I have been a long time reader of Seth Godin‘s books and blog and so when I heard that he was going to speak at Copyblogger’s Authority Intensive in Denver, I signed up right away.

One of his books that literally changed my life was The Dip.  

It was early in my entrepreneurial journey and I had no idea that it would be this hard.  I was working and working and felt that I should be further along than I was.

Somehow I happened on The Dip and was so relieved to hear that it is sometimes supposed to be hard.  There is struggle.  Overnight success is a myth.  Whew.  So I kept working.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone wondering if they are in a dip and should keep pushing on, or in a cul desac and wondering if they should just quit.

The other book that I really resonated with of Seth’s is the Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.  Grandma Mary has always had similar advice with Don’t be Afraid to be Different.  You need to stand out in a crowded market with some aspect of your business.

Seth’s opening keynote was wonderful and I wanted to share some of his thoughts through tweets below.

His overall message was that Authority comes from being the first to create art. Your art is defined by you.

Seth Godin is convincing all of us we can make art and change the world. I love this. #Authority2014

— Lisa Barone (@LisaBarone) May 8, 2014

You also need to offer something of value that isn’t based on price. He said price cutting is a race to the bottom – the problem is, you might win!

Great question for marketers “Am I in the business of talking to people who will miss me when I’m gone?” @ThisIsSethsBlog #Authority2014

— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerCA) May 8, 2014

Don’t become a wandering generality. Be a meaningful specific. Zig Ziglar >> #Authority2014

— Tonya Davidson (@TonyaDavidson) May 8, 2014

You also need to date your prospects before asking for the sale. Earn their trust.

Does your marketing make you look good or does it earn customer’s trust? http://t.co/13IQZtBiea @thisissethsblog #authority2014

— Lee Odden (@leeodden) May 8, 2014

I loved this quote about busy work. I get sucked into thinking that I’m getting stuff done when I know deep down that I am not doing the important work.

“Busy is not the same as great” @thisissethsblog So many marketers are zealots about checking off boxes vs. creating value. #authority2014

— Lee Odden (@leeodden) May 8, 2014

And this quote appealed to my love of shipping rather than making sure it’s perfect.

YES. RT @mcmollz Stop waiting: “it’s always too soon, important work always ships before it’s ready” – Seth Godin @ #Authority2014

— Jett All The Way (@JettSuperior) May 8, 2014

This is a lesson I really need now. I’m trying to do too much on my own which is what a freelancer does. To be an entrepreneur, you need to hire others.

“To become an entrepreneur, never do a job you can hire someone else to do.” @SethGodin at #authority2014

— Rob Walling (@robwalling) May 8, 2014

But my biggest takeaway was that we can’t make the fear go away. It will always be there. Dance with it.

When the fear shows up, we cannot make it go away. What works is dancing with it. @sethgodin #authority2014

— AndreaVahl (@AndreaVahl) May 8, 2014

The whole Authority Intensive event was amazing and I would highly recommend it again next year (I know I’ll be there). There were so many great speakers and tidbits that I’m going to be applying in my business. And congrats to the entire Copyblogger team for a well-done first major event! Success!

But as usual, the real value in these events comes from meeting and talking with people in real life. It’s a chance to connect with old friends and meet new ones.