Deb and I spent a terrific day with my family yesterday.

We gathered in Solvang, the historic little Danish community (i.e., tourist trap) that sits a half-hour north of Santa Barbara. And we shopped, tasted wine, bought wine, and wrapped it all up with dinner at a nice Danish restaurant.

And I forgot entirely about the Oscars.

I didn’t even DVR the damn thing.

In fact, I’d still forgotten about the Oscars until this morning, when I plopped into a comfy chair at Starbucks with my cup of dark roast, booted up the ol’ laptop, and saw the news headlines.

The Hurt Locker? Kathryn Bigelow? What the –?!

Wasn’t the high-priced 3D leviathan Avatar supposed to sweep the Oscars this year? And wasn’t it assumed that its director, James Cameron (ironically, Bigelow’s ex), would equally clobber his competition?

Didn’t happen.

I haven’t seen either The Hurt Locker or Avatar yet. I’m sure both are extraordinary in their own way. But I’m just wondering…

By the time the Oscars rolled around this year, Avatar was the box office champ of all time. Both it and Cameron had already swept the Golden Globes in January. The newspapers were filled with full-page ads for the film, all of them displaying critics’ rave reviews quoted out of context.

All we heard for three months was Avatar, Avatar, Avatar.

Did both the movie and its director finally get buried in their own hype?

Did even Hollywood finally become exhausted with the “I’m king of the world!” chest-thumping?

In marketing, too much hype often creates backlash.

If your ad, or website, or sales letter, or email is filled with exclamation points beyond all reason — and it uses way too many words like All-New, and Fantastic, and Groundbreaking — you might wanna shift into a lower gear.

We’re living in an era dominated more and more by weary skeptics. The Big Hype doesn’t work as well as it did even a decade ago.

Keep this in mind when you promote your new business or product or service.

Don’t over-hype and suffer like Avatar did at last night’s Oscars.

I’m interested in what you think about Avatar, the Oscars, and the hype. Comment below and let’s talk about it.

P.S. Quick tip: in your next marketing piece, try cutting your use of exclamation points in the copy by about half. Test it. Then let me know how that works for you.

I just came across a terrific quote from the late author Marilyn Ferguson, and I want to share it with you.

It has to do with two F-words — one of ’em bad, the other good.

Here’s the quote:

“Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every Fear is a Freedom.”

Said another way, do what you fear and you’ll find liberation.

Ever notice that when you do something uncomfortable or scary, that’s when real magic happens?

Here’s a third F-word — another good one, I think:

Freelancing.

Freelancing is a means to a more flexible, free life. And here’s the neat thing…

Despite what a LOT of people think, being a freelancer doesn’t mean you have to be a writer.

That’s certainly a great option, but I know of freelancers who are photographers, bookkeepers, tutors, chefs, landscapers, events planners, and massage therapists.

I know of others who are telemarketers, data processors, interior designers, and illustrators.

Whatever your skill, you can move out of the restrictive 9-to-5 job factory and into an adaptable freelance lifestyle.

Problem is, going out on your own can be scary.

But it doesn’t need to be.

I’m busy right now putting the finishing touches on a package called Fearless Freelancing 101. It’s designed to help you create your own freedom as quickly as possible, and it contains the accumulated know-how of two crusty freelancers who’ve both “done the freelance thing” for a long time now (one of them’s me, by the way).

Full disclosure: This package is not a get-rich-quick system or shortcut to success. It offers truckloads of great advice on how to size up your strengths and weaknesses and generate enough self-confidence to get rolling. But the work’ll all be done by you.

I’ll keep you posted about the launch date.

So what’s keeping YOU from jumping off the ol’ treadmill?

P.S. If you want a headstart in crushing any fears or self-doubt, make sure you visit…

http://www.wallyconger.com/rhinotactics.html

Deb left me home alone for a few hours last night, so I figgered it was safe to watch Zombieland, which arrived from Netflix on Tuesday.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, two of the stars are Woody Harrelson, from Cheers, and the adorable little girl from Little Miss Sunshine (who’s still adorable but not so little anymore).

