I’m stuck.

I’ve hit a wall as a marketer and often feel like I’m tangoing with dread over the craft I have been developing over the last 5+ years of my career.

This is embarrassing to admit but…I feel bad about marketing. I feel guilty for feeding a machine that sells people things they don’t need and fosters a culture of overspending and debt. I don’t like that I have cultivated skills in social media marketing when I feel like social media is taking people away from things that matter–their craft, their IRL life, their local community.

Our time and attention are insanely valuable and in such short supply. My heart breaks when we waste them scrolling on social or working jobs we hate to buy things we don’t like that much (or worse, just to survive).

Living a thoughtful, mindful existence that focuses on just the essentials is key to me.

I don’t think everyone feels this way, it’s a difference in values. Where I value time hiking, reading books, chatting with friends, and relaxing, other people get their satisfaction from closing a deal at work or buying that handbag they had their eye on.

Marketing is a valuable tool for making connections. I may not want the same widgets as you, but the end game of building community with like-minded people is a match.

When I market for local businesses, I don’t feel the same tension over what I’m doing. I find fulfillment when I help people connect in their local community to find the services they want and need.

Heck, I appreciate it when other marketers or branding specialists came before me to make it easy to find the services I want in my local community. Nobody likes a digital wild goose chase when trying to find a new restaurant that fits your dietary needs or a dentist in a new city.

We don’t have to share the same values for how we spend our time and we can still work together to find more of the people you serve with your business. When it comes to connecting you with the people you serve in your local community, I’m delighted to use my skills for that.