You should be fired.

The first time I got fired, I took it hard... it took me some time to open my eyes and see that my family still loved me and I still had all the "stuff" that made me so good at the job I was fired from.

 

It was a tough but good lesson. The next time I got fired, it took me a very short time to shake off the anger and disappointment, knowing that they were the losers in the equation.

And that experience was further driven into my conscious by my friend Don's brother Bill: 

He told me the story of getting hit by a train.

He was trying to save his dog that was on the tracks.

He saved the dog, but was hit by the train.

And was dragged and then spit out between the wheels.

He went through a protracted healing process, but lived. Obviously.

And after telling me the story, he said, in a thick South Carolina accent: "Ya know, Scotty, once you've been run over by a train, nothin' else bad that happens seems like that big a deal."

 

Yes, that's a true story ... and ... I hate being called "Scotty" but I didn't tell him.

You're not in the everybody business

 

It's worth losing a few "will probably never buy" people to superserve your "in the market to buy" prospects.

If you try to be something for everyone, you'll end up being nothing to anyone.

It's impossible to please everyone.

Let me drill this into your hippocampus with the help of 100+ intelligent and accomplished people telling you the same thing.

There are many roads to success, but only one sure road to failure; and that is to try to please everyone else. Benjamin Franklin

If you try to please everybody, somebody’s not going to like it. Donald Rumsfeld

You can’t please everyone. Just because I don’t behave a certain way, some folks will say you don’t have any street cred. I’ve pretty much had to put up with that since I was a little kid, just because I was raised to communicate in a certain fashion. Some people didn’t like it. Wayne Brady

You can’t please everybody all the time, but you can please a majority. Chick Hearn

You can’t please everyone,
and you can’t make everyone like you. 
Katie Couric

All I can do is follow my instincts, because I’ll never please everyone. Emma Watson

Every child is taught if you try to please everyone, you end up upsetting everyone. Richard Engel

I realize you can’t please everyone. Gemma Ward

It is in vain to hope to please all alike. Let a man stand with his face in what direction he will, he must necessarily turn his back on one half of the world. George D. Prentice

You’ll never please everyone,
but you only have to please
a few people to get an offer. 
Harvey Mackay

I think no matter what you do you can’t please everybody. You have to ask yourself, “Did I do what I set out to do?” Sandra Cisneros

The key to leadership is having a vision, and being strong enough to say no and not try to please everybody. That's a recipe for failure. Leadership is practiced through attitude and actions, rather than words and memos. Matt Mickiewicz

You can’t go through life trying to please everyone. Jacob Vargas

You can get totally messed up trying to please everyone with what you do, but ultimately, you have to please yourself. Pierce Brosnan

You can’t please everyone,
so proudly exclude people. 
Derek Sivers

You can never please everyone, and I think it’s best not to. Marc Jacobs

You can't please all the people all the time. Miranda Richardson

I don’t think you can ever please all audiences. Karan Johar

No matter what you do, you can never please everyone. And that was the hardest lesson to learn. In fact, I’m still learning it. Chris Colfer

Don’t live to please everyone.
Embrace those who enjoy your company
and to hell with the haters. 
Dr. Seuss

It is a very hard undertaking to seek to please everybody. Publilius Syrus

It is impossible to please all the world and one’s father. Jean de La Fontaine

You can’t please everyone. When you’re too focused on living up to other people’s standards, you aren’t spending enough time raising your own. Some people may whisper, complain and judge. But for the most part, it’s all in your head. People care less about your actions than you think. Why? They have their own problems! Kris Carr

You can’t please everybody. I give up. I’m not trying to. I don’t care. Leave me alone with that. Estelle

I don’t want to please everybody.
I’d get a little worried if I did something
and everybody was pleased with it. 
Walt Disney

You have to take criticism with a grain of salt because you’re never going to please everybody. Yolanda Adams

Look, you know, you can’t please everybody. I’m a stand-up comic. I know that. It doesn’t matter how funny you are and how well you do, there’s two people that are going to walk out of there hating you. Billy Gardell

I have made the choices that work best for me. I know I cannot please everyone, and that’s fine. Marlee Matlin

