You are not anyone's only option. (...So now what?)

We made out for hours that night.

College kids stepped clumsily around us, spilling their beer as much as their morals.

It was an era of chunky blonde highlights and boot cut jeans, tanning beds and lacy little lingerie tops from Express. My favorite was champagne & cream colored. I had it on that night.

Because, as any college girl knows, all it takes to get attention is a nice ass and, well, lacy little lingerie tops from Express.

But then, of course, when you're in your twenties, and you've got to work a little harder.

You've got to “have a good head on your shoulders,” and “be going places.” You've got to know how to make a great first impression, learn the art of schmoozing, and maybe even own furniture. You might not know what you're doing, but at least you look the part.

Then after that comes the interesting part. Because after your twenties, you stop getting attention—

—and you have to actually start earning it.

You're expected to have an opinion, contribute to the conversation, prove yourself, and be interesting. Not just look interesting. And rightfully so. What the hell have you been doing for 30+ years that you don't have any opinions?

And that's all well and good. Most of us naturally mature into delightfully opinionated human beings eventually. <Insert big toothy smile.>

But now you have a new problem.

Your business is still acting like a freewheelin' college girl.

It's running around, showing off its lacy new website, making out with doing business with whoever's game.

Or maybe it's in its twenties, figuring out an actual strategy to “go places,” and “have a good {business} head on its shoulders.” Your business might not actually know what it's doing, but at least it looks the part.

But eventually, in order to actually matter, in order to actually grow, in order to actually make the money you want to be making, you've got to get past the superficial. You've got to start earning the attention you crave.

Because mama ain't givin' it up after the novelty wears off. And by mama I mean the world.

And the only way to earn the world's attention?

Is to painstakingly slave to make sure your business has an opinion, contributes to the conversation, proves itself, and actually becomes interesting—instead of just looking it.

Which, if you'll notice, all relates back to language, and words, and ideas—and most importantly, communicating those ideas in interesting ways.

This is why what you say is more important than what you sell.

And it's why I do the work that I do. It's why copywriting is never just “some copy.” And it's why people doing the same darn thing as you are making 6 figures+.

You are not anyone's only option.

The key is becoming the only option they want.