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Do you have a 'Practitioner' or a 'Producer' mindset?
Entertainment coach John Blackburn introduced me to the Practitioner and Producer mindset. One masters the doing. The other builds the space for it. Which one are you avoiding becoming?

Mark Franklin
2 days ago4 min read


The normalisation of deviance
Sociologist Diane Vaughan coined the phrase after the 1986 Challenger disaster. The gradual erosion of standards, repeated without consequence, until normal no longer means what it once did.

Mark Franklin
Jul 284 min read


The three most important currencies in your business
Self-value, self-trust, and self-worth are the three most important currencies in your business. Here's how to check your exchange rate and start shifting it.

Mark Franklin
Jul 215 min read


Relish the moment and smile...
The neuroscience of smiling, the ripple effect of positivity, and why one deliberate pause changed everything about that second gig.

Mark Franklin
Jul 144 min read


Snakes or ladders: Are you playing to lose?
Following on from the Creative's Hierarchy of Needs, I've been playing with the idea that the hierarchy isn't a uni-directional ladder. The odd snake in the story might slide you back down a tier. Which got me thinking about Snakes & Ladders, and whether we can shift the odds in our favour. Turns out the more interesting question isn't about the snakes or the ladders at all. It's about which one you're secretly rolling for.

Mark Franklin
Jul 73 min read


Sorry Maslow, but creatives have a different hierarchy of needs
When Maslow built his Hierarchy of Needs in 1943, he wasn't thinking about creative business owners. Here's a hierarchy of needs designed specifically for people building something of their own.

Mark Franklin
Jun 304 min read


Your beliefs outlive the people who planted them
I was inspired to share this blog by something Dr Brooke Bownes said on the "Mind Monkeys Welcome..." podcast this week. "Your beliefs outlive the people who planted them". They don't rely on the person, who put them there, to survive. They just need you to keep repeating them. Here's how to stop.

Mark Franklin
Jun 234 min read


The gap between facts and stories
Nine out of ten worries never come true. Discover how catastrophising creates the gap between facts and stories, and why one simple pause changes everything.

Mark Franklin
Jun 164 min read


When is the best time to invest in yourself? (Spoiler: it's now)
When is the best time to invest in yourself? The research is clear, the cost is lower than you think, and the return on doing it now is higher than you expect.

Mark Franklin
Jun 94 min read


Is your business 'kit share' ready?
Is your business kit share ready? Discover what drummers know about tools, clarity and Shiny Object Syndrome that every business owner needs to hear.

Mark Franklin
Jun 24 min read


The confidence gap between the business you have and the business you deserve
The gap between the business you have and the business you deserve is about confidence, not capability. Discover how (and why) your body of evidence tells a braver story than you think.

Mark Franklin
May 266 min read


Make art that moves you (not AI slop)
Make art that moves you – a call to arms that questions whether AI will subjectify humanity (using technology) or allow us to flourish (because of technology).

Mark Franklin
May 193 min read


The creative antidote to AI is gloriously, stubbornly human
AI is making space for the gloriously human thing you do. Discover the creative antidote to AI anxiety and why your humanity is now your greatest competitive advantage.

Mark Franklin
May 126 min read


Tiny unnoticeable things: the small business wins your brain is ignoring
Your brain is ignoring your small business wins. Discover why Tiny Unnoticeable Things (T.U.T.s) matter more than you think and how a smile file changes everything.

Mark Franklin
May 55 min read


Do you enjoy what you love?
Do you enjoy what you love? Discover why creative business owners struggle with the business side and how updating your story changes everything.

Mark Franklin
Apr 285 min read


Getting in your own way: the real reason your creative business is stuck
If your creative business isn't growing the way it should, the problem might not be what you think. Discover why getting in your own way is more common than you realise – and what to do about it at a free live session on 28th April.

Mark Franklin
Apr 214 min read


Practice makes you proficient. Mindset makes it permanent.
Practice makes you proficient. But mindset makes it permanent. Discover why working on your mental picture matters as much as the preparation itself.

Mark Franklin
Apr 145 min read


Four business owners walk into a room. Which one are you?
Four business owners walk into a room. Fearful Fred, Self-Aware Sally, Blossoming Barry, Fearless Freya. Which one sounds most like you right now?

Mark Franklin
Apr 77 min read


Overcoming procrastination: why "I don't have time" is rarely about time
Overcoming procrastination isn't about managing your time better. Discover what is really behind the "I don't have time" story and what The Four Fears® says about it.

Mark Franklin
Mar 316 min read


Perfectionism is (politely) holding you back
Is perfectionism holding you back in your creative work? Discover what is really behind the "not ready yet" habit and how embracing The Four Fears® can help you move forward.

Mark Franklin
Mar 245 min read
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