July 2020 - The Winding Road

Imposter Syndrome’s Kryptonite

by Travis L. ScottJuly 29, 2020July 28, 2020

Imposter Syndrome and Curiosity Recently, I was talking with a friend about imposter syndrome and making career pivots. We explored a lot of different angles and examples of this topic. I’m not big on the term “superpower” to describe our core strengths, but I’m warming up to it. During our conversation, I came to realize that one of my core strengths or “superpowers” is actually not knowing what I’m doing. At least the feeling of not knowing what I’m doing or the feeling of not knowing enough. One thing I know about myself is that I’m extremely curious and love …

What Do Brand Line Extensions Have to Do with Your Career?

by Travis L. ScottJuly 21, 2020July 21, 2020

You may be asking, what are line extensions? Well, the next time you go to the grocery store or Walgreens, take a look at the toothpaste aisle. What do you see? The reason I picked toothpaste is that I had to buy some a few weeks ago, and I was left confused and overwhelmed. Crest had three rows, Colgate had two rows, and the bottom row was every other brand. There were more choices of Crest toothpaste than I have teeth in my mouth. I’m not sure how many different kinds of fresh taste combined with whitening most people need, …

It’s a Side Project, Not a Side Hustle

by Travis L. ScottJuly 14, 2020July 14, 2020

They’re Projects, Not Hustles Recently I’ve been hearing more buzz and conversations around side gigs or “side hustles.” Personally, I hate the term “side hustle,” and I don’t particularly like “side gig” either. Side projects or just projects would be better. As the economy (and world) changes, the way we work will also change. The way companies hire is myopic and transactional. It’s nearly impossible to pivot your career at any point if you feel it’s not going down the path you’d like. Networking, Not Applying Especially if you don’t know anyone working at one of your target companies – …

Are You Seeking a Career or a Job?

by Travis L. ScottJuly 8, 2020July 10, 2020

Seeking a Job vs. Seeking a Career A few days ago I posted the following on LinkedIn and Twitter: If you’re "spraying and praying" and applying to jobs without any curiosity or interest in the company that posted it, you’re looking for a job, not the next step in your career.And that’s fine. #careers #CareerDevelopment— Travis L. Scott (@509marketer) July 7, 2020 Some people confuse a job as being part of their career, but I disagree. After watching Elizabeth Gilbert break down the difference between a career, job, hobby, and vocation, it all became more clear for me. Here’s the …

Everything You Do is Branding

by Travis L. ScottJuly 2, 2020July 6, 2020

This title isn’t just meant to get your attention or pique your curiosity. It’s an assertion I stand behind. Over the past several months, I’ve been exploring the concept of branding and brand marketing since most of my professional experience has been in direct marketing. Last week I wrote about something similar in my post Brands Make Promises, So Should You. Direct marketing is what you do when you send an email campaign or create Google Ads (aka paid search) and send them out into the world. Both of those things can be measured by saying we spent $X and …