Moving Forward Part 1: Creating Permission

Permission is the foundation of everything that works in marketing, community, and engagement.

Seth Godin wrote the book on permission marketing in 1999. The core idea: interruption marketing is becoming less effective. The future belongs to those who earn the right to communicate with people.

Ten years on, this is more true than ever. But permission is not just about email lists and opt-ins. It’s about something deeper.

What Permission Really Means

Permission is not a form someone fills in. It’s a relationship someone chooses.

When someone gives you their attention – follows you, subscribes, comes to your event, reads your work – they are granting you access to something precious. Their time. Their focus. Their openness.

That’s a privilege. And it comes with responsibility.

Creating Permission

You create permission by:

• Being useful. Consistently. Over time. Without strings attached.
• Being honest. About who you are, what you do, and why.
• Being present. Not just when you have something to sell.
• Respecting the relationship. Not abusing the access people have given you.

Permission, once earned, is fragile. One spam email, one manipulative campaign, one broken promise can destroy what took years to build.

Treat it accordingly.