Sunday Six: Selling, Optimism & French Press Coffee
Welcome 👋
Hey friends! Happy Sunday 😄
I hope you’re having a relaxing Sunday so far. If you haven’t already had a cup of coffee, maybe hold off.. today’s Sunday Six includes an inspiring coffee recipe I’ve been enjoying all week. 😋
Last week, I mentioned that I’m navigating some big life transitions. I promised you I’d let you in on that this week. Unfortunately, I have to hold off one more week. 😬
Big changes need big navigation. This is taking a bit more intentionality than anticipated but worth the wait.
Aside from that, here are a few cool things I got to work on this week:
• Write a digital marketing strategy for a video game company
• Design a website for a prominent consulting brand
• Reveal a new BrightfulStudio.com case study about a re-brand we did in 2022!
Cool, right? 😄
Let’s dive into this week’s Sunday Six to hopefully spark inspiration in you!
Sunday Six ✍️
☕ The Ultimate French Press Brew Method — My morning routine always consists of an absurdly long process to make the best cup of coffee I can make. It helps me start the day with the values of stillness, excellence and joy.
For this week, I came across the James Hoffman French Press Method demonstrated in this video. It’s unlike any other french press method I’ve ever tried! Enjoy this coffee 😄
Link to French Press Method Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C7LaMDjC5U
Link to my French Press: https://amzn.to/3Ja5QdG
🔥 Zelda Campfire Ambience Music — Deep work is an essential part of my morning. One of my mentors once told me, “Mornings are for making. Afternoons are for admin.”
I take that seriously to this day. For mornings, I put on my noise-cancelling headphones and find the most relaxing music I can find for:
• Writing
• Thinking
• Designing
This week, I’ve gone with the personal nostalgic vibe of Zelda melodies around a campfire. Perfect for you gaming millennials out there 😉
Link to music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWtEYPva4A0&list=PLrqUjutOAcpGb1sqTYooDJduSke4ynmGO
📗 To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink — A couple of months ago, I took Daniel Pink’s Masterclass on persuasion. It wrecked my thinking on:
• Persuasion • Sales • Human psychology
Like most thought-leaders not in a traditional sales role, I said “Well, I’m not in sales..”
But I was wrong.
If you’re in the business of moving others for your:
• Ideas
• Pitches
• Business
You’re in sales. (Which is most thought-leaders)
This book teaches new the new ABC’s to selling. It’s no longer Always Be Closing. It’s Attunement Buoyancy & Clarity.
Link to book: https://amzn.to/3FfEy4q
🎙️ Modern Wisdom Podcast with Ryan Holiday — Ryan Holiday has been one of my favorite authors for many years. One of the things that shocks me about Ryan is the amount of quality work he’s been able to output.
Ryan is 35 years old. Lives on a farm in Austin, Texas with his family and has written 18 books so far. 🤯
The only logical explanation for that amount of consistent creativity is discipline and joy. I dug to find the longest podcast of Ryan Holiday talking through his thoughts on discipline. You won’t regret the 2 hours here.
Link to Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAMdQLyoK70
🐦 A Twitter Thread on Optimism — I have a slight obsession with optimism and leading optimists. This week, I put together some of my favorite thoughts on optimism. I wrote a twitter thread on why pessimists will never outperform optimists.
Here why and the 5 reasons I outlined in this twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/AlinDragu/status/1633875372550025221?s=20
💬 Quote — “If you do not know which port you are sailing to, no wind is favorable” - Seneca