No matter what you do, at the end of the day you can’t please everybody. I’m not here to please. Britney Spears

You can please some of the people some of the time,
all of the people some of the time,
some of the people all of the time,
 but you can never please
all of the people all of the time. 
Abraham Lincoln

But one of the big lessons I have learned from my journey is you can’t please everyone, so don’t try. Chris Colfer

Obviously you can’t please everyone. I’m sure some people say, ‘Bloody old Len Goodman gets on my nerves.’ Len Goodman

Sometimes I’m very impatient. I also feel the need to please everyone, which is unnecessary and impossible. Steve Nash

There is, of course, nothing wrong in a program that aims to please everybody, except that as a rule it is a prelude to dictatorship. Christopher Herold

Don’t try to please everyone.
There are countless people who don’t want one,
haven’t heard of one or actively hate it.
So what?
Seth Godin

Of course you can’t please everyone all the time. It’s just something that I’ve got to get over, and I’m better at it now. Phil Collins

I’m at a point where I let my mind go with flow of the music I’m making and it’s not interrupted by me trying to please everybody. Mic Geronimo

If it is something that is right for human beings, then I don’t care if other people criticize. You cannot please everyone in the world. Li Ka-shing

I don’t think when you work you have to please everybody – you make a choice. It’s not like everybody who is in front of you has to become your best friend. Franca Sozzani

It’s obvious to say you can’t please everybody
and there are always going to be people
who are going to say, I just don’t like you.
There’s nothing I can do about that.
Keira Knightley

You will never please everybody. Some men will say you have gone too far. Other men will say you haven’t gone far enough. I just compromise and say I won’t please anybody. Aiden Wilson Tozer

“I hate to say this, but not everyone seems happy that you’re still alive,” Finn said, picking up on the glares coming my way. “You can’t please everyone,” I drawled. “And you know how much I hate to disappoint our dear friends in the underworld." Jennifer Estep

It’s heavy duty to try to do everything and please everybody . . . My job was to go out there and play the game of basketball as best I can, … People may not agree with that . . . I can’t live with what everyone’s impression of what I should or what I shouldn’t do. Michael Jordan

.

This is particularly evident in the world of politics…

It is not the business of politicians to please everyone. Margaret Thatcher

I think the journey for a politician goes from wanting to please all the people all the time, to a political leader that realises in the end his responsibility is to decide. And when he decides, he divides. Tony Blair

…and art…

Art is so personal. I’m very comforted by the fact that certain movies that I love, other people hate. Certain books that I love, other people hate. You can’t please everybody. Ethan Canin

As an artist, you do understand you’re never going to please everybody. Paul Emsley

If you cannot please everyone with your deeds and your art, please a few. To please many is bad. Friedrich Schiller

When it comes to art you can’t please everybody but if you please yourself then take pleasure in that. Cise Star

You cannot please all of the people all of the time, and that is truer in the arts than anywhere else. Theodore Bikel

.

…and writing…

It’s good not only to realize that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but that you don’t want to. There’s a certain type of reader that you don’t ever want to write for. Dennis Lehane

.

…and movie making

You can’t please everyone… If you make a good movie, that’s all that matters. Matthew Vaughn
I’ve found that if you just try to make the film you want, you'll find the right audience. If you try to please everyone, you're going to make really boring films. Drew Goddard

There’s always gonna be criticisms, no matter what movie you do, no matter what. You can’t please everybody, and it doesn’t matter what the genre is. There’s always gonna be a positive to a negative comment. Sam Worthington

.

