MBA2488 Must Read: The Practice by Seth Godin

0:08Heyo, welcome to the$100 MBA show, the home of practical business lessons. I'm your host, your coach, your teacher, Omar Zinhome, and today's episode is a must-read episode where I share with you a book that has influenced me as an entrepreneur. I share with you its takeaways, its insights, and why you should read it too. Today's must-read is The Practice by Seth Godin. We've reviewed a lot of books by Seth Godin on this show. He is one of the world's leading experts when it comes to marketing, but also business and the creator market. The thing about Seth Godin's books is that he really goes very deep on one specific idea.

0:46This allows you to fully understand a singular concept, but also his books tend to be short, so they're quick reads. This book, The Practice, is no different. It's not his shortest book, but it is quite concise and to the point. The Practice is a goal mine for anyone looking to unlock their creative potential. In today's lesson, I'm going to break down my favorite key insights from the book, give you some personal examples of each, and show you how this book can help you become a better entrepreneur. If you're a creator, someone who creates any kind of content, products, services, you're going to love this episode.

1:23Let's get into it. Let's get down to business. One of my favorite things about a good book is how it starts. And this book starts with really demystifying this idea of creativity. Seth Godin says creativity is a skill, not a talent. Some people just think that people are creative by nature, but Godin busts this myth that creativity is an inherent talent. Instead, he believes it's a skill that can be developed, but it's going to require some consistent practice. Reading this is quite empowering because it means anyone can cultivate creativity through dedication and hard work. I experienced this myself when I left my career in teaching over a decade ago.

2:01I was a full-time teacher and my job was quite monotonous. I was doing the same thing over and over, and there was very little room for creativity or for me to even flex that muscle or to work on it. When I jumped into full-time entrepreneurship and was forced to do things over and over, I started to build my creativity muscles again. A good example of this is this podcast, because we have to publish three days a week, and that's what I committed to for my audience. By just putting in the work every time I step into the mic, prepare for these episodes, do all this research, it really flexes those creativity muscles just like when you go to the gym and you actually flex your real muscles.

2:39So by doing, you actually become creative. One of my other huge takeaways from this book is this idea of the importance of shipping. What he means by shipping here in the creative world is putting your work out there, creating your product or service and offering it to the world. Seth Godin says one of his central tenets in this book is that creativity doesn't count unless you ship. This means regularly sharing your work with the world. See, the thing about shipping is that it helps you refine your craft. When you put things out there in the world, you gather feedback, you build momentum, you start building confidence that you can actually create amazing things, or at least half decent things that people enjoy.

3:21But if you don't put it out there, then you'll never know what you're worth. You'll never know what to work on. You'll never know if your product, your service, your art matters. Another very interesting chapter in this book is about trusting the process. Seth Godin encourages us in this book to focus on the process rather than the outcome. I know this can be really challenging because as entrepreneurs, we want to see results. We want to see the finish line. We want to win. We want to achieve things. We want to do things for a reason, but he says creativity is unpredictable. And the only way to succeed is to trust in your routine and to keep creating.

4:02Even when it's tough, even when things are not working out, even when you're hitting your goals or maybe, or reaping the benefits or enjoying the fruits of your labor. The point of this chapter is recommitting to your journey as a creator, as an entrepreneur, and letting go of the need for immediate results. The way you got to look at it is when somebody says trust the process, especially in the context of building and growing a business, you're not going to just have wins one after another. Sometimes you're going to lose. Sometimes you're not going to make much of a splash in the marketplace or impress your customers.

4:38But the point here is that you just got to see this as a long-term journey, as a long-term, I would say, goal, knowing that if you just keep working at it and you stay consistent, then eventually you will get those wins. Don't focus so much on every little outcome. What I've learned in my career is that you're either going to win or you're going to learn, meaning you're either going to get the result that you're looking for in business, whether it's the sales or the targets or the recognition, or you're going to learn because you failed, because you didn't hit that target. You're going to learn what to do better, how to improve.

5:14And I don't say this to brag or to boast or to beat on my chest, But I've succeeded on some pretty high levels in different areas in business, whether it's financial or it's success in one of the top business podcasts in the world. And what I learned is that's good and all, but the best thing about the whole thing is the process, is the journey. It's who you become in that whole adventure of achieving your goals. It's actually not about the outcomes. Yes, of course, I love the fact that I was able to achieve those outcomes. but you have to enjoy the journey. You have to trust that process or you're not gonna really have meaning in your life.

5:54Work is a big part of your life and you really should try to find that meaning and enjoy that journey. The challenge of climbing that mountain is about embracing imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome, when you feel like a fake, a phony, you feel like people think you're better than you actually are. Seth Godot acknowledges that feeling and says it's a part of the creative process. Instead of fighting it, embrace it. It's a sign that you're pushing boundaries. It's a sign that you're actually trying things that are hard and that you are actually stretching yourself. This perspective can transform your fear into a powerful motivator.

6:29I'm reminded of a great discussion and interview that we had with Patrick Campbell, the founder of ProfitWell, who eventually sold his company for over$200 million to Paddle, a huge payment processing company out of the UK. And in that interview, Patrick talks about how he actually has a lot of insecurity. And that insecurity has actually helped him succeed in life because he's always trying to prove that he is who he thinks he is or who he thinks he should be. And he kind of uses his insecurity as a strength rather than a weakness. Next, Seth Godin jumps into the idea that generosity is creativity.

