me, if he didn’t know how something worked, that he researched until he learned how. My friend isn’t a freelance writer like me, but what he does requires marketing.

If you have a particular goal in mind, don’t be afraid to ask information from the people around you. Someone doesn’t have to do the same thing as you to provide you with helpful information. When I recently participated in the Great Tennessee Yarn Tour, I enjoyed talking to the yarn shop owners and employees because it still gave me ideas of how I can run my own writing business.

Don’t overlook the valuable resources of people around you. You never know what kind of tips someone might have for you if you don’t ask for them. Never assume that you already know it all. One of the best things for me is to always remind myself that there is always something I don’t know so it’s better to ask questions. That way I’m always learning something from someone else. Don’t be afraid to rely on someone else’s experience as you’re entering a new job, career, side hustle, or small business. Those people will be the ones to give you the most reliable advice, and they’ll be honest about what works and what doesn’t.

Pick those brains!

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Inspirational Verse for the Day:

Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. (Proverbs 19:20, NKJV)