“Just Before The Twister Hit…”

The Tornado Chronicles, Day 2.

I have twisters on my mind…

…since Friday when 13 of them touched down here in Missouri.

Yesterday, I shared the tale of a community that rallied to support a gym owner whose business was blown away.

Today: Another twister tale. It’s a story about tragedy narrowly averted, loaded with lessons to help you create client-getting content without getting stuck.

Make sure to read to the bottom where I share a special invitation to an event you won’t want to miss.

Now, on to the story…

The date: November 15, 1988. Not a typical time for tornadoes. But this was not a typical November day. The temperature was 70F, 15 degrees warmer than usual.

The place: Davisville, MO. in the heart of the Ozarks. Remote hills and hollows. No storm sirens.

But Joyce, her husband Jim, and their daughter Shannon didn’t need a siren to tell them a storm was coming. They just didn’t know how bad it would be.

Just before the twister hit, Joyce walked from her house to her pickup truck to roll up the windows.

Rain was falling. The wind whipped.

As she returned from the pickup truck, around 8:55 p.m., she suddenly could tell: BIG TROUBLE was blowing in.

“Get to the basement…NOW!” she screamed, as she ran into the house.

Less than two minutes later, the tornado was on top of them.

It ripped the house from the foundation.

It lifted the pickup truck, parked 75 feet from the house, and deposited it, nose down in the basement – in the corner opposite where Jim, Joyce, and Shannon huddled.

And then it was gone.

Joyce, Jim, and Shannon survived, unhurt.

If Joyce had not gone outside to roll up those truck windows, if she had not screamed for them to run for cover, that tornado might have blown them away.

How did she know?

She didn’t hear it.

She couldn’t see it.

What clued her in?

CEDAR.

As she walked from the truck to the house…

…she noticed the aroma of cedar.

This wasn’t a faint whiff.

No, this was an explosion of cedar.

And Joyce knew.

Cedar trees were snapping upwind.

And the tree-snapping wind was blowing her way.

That’s when she began to run and scream…

…because she NOTICED the aroma of cedar.

Joyce’s house was just down the road from my wife’s family farm.

Joyce told my mother-in-law that story, and my mother-in-law shared it with me.

And now I share it with you…

…Because I believe in the POWER OF NOTICING.

The more you pay attention, the more you notice, the more power you’ll have…

…to escape storms before they hit…

…to see opportunities before they arise…

…and to create great content without writer’s block.

Yesterday, at one of the group masterminds I run, we discussed how more and better content leads to more and better clients.

A new member named TIm said, “ I’m concerned about being able to create enough content to do that.”

Tim’s not alone. Maybe you’ve felt it, too. Creating enough content feels too challenging — like marching into a 100 mph wind.

My client Shawn felt that way…

…before he learned how to notice the stories around him.

He shared his story with Tim:

“All of us, we’re in the same boat. So we read Tom’s book that makes it so much easier. We’ve been on Tom’s courses where he talks about his inspiration for emails — where he finds emails, the triggers that he sets up to give him stories and reminders for emails.

“(Coming up with content ideas) is a concern, until it’s not, Tim. When you follow the system Tom’s put together, that makes it so easy for everything to be turned into an email.”

Same goes for creating social posts, videos, presentations, or any other content you assemble to attract prospects and inspire them to hire you.

All of this content talk got me thinking: It’s been a long time since I shared my simple system for noticing stories, generating content, and conquering writer’s block.

So on Friday at 1 p.m. ET, I’m hosting a small-group masterclass where I’ll reveal all.

It’s called “How to Generate a Flood of Client-Getting Content Ideas.”

I’ll share simple systems, habits, and tools I use to notice the stories around me…

…so I can easily assemble content without ever feeling stuck.

This will be an intimate Zoom session. Mics unmuted. Customized instruction. Plenty of time for questions.

To make this work, I’m limiting enrollment. So let me know now if you’d like to attend.

Reply to this email with “Bring on the flood” and I’ll send you the Zoom link. But only reply if you plan to attend.