The movie’s a comedic gorefest, so it’s definitely not for the squeamish. But if you enjoy the walking dead as much as I do, it’s probably worth adding to your “must see” list.

Anyway, something dawned on me while watching Zombieland.

Zombies almost always gather in supermarkets, shopping malls, and amusement parks.

Why is that?

Could it be that the craving for entertainment and stuff to buy is so deeply hardwired into our brains that it might even survive — gulp — death?

That’s something to think about when you’re in business for yourself.

There’s a one-two punch when it comes to sales.

First, people WANT to buy new things. It’s in our nature.

Second, if you can entertain people, they’ll grow to like you. And if they like you, they’re more likely to buy from you instead of from your less amusing competitors.

A simple business “secret,” really.

Just don’t waste it on zombies.

They may wanna buy stuff. But they never carry cash.

Business and marketing guy Seth Godin writes and publishes more print books, eBooks, and blogposts than I can usually keep up with. But he caught my eye with a post this past weekend.

It was about fear. And since I’ve struggled with near-crippling fears in the past — and still do at times — I took that post to heart and thought I’d share it with you.

Here it is:

“Your most vivid fears … are almost certainly not the most important ones.

“We pay attention to the loud and the urgent. This can lead us to ignore the important and achievable paths open to us — because we’re so busy defending against the overwhelmingly dangerous (but unlikely) outcomes instead.”

Where’s your focus?

Is it on a scary, exaggerated disaster scenario you imagine might, but probably won’t, occur?

Or is it on opportunities lying before you right now?

Fear’s a mean son of a you know what.

It’s also a choice.

Quick story…

One day (back when I was still wearing suits and ties), I was “volunteered” by my corporate masters to speak at USC to a hundred or more journalism students.

“When?” I asked.

“Half an hour.”

No prep time. I wasn’t even sure what I was supposed to talk about.

Worse, I’d never before spoken to a group larger than maybe a dozen people.

My immediate instinct was fear.

Luckily, though, I didn’t have time to pursue it. I had just a few minutes to negotiate my Honda Prelude through L.A. traffic, find a parking spot, then hike across the vast campus to the right auditorium.

You may be thinking, “Heck, you had no choice but to refocus away from your fear. The urgent goal of reaching your destination stood between you and the terror of speaking to those students.”

True.

And that’s my point…

What’s more important than your crippling fear? Your family? Your freedom? Or something as simple as getting to your appointment on time?

Whatever it is, focus on that.

The fear may not go away entirely. But you’ll shove it so far in the background that you can ignore it.

If you fear something, give that a try. And let me know how it works for you. Leave a comment below!

P.S. You can access a whole bunch of techniques for fighting fear, worry, and doubt if you visit…

http://wallyconger.com/rhinotactics.html

Sure, I think everybody ought to launch their own business. Online or offline, small or large.

But I also know that not everyone is cut out for life off the 9-to-5 treadmill.

Daniel Isenberg, who’s a professor of management practice at Babson College in Massachusetts, says that if you can answer “yes” to most of these 19 statements, maybe saying bye-bye to the job is right for you.

1. I don’t like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.

2. I like challenging myself.

3. I like to win.

4. I like being my own boss.

5. I always look for new and better ways to do things.

6. I like to question conventional wisdom.

7. I like to get people together in order to get things done.

8. People get excited by my ideas.

9. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.

10.  I can’t sit still.

11.  I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.

12.  I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else’s.

13.  Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.

14.  I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks.

15.  Members of my family run their own businesses.

16.  I have friends who run their own businesses.

17.  I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.

18.  I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.

19.  I am exhilarated by achieving results.

I’m kinda lukewarm about four or five of these statements myself (I’ll let you figger out which ones). But I’m spot-on for the rest of ’em.

How about you?

Let me know by posting a comment below.

