"it's not worth it"
This morning, I drove the wrong way down a one-way street....
Backwards.
Here's what happened:
My apartment is right next to a set of train tracks. And when I say "right next to a set of train tracks..."
I mean there are railroad ties 30 yards from my door.
This could be an issue on its own. You know, with the constant horn blaring and the sound of 10 tons of steel rolling over the earth.
But the problem gets even bigger:
Most of the time, the train is not moving quickly.
In fact, it usually hangs out across the street from our apartment. So when it crosses the tracks at our intersection...
It's often just getting started.
Which means it's going slow as fuck.
And to make things even worse:
Sometimes, the train just stops on the tracks.
I once saw it stay completely stationary for an entire hour. (And honestly, it was probably longer.)
One final thing to keep in-mind:
I do not live in the middle of nowhere.
I live on a busy street 1.5 miles from downtown Nashville.
So when the train comes through -- whether it completely stops or just ambles on down the tracks...
It turns traffic into a gigantic clusterfuck.
Thankfully, having lived in the same place for 2 years, my roommates and I have discovered a creative solution for bypassing the traffic.
But currently, this creative solution is being blocked by a pile of wood.
So it's not an option.
So this morning, when I was walking to my car and heard the train horn...
I knew I had to figure something out.
Thankfully, there's more than one creative solution to avoid the traffic caused by the train.
Here's creative solution #2:
The train tracks cross at a 3-way intersection.
The intersection is in a "Y" shape, with the tracks crossing the top right stick of the "Y."
The crossing gate cuts through the intersection at a similar angle as the tracks...
So there's just a liiiiittle space on the left side of the gate...
And if you take advantage of this space, you can squeeze your car through and make a left turn...
While never getting close to the train at all.
It can feel a little sketchy. But it's pretty safe.
This morning, before I pulled out of my parking lot, I looked to the intersection and saw that the left lane was open.
That meant I could squeeze through the gate, make a left turn, and be on my way.
But as I was pulling out -- wouldn't you know it -- a goddamn Dodge Ram takes over the left lane.
And I don't know how much you know about Dodge Rams, but here's what I will tell you:
They're not exactly known for their ability to squeeze through tiny spaces.
They're better at hauling horses or driving over rocks or generally just looking bigger and more badass than my tiny Honda Fit.
I take my place in the lane behind him, hoping he'll at least try to squeeze through the gate.
But he doesn't budge.
My time is running out.
If I don't make a decision soon, a car will pull up behind me, trapping me in place, and I'll be stuck here for who knows how long.
"It's not worth it," I think to myself, and throw the car in reverse.
I then proceed to reverse roughly 100 yards and turn into a parking lot at the intersection behind me (the one without the train).
Thankfully, I can use this parking lot to turn onto a different street and bypass the train altogether.
So that's what I did.
All that to say:
Much like sitting in traffic isn't worth it, there are some things in your business that aren't worth it, either.
But if you're a personal brand, there's one thing that IS worth it:
Learning to write storytelling emails.
Why?
Because storytelling emails (similar to the one you're reading now) allow you to form a genuine connection with the people on your email list...
And bring in money for your business at the same time.
It's a win-win.
And when you can transform everyday events from your life into emails that help you connect with your audience...
And/or generate money for your business...
Email marketing will become much more fun -- and much less stressful -- for you.
So if that's something you're interested in…