Trying to please everybody comes at a high cost

If you do please everyone, you are not making enough progress. Sheryl Sandberg

You can’t please everyone and trying to do so is the kiss of death. Criss Angel

In our desire to please everyone, it’s very easy to end up being invisible or mediocre. Seth Godin

Do yourself a favor; don’t wear yourself out
trying to please everybody.
Your time is too valuable.
Joel Osteen

When you want to change things, you can’t please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren’t making enough progress. Mark Zuckerberg

You can’t be everything to everybody, but you can be everything to somebody. Don’t lose the ones you love trying to please the world. Trent Shelton

People always say that you can’t please everybody. I think that’s a cop-out. Why not attempt it? ‘Cause think of all the people you will please if you try. Kanye West

You can’t write something actively trying to please everyone – you’re going to end up with watery soup that way. You just have to write stories you would want to read and hope that people like them. Kelly Sue DeConnick

I don’t expect everybody to like me.
If you try to please everybody by
changing your position and your personality,
every time you do that you lose a little bit of yourself. 
Nancy Grace

We must give up the vain idea of trying to please everybody. That is impossible, and the attempt is a mere waste of time. C. Ryle

You can waste so much energy trying to make everyone happy, but at the end of the day it’s impossible to please everyone, so you just need to focus on what makes you happy. Lauren Conrad

A dog is like a liberal. He wants to please everybody. A cat really doesn’t need to know that everybody loves him. William Kunstler

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure – which is: Try to please everybody. Herbert Bayard Swope

The only thing wrong with trying to please everyone
is that there's always at least one person who
will remain unhappy. You.
Elizabeth Parker

Please all, and you will please none. Aesop

If you are writing comedy and try to please everybody, you’ll please nobody. Brendan O’Carroll

As long as you want to please everyone, you won’t please anyone. Seth Godin

To please everybody is impossible; were I to undertake it, I should probably please nobody. George Washington

Trying to please everybody is impossible –
if you did that, you’d end up in the middle
with nobody liking you. You’ve just got to
make the decision about what you think
is your best, and do it.
John Lennon

You can’t please everyone, nor should you seek to, because then you won’t please anyone, least of all yourself. Dylan Moran

That’s all this job is, Daine,” she explained. “Trying to please everyone and pleasing no one. And it will only get worse, not better. Tamora Pierce

Those who seek to please everybody please nobody. Aesop.

Everyone’s so timid and afraid to insult anybody, but in the end, it’s like we’re all trying to please everyone. In the end, we please no one. Olivia Munn

I can’t tell you how to succeed,
but I can tell you how to fail:
Try to please everybody.
Eleanor Roosevelt

There is one guaranteed formula for failure, and that is to try to please everyone. Will Rogers

Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it. I don’t know all the keys to success, but one key to failure is to try to please everyone. Rick Warren

You can’t please everybody. There’s that old saying that there’s no sure formula for success, but the only sure fire formula for failure is to try to please everyone. You’re not going to do that. Matt Bomer

You can’t worry about pleasing other people; you have to please yourself. Janet Jackson

I can’t please everybody and I don’t try to.
If I can please myself that’s enough.
For the rest, I just hope for the best. 
Todd Solondz

Life’s too short to spend it trying to keep others happy. You can’t please everyone. To fulfill your destiny, stay true to your heart. Joel Osteen

It’s not possible to please everyone and there is no point in trying to be what other people think you should be. For me, it’s important to be who I am, not just to be different but to be as authentic as I can be. Pep Guardiola

You can’t please everybody. You’d be crazy if you’re trying to. So take some time out to do some things for yourself. Nas

When it comes to art you can’t please everybody but if you please yourself then take pleasure in that. Cise Star

I find it more enjoyable investing time
doing what pleases me, rather than
wasting precious time attempting to
please everyone else.
Greg Reid

Please yourself, not others… It must first work for you if it is ever to be useful to others. Paul Laseau
You can’t please everyone so you gotta please yourself. Ricky Nelson

You can’t please everyone. You’ve got to please yourself, I guess. Ray McKinnon

Better to work for yourself alone. You do as you like and follow your own ideas, you admire yourself and please yourself: isn’t that the main thing? And then the public is so stupid. Besides, who reads? And what do they read? And what do they admire? Gustave Flaubert

Once you get rid of the idea that you must please other people before you please yourself, and you begin to follow your own instincts – only then can you be successful. You become more satisfied, and when you are, other people will tend to be satisfied by what you do. Raquel Welch

Remember to delight yourself first,
then others can be truly delighted. 
Sark

You’ve just got to trust your instincts and realize that you can’t please all the people all the time. You’ve got to please yourself ultimately in the end. Noel Gallagher

