Happy New Year & here we go...
The 1st of 12
First off, happy new year to you. I hope this finds you and yours healthy and well and that you got to hug your loved ones this Christmas.
Planning to send this once a month, on the 1st of each month for 2022.
There’s like 10 people on this list at the moment (early days) so just reply to this email if it’s not your cup of early grey. I’ll just assume it’s you. Not me.
Wishing you and yours health, happiness and success (make sure you define that for yourself) this year.
And if you think I can help you with anything send me an email. Don’t be shy.
Live dangerously - all will be well > Niall
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Quote(s) that popped for me this month:
"live dangerously, take things as they come, dread nought, all will be well" Winston Churchill
“customers will come not because you build it. You have to make that happen and it’s harder than it looks”
Peter Thiel (co-founder of Paypal among others)
“Tribes grow when people recruit other people”
Ryan Holiday (best-selling author & former head of marketing @ American Apparel)
“The problem for most artists isn’t piracy, it’s obscurity”
Tim O'Reilly (publisher & technologist)
INNER OSCAR WINNER
I won’t be running the Inner Oscar Winner course in 2022. Main reason is less is more is my mantra for ‘22. As much as I loved watching people get beyond their comfort zone, it takes my energy away from telling stories via Time Productions or as a performer (and getting better at both).
For those of you I was looking forward to working with, please don’t take it personally. It’s me not you.
READING
I’ve read a couple of belters recently that I couldn’t recommend highly enough:
Minor Monuments by Ian Malely
For me, having always wondered about the idea of ‘home’ having left Ireland 8 years ago, this book has really made me think. Is home a place, or a collection of memories and people, some of whom are no longer there? What if our memories aren’t all that reliable?
The Kennedys in the World by Lawrence J Haas
I’ve always been fascinated by the 60’s as a decade. And I hoover up any content on JFK. This book differs in that it looks at the work of all 3 brothers, what made them so different as individuals and their collective legacy on politics. It made me appreciate the work of Teddy all the more. There’s a bit of Teddy in all of us.
Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
My fandom of Ryan Holiday content continues (3rd book). This one talks about what makes a book, a song, a body of work stand the test of time. And how you and I can apply those principles to our day to day work. And what we can learn more from Iron Maiden and Lady Gaga’s marketing strategies.
LISTENING
Nolan Investigates: Stonewall >> Fascinating insight into a topic and organisation I knew all too little about.
The Drop Out >> Elisabeth Holmes was the founder and CEO of Theranos and the youngest self made female billionaire in the world. She said it was going to change the world by making sure you and I wouldn’t have to give blood via a needle anymore. We could do it via a drop. She told a lot of porkies to a lot of people. And now she could end up in jail.
WATCHING
I don’t know about you but there is just way too much choice on platforms now. I hear a lot of people say they go on Netflix and give up after 30 minutes of doom scrolling. That’s going to be a real challenge for these platforms.
That said over Christmas I watched a lot of TG4 (Irish language station) and loved Heydey: The Mic Christopher story. Very moving & inspiring. You might remember his song on this ad 15 years ago (recognise anyone?)
Ever since visiting Auschwitz in October I’ve gone down the black hole of history documentaries. Mark Felton Productions on YouTube is exceptional. Short and snappy, but insanely insightful. His one on where Hitler got his personal wealth was brilliant. Production values aren’t Hollywood but who needs slick graphics when the content is that good?
A CONVERSATION THAT MADE ME THINK
Had a coffee with a friend of mine recently who has started an online course around finance.
“I put out this stuff online, video posts, you name it and nothing comes back.”
I could feel his frustration. I’d watched him really progress and be consistent in turning up online.
But he’s at the point we all get to if we’re trying to build a community – no-one seems to give a s*it. And it’s hard no to take that personally.
Seth Godin has a great line that always stuck with me “you can’t turn up with an acorn and expect a forest”
Finding your niche, any niche is hard. Anything I attempt to do now I’m forcing myself to ask –
:: who is this for?
:: And what change does it seek to make?
Classic Seth Godin questions. But they work. I couldn’t even think about pitching an idea, a story, an audition tape to anyone without thinking about that first.
Oh yea, and collaborate. Work and collaborate with other people. Not just so you can tag people in your posts (the algorithm really likes it). But collaborating with others invariably makes me better and put my ego to one side.
I’m collaborating with Shane McCarthy and Two Stacks Whiskey around #honesty – here’s a sneak preview of a wider piece we did on how that collaboration came about. I also did a podcast with Shane to understand his own journey at bit more, which is a fascinating one.
MAKING
#honesty the series I’ve been working on for nearly 3 years is finally launching in 2022.
Official launch date is scheduled for Friday 25 February next @ Gibney’s in Old Street in London. There’ll be live music and a bit of craic.
And yes you’re invited. If you fancy being on the guest list send me a text or just email me on niall@timeproductions.net
More on #honesty next month.