Landlines, Foucault and the Benefits of Catching Up

I had a dream the other night that I got an old fashioned landline and rotary phone. This image must have come to my resting mind because I’ve been doing so much outreach lately. Perhaps the dream symbolizes the fact that this habit of connecting is taking root in me - becoming a “landline”, perhaps even a life line.

I started my campaign of phone calls early in the new year, and have ramped it up as I have simultaneously been refining my processes for serving clients. I’m studying ways to make projects go faster by diving deep from the very beginning and demystifying the creative process so that clients can experience how their own creative momentum helps them meet their business and organizational goals.

A welcome side effect of reconnecting with many of you has been that we have gotten to catch up! I’ve heard from some about new ventures - books, businesses, babies! From others, I’ve learned about pivots - new jobs you’re looking for, and what you really love about what you do. In spite of “seeing” many of you on Instagram or LinedIn, I’ve realized that there’s no substitute for a real conversation. 

French philosopher Michel Foucault described the telephone as a “technology of alienation”. In his view, the telephone robbed modern people of face to face contact and the sense of community, belonging and resilience that organically arises when one spends time with friends and neighbors. 

I appreciate his point of view, and find it more and more relevant in a society that is tearing itself apart as a result of social media and our largely screen-based lifestyle. But within this context, full of advanced scams, cyber-bullying, rampant advertising, misinformation, algorithm-based rabbit holes and interpersonal ghosting, picking up the phone has come to feel immediate, connected, even vulnerable. 

Unlike texting, email and other messaging platforms, live conversations don’t allow us to plan what we say. No AI bot can check the appropriateness of your response. It’s just you and me, babe! 

That’s why I’ve been so moved by the experience of reaching out. It is a stretch. It’s unpredictable. Sometimes conversations are awkward. It’s hard to ask people if they know anyone who would benefit from being one of my case study clients. I’m also seeing amazing results and experiencing interactions that I never could have predicted. I’m experiencing my own power as a connector and catalyst.

We are conditioned to believe that marketing genius arises from mastering inscrutable algorithms and spending big retainers, but for small service businesses and nonprofits, I believe that the true secret to successful marketing is consistency, clarity and genuine connection. Your next ideal client or financial backer is probably someone you know, or someone they know. 

So reach out! If you don’t know how, let me help. Contact me to see if we you’re a fit.