I’m claiming it right now: I love editing.
Controversial opinion, I know.
But a good edit—or audit—can go a long way, especially when you’re talking to people about what you do and why it matters.
(Plus, who doesn’t love a good quotable moment?)
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” — Abraham Lincoln
^NOT the vibe…and the beauty of a good editor and thought partnership by your side.
“By the time someone says, ‘To make a long story short,’ it’s too late.” — Don Herold
^I mean, has anything more true ever been said? Even coming from someone chatty and verbose like me, sometimes less really is more.
(Another common offender…”I was gonna say…” seconds before saying said thing. Just say it!)
[Shoutout to my dad for fueling my business content these days. The 2 quotes above are from a Reader’s Digest round-up he sent me.]
And I also know I’m not alone in loving a good editing sesh:
“There’s a visceral buzz that comes from removing an unnecessary sentence from a draft. In its absence, everything else is crisper, starker, more alive. In writing, these removals were a form of rigor. But in life, they felt like cruelty.” — Leslie Jamison, Splinters
^ Love me a good business x life crossover reflection moment.
Plus, editing is just honing, right? Getting to the core of what’s intended and refining what’s produced. Whether with words, processes, or entire identities:
“Over the long run, however, the real reason you fail to stick with habits is that your self-image gets in the way. This is why you can’t get too attached to one version of your identity. Progress requires unlearning. Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.” — James Clear
^ And sometimes the only way to “edit your beliefs” is to get someone OUTSIDE your head and heart to reflect them back to you, poke holes in them, or validate them.
Hence why my favorite (and my most popular) offer for the past couple years is the About You Audit. It’s a quarterly(ish) way for you to get first-impressions feedback on your bio, About Page, social profile, elevator pitch, CV, whatever. All from a values-aligned messaging angle, in a supportive space.
Did I mention it’s free?
I love it. Other people love it. You will love it too.
***Even if you’ve been to an About You Audit before, bring something new, or get my eyes on something you updated months or years ago to see if it’s still relevant and clear now!
This is an excerpt from Toward Purpose & Progress, my newsletter where I share business tips, good news, shoutouts to Founder Friends, and other juicy snippets. Subscribe here for more rants, reflections, and resources.
