EDITOR’S NOTE:

If you go to Sara Pion’s LinkedIn profile and scroll down to the “Featured” section, you’ll see a compelling 10-word post.

It reads: 

“The hardest thing about professional growth is learning to wait.” 

You don’t hear that a lot, right?

It’s just not a typical position. 

Instead, more likely, I think people think the hardest part about growing at work is, well… the work. Actually doing it. Actually earning the position, the accolades, the trust and respect.

But Sara doesn’t see it that way. She’s not afraid of the work. 

After all, she did it at Drift, where she helped build a category. And now she’s on a similar mission with Alyce.

No, I think “learning to wait” is, in fact, a reflection of her work ethic, a testament to her urgency and ambition and drive. All of it. 

So I was glad to see her address these themes in her VeryGoodCopy Micro-Interview. 

In only 318 words, she shares:

  • How to learn by doing…

  • A painful thing that teaches you, fast… 

  • How to be productive as a naturally hyperactive person…

And more…

Enjoy!

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Thank you, Sara.

Let’s get started:

1) “What’s your work routine?”

I get really focused on one thing for about an hour. Then I have to step away from it and focus on something else. 

I'm hyperactive by nature so I try to map out my bigger rocks for the day so I know what to focus on, but can bounce between them so I don't get too antsy but can still get things done. 

2) “What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

I recently learned that when I write about concepts, I need to understand how to apply those concepts first before I can write about them. 

When writing a larger piece of content, I actually need to write the spin off pieces — the how-to's — first so I can bring them together and have a more holistic view of how that thing works.

There's a reason I like to "learn by doing" and it's because I like to know as much as possible about something before I write about it. 

3) “What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

Keep failing!

It will teach you faster than anything else. 

The first time you fail is scary and embarrassing, and you want to forget about it. But you hold the lessons from that failure with you and make sure you never do it again. Imagine how much knowledge you'd have if you failed every day?

4) “What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”

Read and write every day. The only way to get better is to practice.

5) “What book has helped you the most over your career?”

Ohhh, tough! It’s probably one of these: 

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. 
Influence by Robert Cialdini.
Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff.

6) “And your parting piece of advice?”

Take influence from people who inspire you but always put your own spin on things.