But why should you care what people will say? All you have to do is please yourself. Ayn Rand

Thank your readers and the critics who praise you, and then ignore them. Write for the most intelligent, wittiest, wisest audience in the universe: Write to please yourself. Harlan Ellison

You should write, first of all, to please yourself. You shouldn’t care a damn about anybody else at all. Doris Lessing

Your first duty as a writer is to write to please yourself.
And you have no duty towards anyone else.
Iris Chang

I’ll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2. O. Henry

You cannot live to please everyone else. You have to edify, educate and fulfill your own dreams and destiny. Viola Davis

You can’t please everybody. All you can do is really just try to work from the heart and do the best job that you can and hope for the best. Jackie Earle Haley

You’re not really free until you’re free from trying to please everybody. Joel Osteen

You have trust in what you think.
If you splinter yourself and try to please everyone,
you can’t. 
Annie Leibovitz

No one can please everyone. Your mental peace is more important. If you are in peace, then others around you will feel peace. So your best effort should be to work on yourself. Baba Hari Dass

You don’t have to please everyone-you have to please the user. Brenda Laurel

When you stand alone and sell yourself, you can’t please everyone. But when you’re different, you can last. Don Rickles

You can’t please everyone, especially if you’re doing very radical things. Ferran Adria

It’d be nice to please everyone
but I thought it would be more interesting
to have a point of view. 
Oscar Levant

If you’re trying to please everyone, then you’re not going to make anything that is honestly yours, I don’t think, in the long run. Viggo Mortensen

When I was a teenager, I was trying to please people. I kept changing who I was to please the people I was with. And so once I just decided I wasn’t going to do that anymore. I was going to live my life to please God. And so from that day to this, that’s been my aim. Some people don’t understand, but you can’t please everybody anyway. Anne Graham Lotz

Great leaders don’t try to please everyone. Great leaders don’t water down their message in order to make the tribe a bit bigger. Instead, they realize that a motivated, connected tribe in the midst of a movement is far more powerful than a larger group could ever be. Seth Godin

When you’re in a leadership role, you can never please all of the people all of the time. There’s also a lot of responsibility that goes along with it that others may not realize. Joyce Meyer

Don’t try to win over the haters.
You’re not the jackass whisperer. 
Scott Stratten

_________________________

Well, that was way to many quotes ... but ... if you read 'em all, hopefully you now have the "You can't please everybody" mantra locked-in and that will help you focus on serving your target audience.

7-Step High-Converting Copy Checklist

First draft done?

Go through it ask ask yourself the following seven questions. When you're done, you have a second draft that is more engaging and effective. 

1) Is  Your Headline Irresistible?

Your headline is the first thing people see, and it needs to do three things:

1. Catch Attention: Make it stand out.
2. Spark Interest: Entice readers to learn more.
3. Encourage Engagement: Drive them to scroll down.

Spend time perfecting your headline. It can make or break your entire piece.

2) Did You Follow "The Rule of One"?

Focus your copy on a single, compelling idea.

• designed with one customer in mind
• making one specific promise
• telling one story
• having one call to action (CTA)

Writing to one person with one clear message makes your copy more powerful and persuasive.

3) Did You Simplify?

Simplicity makes it easy for your prospect to understand your message and take your suggested action. Look for opportunities to:

• Shorten Long Words: Use straightforward language.
• Simplify Complex Sentences: Break them into smaller, more digestible pieces.
• Condense Extensive Paragraphs: Keep paragraphs concise and to the point.

The simpler and clearer your copy, the more likely it is to resonate with your audience.

4) Did You Answer Objections?

Identify all potential objections your prospect might have. Then, review your copy to ensure it addresses:

• Common Concerns: Turn them into selling points.
• Specific Doubts: Provide clear and reassuring answers.

By handling objections within your copy, you remove barriers to conversion.

5) Is Your CTA Compelling?

Your Call to Action (CTA) should clearly tell prospects:

• What They Get: Highlight the benefit.
• What to Do Next: Provide clear instructions.
• Why to Act Now: Create a sense of urgency.

