Beth Robinson

This week I joined The Third Tribe, a membership in a learning group built around the concept of the third tribe, a place between the internet marketers who employ every possible tactic to get someone's money (not all internet marketers are like that, of course) and the very community oriented bloggers who seem to think money is bad.

They tell the story very well on the intro page of Inside the Third Tribe. (NOT an affiliate link, btw)

All the discussions going on are intense and amazing. It might be just the start-up phase but I've already had something of a mindshift, being around people who are deliberately thinking this way. I was especially influenced by the first seminar, which was Sonia Simone talking with Johnny Truant.

It was just one line that wasn't even the point of the discussion. What he makes money doing is not what he is writing about.

Separating Services from Content

Somehow this sparked a chain of thoughts that ended with the decision to remove my copywriting services from Leading with Content and put them here. Leading with Content would then become a site dedicated to helping manufacturing and chemical companies use content marketing.

I feel kind of silly saying this, because that's what it was before. But it was that with the intention of providing a platform to attract potential customers. In my mind I felt like I needed to be the expert who was justifying the professional B2B fees that I've seen in the industry benchmarks.

But I wasn't. And that dichotomy was killing me.

I have a lot of faith in my ability, and a good chunk of both business and copywriting education, but no portfolio, no sales experience, and no clients.

I need to be casting my net on Elance and in a lower price range to stretch my wings and get little wins before I get big ones. (Yes, I know there are people who say I don't need to and I can make a plan to just go big, but small steps have worked better for me in the past.)

Now I can do that without contradicting myself.

And my opinions on content marketing and knowledge of the manufacturing industry outside of my little corner of it will grow.

And my abilities and proof of them will grow.

And one day I'll turn around and step by step I will have grown into my specialty and be connected to people who might find my services worthwhile - either as a freelancer or as a portion of a corporate postion.

Consolidating Thoughts while Disregarding Opportunities

Despite previous disclaimers about starting a marketing blog, I did try. And stopped. I also tried to start a green materials themed blog. And stopped.

Somehow the seminar also helped me realize that I could just pull it all in and be me here. Yes, that's why I built this blog. But I'd gotten caught up in thinking about opportunities to make money instead of thinking about how not everything needed to try to be a business. Some of it was just about writing what I loved. Some of it was just about talking to other people that way.

And maybe they won't care about what I do. And that's okay.

And maybe a few will.