Yesterday, I was driving back from a seaside stroll. I was lost in thought as I sped down an empty two-lane road that cut through olive groves and patches of pine.
My shoes were sopping wet. During the stroll, I had decided to wade into the water (story for another time). So there in the car I was thinking… what would be the best way to dry them?
Suddenly, I snapped to attention.
There was a car up ahead, coming towards me. Something was off — a cloud of dirt from the side of the road had just exploded into the air next to the car.
I saw the right side of the oncoming car lift off the ground.
In the next moment, the rest of the car followed.
The entire car took off into the air, rolled over, and came crashing down on its roof on my side of the road, about 20 yards in front of me.
I pulled over and opened my eyes wide to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Nope. Awake.
I got out and approached the smoking upside-down hulk.
Somebody started crawling out from the driver’s-side window. A young guy, maybe 20 years old.
“Are you alive?” I asked.
He stood up, then immediately doubled over and put his hands to his face. “I just don’t know what happened,” he said. He straightened up. There was a bit of blood by his temple but otherwise he seemed fine.
More cars started arriving and pulling over, up and down the road.
Pieces of the wreckage were lying all along the asphalt. The back of the car, which I guess was the first part to hit the ground, was completely detached.
Smoke was coming out from under the engine, or rather, above the engine, since the car was now upside down.
The guy crawled back in to get his phone. He crawled out and started calling somebody.
A couple of other dudes walked over. “You gotta be careful,” one of them said to the driver while inspecting the underside of the car. “These roads can be slippery.”
The line of pulled-over cars was growing. People were getting out and looking on from a distance.
One woman, along with her kids, started walking towards the wreck and yelling in a mild panic that somebody should call the fire department, because the car will soon set on fire. Still, she kept walking nearer and nearer, her kids in tow, drawn in by the crash.
At this point, I realized I’d done all I could here. As the first responder, I felt it was my duty to also be the first abandoner.
And so I got in my car, turned around, and headed back where I came from, wondering about the strange sight I just saw.
And only then, it hit me:
Had I been a second or two further up the road, this thing would have landed right on top of me.
I don’t know how resilient the roof is on my current ride (a 20-year-old Audi that I borrowed from my mom)… but I doubt it would stand a direct hit by a ton and a half of falling metal.
I don’t really have a good takeaway for you, because this story is still too fresh in my mind — I am writing to you from the past, about 40 minutes after the event.
All I can say for sure is that seat belts save lives. And also perhaps this:
Be careful what message you send to the universe. Because just the day before this happened, I wrote an email making fun of people who write emails based on what just happened to them earlier in the day. And well, here we are.
Last thing:
Since I’m still alive, I feel I should celebrate, and make you some special “I’m not crushed” offer.
But I’m a little unprepared. So let me do something I’ve never done before and I’m sure to never do again:
Free consulting.
My need to somehow give thanks is your opportunity. I’ve made 3 slots available over the next few days:
1. Tomorrow, Saturday Dec 11 at 7pm CET
2. Sunday, Dec 12 at 10am CET
3. Tuesday, Dec 14 at 2pm CET
Each slot is good for 20 mins, exactly.
During that time, you can ask me your most pressing questions about writing copy… freelancing… email marketing… advertorials… positioning… or really anything else copywriting or marketing or inner-game related.
I’ll tell you all I know and that fits into 20 minutes… without any hedges about “that’s reserved for paying customers only” or “wait for my upcoming product on that topic.”
Hell, you can even get me to do work for you, helping you with copy or sketching out new ideas. Whatever we can squeeze into 20 minutes.
So if you want to take me up on this opportunity, here’s what to do:
1. Write me an email and…
2. Tell me which one (yes, only one) of the above slots you want to take up and…
3. Tell me what you want to discuss, what questions you have, or why you want this consulting. Be specific and be brief — 5 sentences max.
I’ll go through the applications I get for each time slot in the order I get them. And for each slot, I will choose the first application that sounds like somebody I can help.
And if you’re wondering what my criteria are for that… here are a few questions/motivations that I am not likely to engage with for these consulting calls:
1. “I just found out about copywriting. I feel it could be good for me… but it also seems really tough. What do you think?” (It’s not so tough and it won’t be good for you.)
2. “What’s your number 1 copywriting book I should read? (I advise you to get rid of the “number 1” mindset.)
3. “What do you really think of Daniel Throssell’s Black Friday campaign? (Read my email tomorrow if you want to know that.)
Final caveat:
I’ll record these consulting calls. I have no plans for them at the moment. But they will be mine to do with as I please — to give away, to sell, to let languish on Google Drive.
If that doesn’t bother you, and you want to get my creativity, experience, and knowledge to work for you… then take a moment, think what you really want my help with, and then write me that email, following the steps I laid out above. And then, buckle in.