Sometimes people ask what hustling is. This great poster by Joey Roth provides one answer:
The “hustler” image on the right is pretty much what I try to do every day: lots of work, lots of messaging. The messaging isn’t always directly related to the work at hand—sometimes I’m supporting other people with their own hustling. But on a good day, there’s plenty of work and and plenty of messaging.
Another way to look at it is:
Style without substance = flash. (Also, no one respects these people.)
Substance without style = unknown. (Everyone who knows these people respects them… but not many people know them.)
Style with substance = impact. (The goal.)
Remember when we talked about strategy and tactics? The interesting thing with hustling is that people can copy your tactics without understanding your broader strategy. Charlie Gilkey recently referred me to a similar quote from The Art of War: “Everyone knows my tactics, but no one knows my strategy.”
When you take the time to build something worthwhile instead of just taking up space, you engage with strategy and tactics every day. And you hustle.
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Book Update: Thanks for all the comments, emails, Twitter messages, and courier pigeon deliveries for the 99 free books last week. It was a three-hour project to pick the winners, but Libby and the biased judges managed to overcome. If you got an email from us this weekend and sent your address via the Google form, your book will be on the way tomorrow.
Everyone else, the book will be available everywhere starting September 7th, and I really appreciate your support.
August 23, 2010
King Sidharth
Wohoo! Now I know how to make everyday count. Thanks for getting me started on this one
August 23, 2010
Jenny
Love this Chris!
August 23, 2010
Sam
Hey Chris, do you have a day scheduled at Powell’s Books yet for your book tour??
I’ll be sure to bring my groupies. It’ll be louder than a Lady Gaga concert.
Been reading your Domination Guide and the Small Biz Report. So much information…..
August 23, 2010
Chris
Yes sir – @powells is the final stop of the U.S. portion, December 16th. Lady Gaga is already worried! Thanks man.
August 23, 2010
tara - scoutie girl
I’ve really been working to up my game on both the style & substance. Next week – when my husband joins the team and I’m doing this all in a more structured way – my strategy is going to the next level too.
Thanks for such a straightforward description!
August 23, 2010
chris
Very nice Chris! I really have been thinking about this a lot lately. It all started playing ball with my friends.
One player always hustled and was making everything happen. Thinking about it, he was the one with the least skill overall, but in the end because of his hustle he more than made up for the difference in skill level.
Good luck with the book release!
August 23, 2010
Katie
Great! Love the image.
August 23, 2010
JT Pedersen
Been a while since I’ve commented. This is my day’s favorite article, happy to have tweeted it’s existence.
For way too long, I was always the Martyr. Had the misplaced belief that, if I did my job with excellence, I’d be recognized for my work. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t work that way. If you’re not also tooting your own horn, the world just passes you by. Some will love you, most won’t know enough to miss you when you’re gone.
This is also one of the beauties of contemporary social media. It gives everyone who care to pick it up, a bull horn to serve their own purposes. Even today I’m probably too conservative in self-egrandizing activity, but I’m working at it.
August 23, 2010
Kellye Crane
Terrific post here, Chris (I just bought the poster!). I think it’s worth noting that the “style without substance” people sometimes manage to win short-term respect from those who only look at surface-level qualities. It can be frustrating to those truly hustling to see this. However, it’s not a long term strategy and = flash… in the pan.
August 23, 2010
Megan Matthieson
Style + Substance. In a nutshell. Love this.
August 23, 2010
Mike Ziarko Musing
I love that. Style with substance = impact. Words to live by.
I’m thrilled I’m one of the lucky 99 … goes to show that if you do something worthwhile the universe will reward you.
August 23, 2010
Rob Ward
Great reminder to talk about your work, not just do it. I’m quite guilty of that.
August 23, 2010
Giovanna
Good post Chris… Sometimes an image is everything…
August 23, 2010
Tony Teegarden
Simply brilliant:
The Art of War: “Everyone knows my tactics, but no one knows my strategy.”
How many people are out there just doing stuff (facebook, twitter, 4Square) because they see other people “doing the tactic?” Then they turn around and wonder why it didn’t work?
All of these things can be a part of a great strategy at play. This is something I’ve been coaching on in my consulting. Before you go throwing up a profile, let’s see where it fits within your overall business strategy and the needs of your customers.
Brilliant visual post.
August 23, 2010
alisabarry
Style & Substance. Artful strategy indeed! A great way do distinguish ourselves in a meaningful way. Thank you, Chris.
August 23, 2010
Joel
Loved this when you put it out on twitter a while back…glad you did a post on it
. I love the equilibrium you have to have with it. It’s about doing both equally well.
August 23, 2010
jskipburns
I’d say the flashy people tend to impress at first encounter or first impression. It does not take long, however, to see that they are not going to deliver. This infographic gets right to the point. Good stuff.
