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    Become A Triple Threat (It will make you more dangerous)

    have a diploma but no job

    Over 10 years ago the famous venture capitalist Marc Andreessen published a guide for planning your career, and the main concept is focusing on becoming at least a double-threat.

    Here's what that means:

    "Single Threat"

    This is someone who only knows how to do one thing.

    This is like going out into the real world with a dull knife.

    single threat guy

     

     

    "Double Threat"

    This is someone who knows two things really well.

    These people are better armed to take on the real world.

    double threat guy

     

     

    "Triple Threat"

    This is someone who knows three things really well.

    This is like going into the real world armed with an assault rifle and whole arsenal.

    triple threat guy with tank and gun and flamethrower

     

    The other thing Marc Andreessen highly encourages is for people to learn at least one TECHNICAL skill.

    He said it like this:

    The funny thing is, my own college degree is a liberal arts subject: Political Science!

    It's a $50,000 piece of paper that won't (by itself) get me anything at all. (Although to be fair, I originally went to college trying to do computer science but failed out of the program).

    However, there's a glint of hope for people without any technical skills:

    The acquisition of new skills nowadays is incredibly easy!!

    You can pick up all these skills if you deliberately practice within only a year or two:

    learning new stuff

    If you take some time, you can learn any skill for free!

    (Free books from Library, free YouTube videos, free Facebook Groups, free Meetup groups).

    If you pay some money, you can learn any skill even faster!

    (Joining classes, hiring tutors, buying courses, buying books).

    You also don't have to be the best in the world at every skill, just "pretty good."

    I’ve been able to charge higher rates and create more stuff than many other copywriters because I’m a triple threat in the copywriting industry. Let me demonstrate:

     

    Single Threat Neville can only type words:

    neville single threat

     

    Double Threat Neville can type words AND make images:

    neville double threat

     

    Triple Threat Neville can type words AND make images AND make videos:

    neville triple threat

    Because I know three different skills relatively well, I can take on more projects than other copywriters, convey information through more mediums than other copywriters, and just in general be able to do things someone who can ONLY type words couldn't do.

    Maybe sit down tonight with a pen and paper and decide on how you're gonna make yourself at least a Double Threat by the end of this year.

    Here's a quick story how John became a Double Threat with very little effort:

     

    The best part about becoming a Double or Triple Threat is that you often have relatively little competition amongst your peers!

    Many people are bitch ass whiny losers who don't realize how good they have it:

    Life is so hard

    ...these people will do the bare minimum to get by, so anyone who puts forth a LITTLE BIT of extra effort can get ahead!!

    So even if you have a college degree, or even if you have a successful career, learning a new skill is never a bad thing.

    It keeps your brain occupied, it gives you a sense of accomplishment, and then a year after all your hard work is put in someone can say, "You're so lucky you know how to _____!"

     

    Watch the Triple Threat video:

     

    Download this Triple Threat post:

    Click here to subscribe

    -- Keep it in your files --

    -- Share with someone it can help --

    -- Download in PDF, Word, or Google Docs formats --

    Sincerely,

    Neville N. Medhora

    single threat guy   double threat guy   triple threat guy with tank and gun and flamethrower

     

     

    - - - P.S. - - -

    Are you a Single Threat, Double Threat, or Triple Threat??

    List your skills below, or tell me what skill you want to develop more in the next 12 months:

    (By publicly stating what you want to learn, it can help the odds of you sticking to it)!


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    This is solid advice. I am personally learning to code a bit to see how it goes.
    Link to comment

    Man, it's like you read my mind, gather my thoughts, put them together and publish them here.

    I armed myself with Ph.D. (law, not done yet but getting there...), and just a few weeks ago I started learning photoshop and video editing.

    Who knows, it might be useful.

    If not, I can at least edit photos and videos of my dog!

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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    That's awesome Kuba! In a short amount of time you'll have a law degree, writing skills, photo editing skills, video skills....that's quite the arsenal!

    This is you:

    triple-threat-guy.png

    Link to comment
    This is great advice. I am trying to learn how to become a copywriter over the next 12 months . Which should help in running FB AD Agency.
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    Guest Tanuja Paruchuri

    Posted

    I think I'm a double threat right now:

    - Sales Enablement skills (combo of sales and ops skill and this skill is apparently fairly rare at least right now)

    - Fairly strong EQ

    I'm also decent at data analysis, but it's not something I'm amazing at. I want to become a triple threat by learning some technical skill and learning how to become an effective people manager. I'm stuck on what technical skill to learn. Salesforce.com is an option. But what skill is going to get me up the corporate ladder and make me a more strategic leader?

    Link to comment
    Guest Dominik

    Posted

    What's up, Nev. Great post. This year I want to learn video making and editing to a point at which I could make solid promo videos for myself w/o paying others. Wanna produce 10videos this year by myself. Also I want to learn html and css - I want to write a simple website for some side-gig by end of this year.

    What's on YOUR list this year?

    Link to comment
    Guest Mark Thompson

    Posted

    Great article Nev, Just realised I'm a triple threat .. unfortunately some of them have no connection!