7:07True creativity is actually being generous. It's about creating something that makes a difference for others. This shifts the focus of what you're doing from personal gain to providing value, which is more sustainable and fulfilling than just doing it for personal gain. Now, let me just clarify here. I totally understand that there's nothing wrong with wanting to do something for personal gain, like achieving some financial success, buying your own home, driving a nice car, having that financial freedom. There's nothing wrong with this. But the way I see this is it's like one of the sub journeys or one of the steps towards success.

7:46It's not the ultimate reason why you do what you do, but it's kind of a side benefit. Because what's going to happen is you will reach those goals. You will hit those milestones. You will win those awards. You will get that recognition. And then what? You've got to have other reasons for what you do. And this is where the generosity comes in, where it's like, hey, I'm doing this for other people. I'm doing this for the next generation. I'm leaving a legacy behind so other people can have an easier path. And this is why I started this podcast, because I want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to build a successful business.

8:20I had a rough start of entrepreneurship when I started 20 years ago. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way. And I want to make things a little bit smoother for someone who's starting out and trying to make it happen. Because if I don't need to do this from a financial point of view, what's driving me to do it? I have to have other reasons. And the honest truth is, is that part of it is breaking through from that financial restraint and poverty. Really, a lot of people are in a situation where they're paycheck to paycheck. I don't want to change that for people by helping them build a successful business.

8:51But beyond that, I also want them to become the best versions of themselves. And that's what the entrepreneurial journey does for you. It actually helps you become the best version of yourself in the process. So they come for the financial freedom, but they actually stay because they realize, wow, I love who I've become through this process. Next, have you ever had writer's block where you're sitting in front of the page and you don't know where to get started? You don't know how to write your next blog post or your next script for your sales video or whatever it might be. Seth Godin says that writer's block is a myth.

9:22He suggests that the way to overcome it is to simply just write, just get started, write even just gibberish, write any thoughts in your head. Consistent action is what generates inspiration. This is what great artists have done since the beginning of time. They don't just wait until they're inspired. They play music. They play random tunes and melodies. And then, oh, what's that? I think there's something there. Just do and things will come. Just do and then the inspiration will start coming. It's not just going to come by sitting on the couch. Next, the role of intent. Seth Godin believes that establishing a clear intent behind your work is essential.

9:58He says, ask yourself who you are creating for and what change you want to bring about. You got to get crystal clear because this helps in staying focused and aligned with your goals. Who are you serving? What are they struggling with? And what do you want to do about it? I've done this over and over and over in my businesses, whether it's with my software company, Webinar Ninja, whether it's with the$100 MBA podcast or our program, the$100 MBA. And it's not a once and done thing. You got to refine it. You got to improve it over time. And finally, one of my favorite, favorite takeaways from this book is that Godin says the practice is the output.

10:33He emphasizes that the practice itself is the output. This is the actual goal. The work is the goal, not what the goal gets you. Not just a means to an end, it's the main event. By committing to your daily practice of whatever you do, you build the foundation for all creative endeavors. I'll give you a personal example from my physical fitness. I recently broke my fibula about three months ago. It's that side bone on your leg. And ever since, I've been trying to heal and rehab and do all my physio exercises so that I can get back on the court and play basketball again. Part of that rehab is just being active and being on my toes and just getting back to basketball shape.

11:11So I just commit to the actual practice. So for me, that's shooting a thousand shots a week. I go to my gym that has a basketball court and I shoot a thousand shots every single week. Some days I'll shoot 200, some days I'll shoot 300, but I can't let a week go by without a thousand shots because in order for my muscle to grow, I have to put in the work. So actually my goal is the work, not the muscle being fully recovered. That's going to happen eventually. But if I just focus on the work, everything will be all right. To wrap up, Seth Godin's The Practice is an inspiring and practical guide for anyone who's serious about creative work or entrepreneurship in general.

11:51Several times in this book, Seth Goethe challenges conventional wisdom about creativity and provides some great examples of how you can change your daily habits to become better as a creator, as an entrepreneur, as a doer. What stands out is his insistence on consistency and generosity, which aligns perfectly with what we believe in here at The$100 MBA. Whether you're an artist, a creative, an entrepreneur, or looking to make any kind of mark in this world, this book is a must read. Thanks so much for listening to the$100 MBA show. If you love what you hear and want to support the show, all you got to do is hit follow.

12:27Follow the show, subscribe to the podcast on whatever podcast app you're on right now, Spotify, Apple Podcasts. By clicking a single button, you help us tremendously. You send a signal to the algorithm that this show is something that you love. This allows us to reach more people and grow the show so we can reinvest and make it better and better every day. Thanks so much in advance for doing that. Before I go, I want to leave you with this. This book reminded me how important it is to just fall in love with your work. The whole reason why I became an entrepreneur is because I wanted to do what I love every single day.

12:58Yes, I wanted financial freedom. Yes, I wanted to reach some personal goals. But at the end of the day, I want to feel like I never want to retire. I want to do the work that I enjoy. That's a gift. So if you're doing that, recommit to your practice. Recommit to your journey. Because the more you're in love with the actual work, the better the results will be. thanks so much for listening and I'll check you in the next episode I'll see you then, take care you