An Interview with Blog Expert Seth Godin

By Jim Calder

I am recommitting myself this week.
Not to a church, a school or a person but to the art of blogging. I was born a writer and I hope to be remembered as one someday. A new mini goal of mine is to blog on a regular basis. I feel that it is fitting that my first “new blog entry” in this journey is a mini interview with someone that I consider a guru and innovator of the blog format.



Seth Godin is a marketing guru, best selling author, highly acclaimed public speaker whose many highlights include being asked to speak to the employees at Google. Seth has the number one visited marketing blog Seth’s Blog.
I visit it at least once a day and always take something away from reading. From an outsider’s view I consider Seth’s bog the corner stone of what he does. I see his blog as his playground, where he flushes out his best ideas.

Seth has authored two of my favorite books The Dip and Tribes . I look forward to reading his latest book Linchpin .

I recently interviewed Seth and asked for some insight and advice for our ProLong readers in the area of career. I am thrilled to report that he was happy to help out despite his extremely busy schedule. This alone has been motivation for me to commit to the art of blogging. In my first official new blog era please enjoy these responses from SethGodin.

ProLong Magazine: With all that you are doing, do you have any advice for our readers in the area of attempting to balance your work and your personal life?
Seth Godin: Factory work is work where a manager tells you what to do and you get paid (ultimately) by the hour. If you do this work and you want to get ahead, then you have little chance of also finding balance.
On the other hand, if you can make the brave decision to do art, to choose your own path, to create a career filled with meaning and insight, then balance is no real problem.
So, if it’s a problem, look at the core decision that’s driving it.

ProLong Magazine: A common theme in your writing is doing things that are not just satisfying the status quo. Please tell our readers why they should never be satisfied with the status quo?
Seth Godin: The status quo is average, and leaves little room for you to break through, to have real impact and to stand out. Big change brings big opportunity, no? It feels risky to do this, but in fact it’s the safest path you can take.

ProLong Magazine: Many people judge the value of their life based on the impact that they have had in their career. Do you believe that this is a good quality for a strong career or bad and why?
Seth Godin: I think there are many valid ways to live a valuable life, and the thing is to not give someone you don’t respect permission to be the judge of it.

ProLong Magazine: Do you believe that Mentors are important?
Seth Godin: Mentors are overrated, and the idea of finding some stranger or near stranger to sign up to be your mentor is nuts. In my experience, when you find someone who is teaching life lessons as a matter of course, stand near them, listen to them and work harder than you feel you can to learn those lessons. But no need to make it official.

ProLong Magazine: Do you have any quick advice for people who will inevitably have to deal with a bad boss at some point in their career … someone who refuses to embrace change?
Seth Godin:
1. They’re probably not as bad as you think.
2. if they are, leave.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com