Jason Steed
Owner & CEO
All In? Or 2 Places at Once?
My Thoughts on Showing Up as a Busy Marketer
The struggle is real! It all has to be done, and days aren’t getting longer anytime soon.
It’s terribly awkward, isn’t it? Those moments of being everywhere, yet not really there. We’ve all been on both sides of these encounters. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of spreading ourselves too thin. Life is demanding, and “I’m not driving” can feel like the only solution. Our deep attention is vital in our leadership roles, and we marketers and team leaders have to shed distractions.
Yes, we have to say “no.” Who’s with me?
All In vs. Half-baked
In marketing, the subtle cues really matter! A marketer’s biggest contribution is in baking the right ingredients into a meaningful marketing campaign. Only when we’re all in can we absorb the nuances of audience, message, timing and placement. Because those ingredients are always in flux, we can’t spread ourselves too thinly by simply refurbishing past campaigns.
Authenticity: Handle with Care
You know that feeling when someone’s actually paying attention to you? Not just nodding while making a mental list. That’s authenticity and it’s a precious commodity in leadership roles. When you show up fully engaged, people feel it. They trust you. They respect you. It’s not something you can fake, and no amount of rehearsed multitasking tricks can replace it.
Being fully present means capping our time. Authenticity requires shining a light on our distractions and choosing to invest our time and energy where it really counts.
When it comes to being all in, never underestimate the power of “Just one sec, let me wrap something up.”
Ditch the Distractions
Confronting then ditching our distractions is undoubtedly lifelong work. I’ve come to realize how important it is to drop our “mental listing,” even if just for a moment. Incessant mental tallying is a viable survival tactic, but hitting the pause button lets us contribute the best ideas from our best selves. So, now that we’ve called it as it is, how can we avoid those exposing situations of being half-invested? The first step in being more present is recognizing what’s pulling you away. Ask yourself these simple questions:
- “Can I give this my sincere attention?” If not, it’s probably not worth your focus.
- “Can I give this my attention right now?” Timing is everything. Just because something’s important doesn’t mean it’s urgent.
- “Should I stop giving this my attention?” Letting go of what doesn’t matter is hard, but it frees you to focus on what does.
- “Am I needed, or just wanted?” It’s a life-long pursuit in recognizing the difference, but essential to showing up in the right places.
- “Just one sec, let me wrap something up.” Never underestimate the power of this statement when you’re pulled into an important moment.
These little check-ins keep you honest with yourself and help you stay in control of your priorities.
Make the Tough Choices: The Imperative “No.”
Here’s the deal: your time, energy, and focus are limited. You can’t do it all, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s freeing. When you start saying “no” to the things that don’t need you, you’ll have more space to say “yes” to the things that do. And when you’re all in, people notice.
Be Picky, but Be Present
It’s not about doing everything; it’s about doing the right things with your whole heart. Start being picky about where your time and energy go, and watch how it changes your relationships, your work, and even your own peace of mind. So, next time you’re pulled in ten different directions, ask yourself:
- Does this really need me?
- Can I give this my full focus, or am I just going through the motions?
- What’s the cost of saying “yes” to this?
Marketing Case Study – Minecraft with my 15-yr-old:
Showing up where we’re truly needed makes us better thinkers and problem-solvers. We’ll also bring more energy to the people and moments that matter most in our professional and personal lives.
Just this past week I was reminded of the value of quality of time over quantity. Though I don’t find much interest in Minecraft, I like seeing the creative worlds through my 15-yr-old’s gaming eyes. Instead of “doing time” over his shoulder, I briefly “checked out” of my own head and learned what was in his head (i.e. understanding our audience). He’s very clever with the way he builds authentic-looking terrain, including trees with lighter colored half-blocks that looked like exposed root systems around the trunks.
I loved learning how realistic landscapes are important to him (i.e. audience motivation). I learned that because I asked. I asked because I was curious. I was curious because I was all in for that short block of time.
Afterward, my mental lists were still there for me, with an added perk of meaningful father-son bonding for both of us.
Show Up Wholeheartedly
Life’s too short to phone it in. Let’s commit to showing up where we’re needed most. The ripple effects of our presence—at work, at home, and in the world—are worth it.