Neil Martin · Beats, Business & Life

Business

Illustration of the view from the driver's seat of a car at dusk, a winding country road ahead towards a sunset over water, the steering wheel softly lit and a phone resting in a holder on the dashboard

Don’t go live from behind the wheel

People going live on Facebook while driving was turning up in my feed almost daily. Why it’s illegal, dangerous and terrible for your brand.

Illustration of a home recording corner with a vintage cassette four-track recorder, a stack of blank cassette tapes, a pocket dictaphone and a coiled cable on a wooden table, with a speaker in the background

Record, remix, release: the easy way to make content

Business

Every DJ knows a good record gets remixed. Why the easiest way to make original content is to record what you already do and remix it.

Why every student should be building a personal brand

Business

My son moved into university halls and it took me back to 1993. Why your online footprint now matters more than anything on your CV.

Illustration of a video editing desk at night, two monitors showing coloured timeline blocks and a sound waveform, studio headphones on the desk, a microphone with a round pop filter and a small camera beside the keyboard

Video advice from the guy behind the camera

Business

His videos had millions of views and you’d never know his face. The video advice I got from the editor on my team, and why it still holds.

Illustration of a tidy desk by a window at golden hour, a phone lying face down, a half-closed laptop, a small round timer, a notepad and a mug of tea

How to stay focused in a distracted world

Business

Projects that sat on the back burner for months, finished in one day. The simple timer trick I still use to keep distractions out.

Illustration of a pair of well-worn leather walking boots standing on a wooden stile at the start of a countryside footpath that winds away over green hills under a low golden sun

Walking the walk

Business

I started a vlog, then didn’t post for days. Why the things you say you’ll do matter more than the things you say.

Illustration of a still lake at dusk seen from a wooden jetty, golden rings of ripples spreading across the reflected sky from where a pebble has dropped, with reeds at the edges and distant hills

What ripples do you create?

Business

Everything we share sends out ripples we’ll never see. Why I care more about why I hit post than how many people see it.

Illustration of a dartboard on a dark wall with three darts clustered close together just off the bullseye, lit by warm golden light from above

It’s not quality vs quantity

Business

Should you post lots, or post less and make it brilliant? It’s the wrong question. Why quality multiplied by quantity is the sum that matters.

The cover of Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, centred in a thin gold frame on a midnight blue background under the words From my bookshelf, with the line “What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem.” beneath it

Switch and the jockey who isn’t really in charge

Business

Why change is hard even when you’ve decided, the elephant and the rider in plain English, and how shaping the path makes change easier.

The cover of The Power of No by James Altucher, centred in a thin gold frame on a midnight blue background under the words From my bookshelf, with the line “When you say yes to something you don’t want to do, here is the result: you hate what you are doing, you resent the person who asked you, and you hurt yourself.” beneath it

The book that taught me no is a complete sentence

Business

Why a yes you don’t mean turns into resentment, and how to say no without a speech so you get your time back for what matters.

The cover of Purple Cow by Seth Godin, centred in a thin gold frame on a midnight blue background under the words From my bookshelf, with the line “In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing.” beneath it

Seth Godin’s Purple Cow made me want to be the giraffe

Business

Why fitting in is the riskiest thing a business can do, what Seth Godin means by remarkable, and how to stop competing on price.

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The bookDone Beats PerfectThe secrets to overcoming procrastination and getting things doneSee the book →

About

Hi, I’m Neil

DJing since 1987, three decades in business, and the author of Done Beats Perfect. This is where I write it all down.

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