Here are twenty things that I believe, particularly about business and writing:

 

Burning bridges and boats is for fools

Good things take time

The shiny object syndrome will keep you small

Don’t quit your day job until you’ve got money rolling in

You don’t get to skip Go and collect $200: with rare exceptions, you have to work through the process

Don’t be afraid of being polarizing

If you stick your head above the parapet, you will be criticized, and that’s OK

Tell the truth about who you are; it’ll save everybody time and energy

Be kind and clear, not nice

There’s plenty of business to go around; don’t get fixated on the competition

There’s nothing new under the sun; it’s your job to add to the conversation

Not everyone is your audience

You have to be bad before you can be good

Embrace the learning curve and where you are in the process without apology

You can make money and still be helpful and kind

You always have to know what outcome you’re after, for you, and your customers/readers

There’s this thing called strategy…

Building a business is all about building strong relationships, not just with potential clients, but also with referral sources and affiliates

Act, for sure, but take a few minutes to think before you leap

Motivation is overrated