P.S. Of course, what’s keeping you on that hamster-wheel might be fear, worry, or doubt. And I have something for you that might be an antidote to that. Mosey on over to…

http://www.wallyconger.com/rhinotactics.html

I’m asked time and again why I don’t use web videos.

The simple answer is that I generally don’t like ’em.

Oh, I’ll laugh at the e*Trade babies or watch Rick Springfield sing “Jessie’s Girl” over and over on YouTube till Deb tells me to knock it off. And, yeah, of course I love movies.

But your typical internet business video of a head yammering crapola for 20 minutes bores me to tears. So you folks who regularly send me “vital info” with links to such videos can just stop it right now. Trust me. I’m not watching them.

(In a spirit of full disclosure, I gotta confess that my pal Chris Farrell is the rare exception. He creates short instructional videos that brilliantly use screenshots, moving cursors, and clear, concise language. Cheers, Chris!)

Anyway, I’m a text and audio guy.

Text, digital or not, provides easy reference. You can skim it, highlight it, “search” it, and quickly pull data from it.

As for audio, I think it’s more convenient and flexible than video. You can download and listen to it while driving, hiking, cleaning the garage, or just sitting in the garden with a brewsky. You don’t have to sit still and stare at the darn thing.

So my emails, blog posts, and products by and large rely on the written word and audio.

I won’t rule out video entirely in the future. But when I do use it, you can bet it’ll be strictly because it’s the best way to convey the information I have for you.

Hope that answers the video question.

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the details of my newest product, which launched earlier this week. It’s an exhilarating, educational, motivational audio-eBook package of pounding rhino action designed to help you crash through anything keeping you from your dreams.

Take a look right here…

www.wallyconger.com/rhinotactics.html

You know what a rhino is, right?

It’s a powerful, multi-ton creature with thick protective skin, acute hearing and sense of smell, and an immense horn above its nose. A rhino crashes through every obstacle that stands between it and its goals. A rhino is the ultimate no-BS success hunter.

Didja know that “rhino” is also a slang term in some places for money or cash? Pretty cool. You could say that to get rhino, you’ve gotta be rhino!

Yeah, I know that’s easier said than done. There are always a lot of hurdles to jump over or plow through.

But that’s the point of being a rhino!

To help get you there, I’ve just released No-Nonsense Damn-the-Torpedoes Jungle Rhinoceros Tactics to Flatten the Crap Outta Fear, Worry, & Doubt.

http://www.wallyconger.com/rhinotactics.html

A few weeks back, I locked rhino horns with Scott Alexander, motivational speaker and author of the popular Rhinoceros Success books. Scott and I blistered the phone lines talking about rhino philosophy, rhino success, rhino business, rhino faith, rhino politics, and a whole safari load of other fantastic stuff.

You know, stuff that makes you wanna get off your butt and charge headfirst into your day, your goals, and your dreams.

I recorded our entire conversation, and the result is this high-octane, why-to, how-to, educational, inspirational, motivational, audio-eBook package.

You’ll find all the details at…

http://www.wallyconger.com/rhinotactics.html

Go rhino!

I live in California wine country.

So, of course, I’m a wine fan.

Not an expert or connoisseur.

A fan.

This weekend, Deb and I are doing a two-day circuit of the nearby Paso Robles “far-out wineries” with three other couples visiting here from out of town.

To varying degrees, all of them are experts, compared to me.

They’ll comment on a wine’s “nose” or “finish.” They’ll ask the winemaker astute questions. They’ll walk out of a tasting room with a case or two of wine. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll leave with a single bottle tucked under my arm.

They’re pretty damn serious.

I’m not.

This weekend tour will be fun overall, but honestly, all that finish and nose stuff bores the hell out of me.

Here’s what’s funny, though…

More than once, someone’s told me, “Hey, you live among the wineries; you should write wine criticism, or a wine book, or a wine blog!”

And I always nod, smile, and think to myself, “What a freakin’ yawn that would be!”

So my message for today:

Cultivate many interests. Be well-rounded. But know the difference between being a fan and being an expert, between having an interest in something and really, really loving something.

