You Can be The “Luckiest” Content Creator Alive. Here’s How…

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In the summer of ’45, on a scorching day in LA, a guy named Mel visited his friend and partner Bob. On Bob’s piano, Mel found a notebook with a few random lines.

“What’s this?” Mel asked.

Bob explained: The heat was driving him crazy. So Bob wrote some lines about winter. He thought envisioning winter might help him beat the heat.

Thirty-eight years later, Mel told Conan O’Brien, “I looked at him and said, ‘This may be a song.’ And in 40 minutes, that song was written.”

The songwriters: Mel Tormé and Bob Wells.

The lines in the notebook: “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and “Jack Frost nipping at my nose.”

The tune: “The Christmas Song.”

I like that story.
Here’s how I found it and turned it into this email…

Soon after I woke this morning, I grabbed my favorite mug, filled it to the brim with French roast, and lifted the lid on my laptop. (Moose lay at my feet, wishing I’d hurry up so we could go for a walk).

I visited OnThisDay.com and discovered Mel Tormé died on this day in 1999.

I like Mel Tormé and figured I could mine his life for email fodder.

I asked my GPT-powered robot, “B-9(?)” to: “tell me a Mel Tormé story.”

“B-9(?)” told me “The Christmas Song” story.

I don’t believe anything GPT-powered robots say so I went to Google to fact-check “B-9(?)’s” story.

That led me to YouTube video of Mel Tormé on Conan O’Brien’s show. I got the story straight from the Tormé’s mouth.

Lots of business lessons in this tale…

…beginning with Bob Wells’ notebook. All of the successful writers, songwriters, and other creators I know have notebooks (or digital notetakers) where they noodle, doodle, and jot.

They may create the noodles, doodles, and jots with ZERO intent of turning them into something (Bob Wells just wanted to cool off).

But those nuggets sit in the notebook…

…to be revisited later…

…to inspire a creation.

“The Christmas Song” may seem like a lucky, magical accident. But it began with a few lines, scribbled in a notebook. And it blossomed when a creator saw those lines and thought, “This may be a song.”

Same goes with this email. I routinely visit OnThisDay.com, HolidaysCalendar.com, News of the Weird, online forums, and other places where I gather interesting and entertaining anecdotes and factoids.

Note that word “routinely.”

This is a routine for me. A habit. Part of a system.

I never sit in front of an empty computer screen, wondering what to write today, feeling empty-handed, wishing some magic would strike.

I always have a collection of noodles, doodles, and jots to draw from.

Sometimes, as happened today, I find an anecdote I can instantly turn into an email. Other times, I write a few lines in my notebook, let them germinate, and rediscover them later, ready to blossom into a story.

None of this is an accident.

The Roman stoic philosopher Seneca said,

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Preparation meeting opportunity…

That’s how Mel and Bob wrote “The Christmas Song.”

That’s how I wrote this email.

Routines, habits and systems to create a story-powered, client-attracting super-magnet…

If you’ve ever felt stuck in front of that empty screen, wishing for the creative magic to strike, you need routines, habits, and systems to improve your content-creation “luck.”

A great place to start: Club Storyville — an exclusive, online community and treasure chest for savvy business leaders who want to create more captivating, client-attracting, profit-generating emails, social posts, videos, landing pages, and other content — without getting stuck or working their tails off.

You can sign up now with a 7-day free trial. Details and registration here.

Don't go away yet..

p.s. Coaches, authors, and consultants hire me to power-up their creative content and storytelling to captivate prospects, stand-out and book more business.

Whenever you're ready, here are several ways I can help you become a storytelling stand-out so you'll land more clients without pitching and prodding:

1) Get the Story Power Profit Pack -- 52 Strategies, Tips, and Tactics  to Transform Your Content from Ignored to Adored.

2) Watch the free, 7-minute Micro-Training: “The 3 Most Important Storytelling Keys to Captivate Prospects and Inspire Them to Act -- Without Pitching and Prodding.”

3) Become a Story Power VIP: Master how to discover, assemble, and deliver business-building stories. Twice-monthly live masterclasses. Members-only content. One-on-one feedback and consulting sessions. And more… If you'd like to learn more about our VIP program, just reply to this email and put "Story Power VIP" in the subject line. I’ll contact you with more details.

4) Work with me one-on-one: If you’re interested in working directly with me -- to discover, assemble, and deliver powerful, business-building stories -- simply reply to this email and change the subject line to "Private Client." Tell me a little about yourself, your business, and what you'd like to accomplish, and I'll reply to discuss options.

5) Invite me to speak at an event: I can tailor a presentation that meets the specific needs of your organization. Informative. Entertaining. Virtual or live. Potential for continuing education credits when applicable for your group. If interested, reply to this email and change the subject line to “Speaking Engagement.” I’ll circle back to discuss the possibilities.

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Tom Ruwitch

Tom Ruwitch is the founder and CEO of Story Power Marketing. For more than 30 years, he has helped businesses grow by delivering powerful stories using a variety of different media.