    Not sure how teaching, email writing and being able to survive in the Arctic for 6 weeks will work!

    if anyone knows an Inuit company that needs an email writer I'm the man ;)

    Link to comment

    This is a really good advice Neville :)

    I have already learned how to draw cartoons (and I will use this skill to draw marketing cartoons)

    If you want to check my drawings - https://www.facebook.com/saumil.shah.12

    Next - I will start learning Copywriting (Writing Emails and Landing pages) in coming 12 months.

    Photoshop is next on the list.

    Link to comment
    Guest Alexandra

    Posted

    Ahaha /should represent a subtle laugh/, that's a great one, thanks for a motivating post. The difficulty is to choose just a couple of things when you want to learn it all and now. How do you prioritize your learning cravings?
    Link to comment

    Love it!

    This year I’m going to continue working on my copywriting skills, and start learning more about creating great videos!!!

    Link to comment
    Guest Zakaria

    Posted

    Hey Nev,

    Couldn't agree more with your post!

    Decided that in 2018 -- I'll learn a bit of coding. So I enrolled for a free javascript & css course at codefreecamp.org

    Also, I can tell you after working in the corporate world.... if anyone can learn some advanced Excel. Like macros, some vba, really good formatting & financial formulas -- you'll become invaluable! I've seen it at my workplace too.

    BTW - here's my first front-end web design project - a page all about you!

    https://codepen.io/ZakDesai/full/LeBXem/

    Link to comment
    Guest Rick Siderfin

    Posted

    Thanks for this Nev, great post. Overlooked by a lot of the so-called specialists out there. The question I ask others is: Why not stretch yourself and aim to learn at least one new skill a year....forever? These are the money-making skills I consider I have acquired to an advanced degree:

    1. Copywriting

    2. LinkedIn

    3. Commercial Aerial Photography

    Link to comment
    You could do teach people survival skills and make it into an email course :-)
    Link to comment
    Guest Yair Katz

    Posted

    Well... got to the point that I'm over the triple threat scenario :)

    i keep on learning on a daily basis... right now I'm learning to code some front end development stuff (HTML, CSS and JavaScript). Hope to get better at it in a few months.

    And i try to improve my writing and copy-writing skills (that's why i hang around here, i guess)

    In the meanwhile I can do (really well):

    - Graphic design (digital and print)

    - Animation and motion graphics

    - Video editing

    - Project management

    - illustration and drawing

    - Basic 3D modeling and paper engineering

    - Use Experience design and consulting

    probably some other stuff, that i can't remember right now :)

    tnx for the great content, as always...

    Link to comment

    aka "Build your talent stack" as Scott Adams (Dilbert) says.

    For the real beginners trying to reinvent themselves (like me), some other tips I find useful:

    -- for copywriting and converstational practice: get some reps in low-stakes environments (comment on blogs, reddit posts, chat up the bank teller)

    -- build positive momentum with "small wins" throughout the day

    -- help others with THEIR projects (giving is good)

    • my friend/one of the best poker players (and entertaining characters) I've ever met just started his first blog/book, dgafblog.com, and it's been a great learning experience FOR ME to HELP HIM build up his site. Plus, it's a lot easier to critique than create.

    I'm learning KOPY is the KEY to everything.

    Thanks Nev for bringing this to light.

    P.S. just learned how to post an html link (new mini skill!)

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    I’m a quad threat. I’m an evil genius former IT and can make Excel plus PowerPoint dance. I also code.

    Not bad for a teacher, suddenly assisting management with computer issues and Excel before they call IT. Boss asks for way to help students study a topic on new iPads, show him the beta App in progress. “That’s so awesome I don’t know what to say.”

    This year I’m learning to write down my goals and learning to learn faster with Brian Tracy courtesy of the library and a free Audible subscription (one audiobook free if you sign up for a trial every six months to a year or so).

    Link to comment

    Triple treat ;-)

    I don't need help with the first two, fairly solid there... The third one, now that's how I found you! I love writing and currently trying to improve the quality by blogging. But I kinda want to write essays I think... I'm not too sure. All I really know is that I want to write and somehow monetize my writing. But I have no idea how... Hope that makes sense...

    Link to comment
    Guest Fran Thring

    Posted

    Apparently, those of us who gravitate to many fields are called multipotentialites. I like this title. It makes my budda bowl of a resume look less like floaty creative and more like career mutant.

    I started in Journalism and Psychology, moved into Communication Design, UX and have landed at Marketing. I can write, edit, take photos and do the strategy. Plus, I actually like people.

    My agenda for 2018 is to dig out and develop my inner entrepreneur so that I can use all these to increase my income and opportunities. Excited. Nervous.

    Link to comment

    As digital marketer for 6 years, I wouldn't call myself a threat in a specific area, but these are my rankings across these areas from 1-10 (1 being beginner and 10 being pro)

    Copy Writing: 2

    Process building: 4

    Code: 1

    Sales: 2

    Email: 7

    Social Media: 3

    Data & Analytics: 5

    Creative Design: 2

    Curiosity: 11

    Anything else I missed can be chalked up to <1.

    Being too curios (FOMO) has definitely lead to the demise of my skill set, but I love learning ABOUT new things. Email just happens to be the are that I've been able to monetize.

    Link to comment
    Thank you, Neville, for sharing this information. I would like to learn to make images and make videos.
    Link to comment



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