If you’re thinking of starting a particular business because, well, it’s the “latest thing” or a “surefire goldmine,” don’t do it unless you genuinely love whatever it is.

Your customers always know if you’re faking it. And faking it’s too much work anyway.

What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below.

Meanwhile, this weekend, I’ll drink a lot of wine and enjoy myself. But I won’t worry about noses or finishes. I’ll leave that to my friends, the experts.

Last week, I wrote about flying by the seat of your pants, and how I usually do that whenever I speak to a group.

Well, it dawned on me later that what I do right here is another example of “winging it.”

When I write an email or blog post, I more often than not just jump in and start hammering away at the keyboard, riffing on whatever’s on my mind.

And I’m surprised that something cool usually results.

But I wanna make clear that this “method” didn’t come easily at first. (Sometimes, it still doesn’t.)

There’s a gut-tightening that’s common to jumping without a net, whether it’s the first or even sixteenth time.

“Will I make a fool of myself?”

“Will I do something that’s — gulp! — irreparable?”

Not quite a year ago, I chose to stop fretting about a “perfect” business plan, the “ideal” moment, and my crippling internet technophobia.

I said “screw it,” hiked up my big boy pants, and leaped into the world of online business.

No firm plan.

No solid idea.

Just a yearning to build myself a playground on the internet.

In “winging it,” I performed a lot of internet marketing no-no’s.

I didn’t identify a real specific niche. I registered my own name as a “domain,” even though nobody’d ever heard of me. I kicked off my blog without having written a single post ahead of time, instead of building a backlog of 10 or 12 before starting, always recommended by the “experts.”

In other words, I started this whole shindig by the seat of my dusty old Levis.

But I had a story to tell about my post-corporate work history and lifestyle. I had some thoughts about business and freedom I wanted to get off my chest.

So I’ve blogged, and emailed, and twittered, and even sold a few products and services from other people, all of which I happen to like very much.

And along the way, as you may have noticed, I’ve taken the occasional sharp right or left turn. Never quite positive of exactly where I’ll end up.

But that’s OK. I’m here for the long haul. I’m having a helluva good time. And I’m always committed to your success in whatever you decide to do.

Keep loose!

P.S. “Winging it” and getting started on a course of action is a lot easier if you’re committed to your desires and goals. Just a few days more, and I’ll be introducing a powerful new program to help you generate the spirit and drive of a thick-skinned rhinoceros. Be warned!

You might remember that I mentioned Scott Alexander, the author of Rhinoceros Success, a few posts ago.

Well, I’ve gotta share this tidbit I just grabbed off Scott’s “Rhino Revolution” blog:

“… Now we are getting closer to the real secret of success — what will you put up with to get what you want?

“My addiction is ChapStick. I must have it with me at all times. If I find that I have forgotten to put my ChapStick in my pocket, I will go to great lengths to immediately get a fresh tube. My greatest fear is going to prison and being denied having ChapStick in my cell. What objectionable behavior would I engage in to get ChapStick? I don’t want to think about it!!

“Your goals have to carry at least as much weight as a coffee drinker for coffee. You have to be addicted to success. You don’t need to peruse a magazine for motivation. You know what you want. It is on your mind all the time. You crave it!! If you have to jump through hoops to get it, get the hoops out and you jump! You will get it … no matter what.”

Two quick thoughts…

1. Scott’s absolutely right. For your goals to mean anything at all, you hafta be passionate about them. REALLY passionate. Like ChapStick passionate.

2. ChapStick, Scott? Sheesh!

OK, now a self-serving plug…

I’ll be launching a new high-octane audio-eBook package featuring Scott and me in just a few days. It’s called No-Nonsense Damn-the-Torpedoes Jungle Rhinoceros Tactics to Flatten the Crap Outta Fear, Worry, & Doubt.

If you wanna finally jump off the hamster wheel — or even if you’re already off the wheel but wanna STAY off — you’ll like this.

Watch for an announcement shortly.

End of self-promotion.