Ensure every CTA in your copy meets these criteria to drive immediate action.

6) Did You Review the Copy’s Flow?

Your copy should guide the reader smoothly from the beginning to the end. Avoid:

• Abrupt Transitions: These can jolt readers out of the experience.
• Confusing Sentences: Clarity is key to maintaining interest.
• Disjointed Paragraphs: Each paragraph should naturally lead to the next.

A seamless flow keeps your readers engaged and moving forward, making them more likely to convert.

7) Did You Check for Errors?

Before anything else, ensure your copy is flawless. Scrutinize it for:

• Grammar Mistakes: Poor grammar can undermine your credibility.
• Spelling Errors: Misspelled words can distract and confuse your readers.
• Structural Issues: Ensure your sentences and paragraphs are well-structured.

Publishing error-free content is non-negotiable. Faulty copy can turn potential customers away faster than anything else.

Use this 7-step checklist to take your first draft to a new level. Check for errors, ensure a smooth flow, simplify your language, craft an irresistible headline, focus on one main idea, eliminate objections, and create compelling CTAs. Each step brings you closer to copy that not only captivates but also converts.

Clarity, Growth, and Success—On Your Terms

 

My mother introduced me to Sally. 

And it didn’t take me long to realize that my mom's assessment was correct: Sally is undeniably amazing.

👉 Successful business.

👉 Wonderful family.

👉 A personality that draws people to her.

👉 A way about her that makes you feel important when you talk with her.

Turns out, she’s also quite comfortable revealing her secret for a successful, balanced life.

Which I didn’t know until I asked. "What's your secret?"

“Scott," she said, "I do an interview every Thanksgiving. And that sets me up for the year.”

“Who do you interview?”

“Me. And I always ask pretty much the same questions. And I revisit that interview throughout the year. Try it. I’ll email you the questions.”

Here’s what she sent (with her permission to share). 

My Annual Self-Interview

Here’s how it works: Every Thanksgiving, I set aside time to answer these questions thoughtfully and honestly. It’s my way of checking in with myself, clearing out the mental clutter, and focusing on what truly matters.

1. What do I truly want in life?  

 

Getting real about your deepest desires sets the tone for everything else.

2. What do I want to achieve this year?  

 

Big dreams are great, but this is about zooming in on this year’s priorities.

3. What habits are not serving me? 

 

Growth starts with letting go of what holds you back.

4. How have I changed over the last year? How would I like to change over the next year?  

 Reflection fuels growth. Look back, then imagine what’s next.

5. What regrets would I like to avoid this year?  

Proactive thinking can help you sidestep decisions you’ll wish you hadn’t made.

6. What 3 goals are most important for me to accomplish in the coming year?

Focusing on just three keeps things manageable—and effective.

7. What emotional baggage am I carrying that I need to release?

Holding onto emotional weight? It’s time to unpack it.

8. What have I avoided dealing with last year and how can I begin to address it?

Confronting the tough stuff might just be your breakthrough moment.

9. What are all the things I’m grateful for?

Gratitude fuels positivity.

10. What are specific ways that I can better take care of myself?

Self-care isn’t optional; it’s essential.

11. What does success look like to me? What does success mean?

Define it for yourself, not based on others’ expectations.

12. What things would I like to improve about myself? In what ways would I like to grow as a person?

Life’s about constant growth, right?

13. How can I better take care of my mental health?

A reminder to prioritize your inner well-being.

14. What doubts, barriers, and/or fears have held me back, and how can I address them?

Facing fears head-on is how Sally stays unstoppable.

 

No wonder Sally always seems so grounded, so purposeful. She’s not leaving her life to chance. She’s creating her roadmap every year—and sticking to it.

If you decide to follow Sally’s self-interview, and take it seriously, it’s easier said than done. It’s deeply personal … like having a conversation with someone you can’t BS: your future self. And your future self is demanding that you clear the clutter and be accountable.  

HINT: It helps to remind yourself that it’s not about perfection; it’s about progress.

So, what do you think? Are you going to try Sally’s questions? If so, set aside some quiet time, grab a journal, and go for it. You might be surprised at what you discover.