"Yours are the only emails I actually open and read" - a regular reply in my inbox since 2009...and I'll bet in yours, too, once you subscribe and learn by pure, lazy osmosis to become the most compelling writer around. That said, no promises on improving your moral character.
The cookie is a toupée
|
Hey Reader, The trend of incorporating a croissant into some other food and putting “Cr —” at the start of the name probably started with Burger King’s “Croissan’wich” in 1983. (I remember the ads. I didn’t speak French but I knew they were pronouncing the “croi” part wrong.) The trend didn’t really take off till 30 years later, in 2013, with Dominique Ansel’s “Cronut.” People lined up around the block in Soho to get their mouths on the croissant-donut hybrid. Some even hired a Taskrabbit to wait in line and score one for them. I never tried a Cronut, because I don’t wait in block-long lines for a baked good that I know will never live up to the wait. Waiting in line to get dessert in a greasy bag is for suckers (and food influencers). But I’ve got to give credit to the concept. It makes sense. It’s croissant dough in the shape of a donut, fried like a donut, with cream inside. Like you’d get in a cream-filled donut.
When these blew up, suddenly everyone was trying to combine croissants with other foods and then sticking a Cr at the front. Croissant x muffin: Cruffin. Croissant x ice cream: Crice Cream. They all jumped on the Crandwagon. And still do, I guess. The other morning, before our flight back from LA, I got coffee near our hotel in West Hollywood — at a bakery that screams “WE’RE FOR INFLUENCERS! TAKE A SELFIE HERE!” Steven and I had laughed at the obvious ‘Gram-trap of it all, but it was the only place open before 8am. In the baked goods display, the obvious “showpiece” was…the Crookie. The portmanteau works. Cookie x Croissant. Just stick an “r” after the C, done and dusted. But the actual dessert? No go. Here’s my take, posted to IG stories:
Yup. The cookie is a toupée. Not even hair plugs. No integration whatsoever. I mean, I guess you could call it a Croupée? That, I’d eat. Not really. The plopped-on quality reminds me of the way so many business owners and newsletter writers show up in my inbox: With a story — often, a delightful one — jammed together nonsensically with an unrelated point, call to action, or offer. It’s not the worst crime, but… It’s not likely to convert (or satisfy your reader). If you want the story to actually sell, it needs to relate to your offer in a way that makes sense. The pitch needs to be integrated in a way that illustrates something about what you’re selling… Not plopped on precariously like an obvious cookie wig. I walk you through EXACTLY how to connect your story and offer naturally and soundly in my training… Story Goldmine Live. If you want to master this powerful and lucrative skill, you already have it. Why not revisit it or go through it today if you haven't already? Bonus: It’ll inspire you to crank out stories, fast. Check out what two Shrimp Club superstars, Simie and Sami, had to say:
And photographer Cari Ellen sent me this rave: Click here to access Story Goldmine Live and start telling stories that actually sell. Now, what if you have a fantastic story to tell and absolutely zero graceful way to connect it to what you’re selling? That’s fine! It won’t sell as well if the story doesn’t actively sell the thing. So if you’re in launch mode and every email MUST sell, I don’t recommend using those stories that don’t do it directly. But during non-launch periods, here’s an idea: Treat the offer like an ad in a magazine. You can put it in the PS, or in a box like this: See what I did there? An email or story doesn’t always have to be perfect, as long as it’s a great read. After all, even if a cookie and croissant aren’t nicely fused doesn’t mean I’m gonna say no to a bite. xoLaura PS - This story relates to another offer I’ve got for you. Because when you’re burned out on what you do, your business can start feeling like a heavy cookie toupée on your head. Unnatural. Odd-fitting. Not “you” anymore. If that’s you, my dear friend Tracy Matthews wants to help you figure out what does fit you now. Get in on her reinvention ride, starting with her private podcast series, REINVENTION SEASON. ← My affiliate link It’s free. Get exclusive access here.
Love Shrimp Mail? Forward this to a friend so they can get in on the action and sign up below.
Thank you for reading and sharing, |
Laura Belgray (Talking Shrimp)
"Yours are the only emails I actually open and read" - a regular reply in my inbox since 2009...and I'll bet in yours, too, once you subscribe and learn by pure, lazy osmosis to become the most compelling writer around. That said, no promises on improving your moral character.
Psst — I’m revealing a huge new bonus for Book Launch Hero that solves every storyteller’s biggest problem, so read to bottom! 👇 Reader! I went to see a friend’s one-woman show last week. She’d been working on it for years and got it into a festival at a theater on 42nd Street — a real triumph. I’m always apprehensive about theater. Especially small-production stages where you know the person and fear being the only one fake-laughing through the punchlines. The intimacy is so awkward. You’re...
Hey Reader, I woke to two bits of news this week. One, that the US (and world) economy was in a tailspin. OK, that’s news we’ve been getting on the hour. But anyway. Two, that I dropped out of law school. What’s that? You didn’t know I went to law school? Well, guess what — NEITHER DID I. But when I checked my IG notifications, I saw I’d been tagged in a post all about me. What a lovely burst of dopamine to kick off my day! Then I clicked and feasted my greedy eyes on the first slide. Oh my....
Hey! I’m proud of something. Haven’t talked about it, I don’t think — though I did at the retreat for my mentoring group, Shrimp Club. During a Q&A, one of the Shrimpers asked about my recent activity surge on Instagram — because I’ve been posting like a mofo. So, GOOD, YOU BETTA NOTICE! There’s a lot more to the story, which I’ll tell soon, but on January 3rd, while I was on vacation, my friend Susie posted a story inviting her audience to join her in a 90-day challenge. Hers, she said,...