Have fun on your book tour
skip “go big” burns
August 23, 2010
Gareth Leonard
Great article Chris! Shout out to Joey Roth.
August 23, 2010
Bruce
I love your re-frame of the whole notion of hussling…You put a positive spin on a concept that has had a lot of negativity attached to over the decades. Thanks!
August 23, 2010
Wyman
Thanks for the additional book Chris,
I will read it at once and write a review for Amazon and any other requests you send with it.
I have a post-um note on my computer monitor to guide me in my writing. Useful, relevant, interesting and emotional.
Great post.
August 23, 2010
Mark Lampkin
Interesting analogy. Good use of well known symbols to illustrate your theory. I heard a speaker a few years ago discuss the difference between making an impression versus making an impact. Quite like your example; impressions make noise and have momentary importance while impacts make a lasting difference. Good stuff.
August 23, 2010
Days and Adventures
Love this post. Hustling’s what my life’s all about too! I’m going to start slotting this into my daily vocabulary.
M
August 24, 2010
Jon Case
That diagram says it all. Thank you.
August 24, 2010
Sam
Thanks so much for the article. It clears up a point that confuses a lot of people who work hard and think that all self promotion is a bad thing whether you’re working or not.
August 24, 2010
Joe Breunig
Loved the chart; geometry was always one of my favorite mathematical disciplines! Thanks for a different perspective on hustling. Best wishes on your book tour.
August 24, 2010
Donna Chastain
Thanks for sharing this poster. Here’s what I like about it:
The charlatan space looks like you could build on it, but it doesn’t have a solid base, so it’s inherently unstable. The martyr space has a solid base…but who could build anything on that pointy top? The hustler–has both a solid base and you (or anyone else) can build on it. Nice piece of visual communication.
August 24, 2010
Rich Dixon
Wow! I needed to hear this. I spend all my time creating content, then grumbling to myself about lack of response.
Substance without style! Time to get back to working at the style part.
Thanks.
August 24, 2010
Casey Friday
I’ll be honest, I love the flash. The flash is what draws me in, but the content is what keeps me coming back.
August 24, 2010
rob white
Here’s a thought: Samuel Beckett said he wrote in French so he could “write without style.” It seems to me putting a priority on style has the ego running the show. A priority on substance is our natural creative nature flowing through us. I believe our own personal style will naturally reveal itself when the priority is expressing ourselves authentically.
Thanks for the discussion
August 24, 2010
aileen
So true! People ask me how I’m so successful in promoting my art and getting work. I ought to refer them to this!
August 24, 2010
Jordan
I have never posted, but read your blog all the time. Thanks for all the great work you do. I am so glad you are making it out to all the provinces in Canada! Totally agree that it is so easy to get caught up in the tactics of what you are doing, rather than thinking about where you are headed (strategy). I think about this everyday as a teacher.
August 24, 2010
Britta Wein
Really enjoyed this post Chris. Made me think of why I’m wanting to live life my unconventional way. These days work and talk are no equals but I want them to be. But today’s work environment does not allow that. Looking forward to working and living at my own terms and breaking out of my uncomfortable nutshell. Choosing the new over the routine. Can’t wait. And looking forward to doing what I love with style & substance! Great!
August 24, 2010
Jenya
Great post! Loved the Mixergy interview as well. Keep up the good work.
August 24, 2010
Sherrod
I’m feeling that. Where can I get the t-shirt?
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(checking email:) I can’t seem to find that Google form you sent for the free book. Could you send it again? ;^)
August 24, 2010
Kathy
Yes! Simple + elegant + true. Thank you.
August 25, 2010
Marilia
“strategy and tatics”. I´ll work more on these.
Too bad I didn´t get the book…
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August 26, 2010
Wyletter Whaley
Great post Chris. The goal for most of us is to make an impact in our target area. Your post reminds us that we have to bring our “A” game in style and in substance.
August 26, 2010
James Fry
This is great Chris, it comes at a time when I’m doing a lot of exactly that… HUSTLING! It’s good to put some definition behind the actions.
August 27, 2010
Erec Hillis
What a great little explanation. Short and powerful. I guess brevity is characteristic of elegance, which is certainly stylish! I think I tend to fall on the substance side, need to work on correspondence and style.
August 28, 2010
Josh Bulloc
I know too many martyrs that are envious of those with more of a marketing skill set. I think that is why there are so many naysayers.
September 4, 2010
Kai
Well at least I laughed when I realized I was a martyr. Plus love the fact that I got the message in a total of five seconds. Let this little comment on your post be the beginning of my transition from martyr to hustler.
September 4, 2011
katie
Funny everyone thinks they’re the martyr. I’ll own up to being the charlatan. When do you know you’re the martyr/hustler not the charlatan? In a technical job, you probably need to stick by your guns and follow through with your proposed solution (the style part was proffering the solution) and then view the results. If the results fit, then you had the substance. If it didn’t you probably had the style to mouth off only.