Somewhere Way Beyond A Like Or A Share
How to make someone's day.
Last week, someone sent me an email.
It was a long email, filled with clever metaphors and hilarious gifs, beautiful language, and heartfelt sentiments that were not only thoughtful and kind, but reflected back to me the precise nature of the work I do and the reason it matters.
It was from someone in my book coaching community who was sending a note of encouragement to me regarding some of the big changes we are making to our program. She wanted me to know she was paying attention not just to the what but to the why. She wanted to cheer me on.
She offered insights from the industry and from her own (vast) personal experience to support her claims.
I read the email three times — first quickly, then slowly, then very slowly.
I printed it out to show my husband.
I copied it into a document where I’m developing a sales page so that my business coach could see it. Marketing and salespeople are always saying, “Talk to your clients, listen to what they’re saying, use the words they use.” So I thought — I shall.
I waited until the end of the day — until everything was calm and quiet — to write the person back an email that I hope conveyed how much I appreciated her note. I suspect it didn’t come close.
Hers was the kind of letter that can sustain you through the most difficult parts of running a business. It was the kind of letter you will cherish long after the noise of this particular moment is over.
We talk all the time about gaining followers, building an audience, and “going viral.” We count our likes and shares.
But an email like that is worth 100,000 followers who don’t really know me and don’t really care about what I do. I’m making a commitment to pay it forward and write a few letters like that myself.
Maybe you’ll be inspired to do so, as well.
A Wonderful Coincidence
I wrote this post last night and woke up this morning to see a post by my friend
on the topic of being kind. The coincidence made me smile. (One time Dan and I DID plan to write posts on the same topic, coming at it from totally different angles according to our personalities and philosophies, but this time was unplanned. Maybe we’ll do it again sometime!)I think a lot of us are really needing kindness right now. Dan gives some actionable steps for what to do if you ARE inspired. Here’s his post:
P.S. Substack just told me that I don’t recommend Dan’s newsletter, which is crazy — I recommend his work all the time. So I just added that official recommendation. This, too, is an act of kindness!
I'm a big believer in sending notes - whether through snail mail or email or a comment on a post! A lot of times writers may not always know if their point has come across as they intended, or if anyone else feels similarly to how they feel. A note is my way of showing a writer (or any creator) that yes, I get it/appreciate it/feel the same way.
Aw, thank you for the kind mention Jennie!!!