#FtheHustle ~ 012
January 21, 2021 January 22, 2021 /
I have a little bit of a philosophical question for you today.
How do you know when you’re on the right path?
How do you know that what you’re doing resonates with your audience? Or, most importantly, how do you know when what you’re doing is right for you?
I’m a firm believer that when what you’re doing lights you up and you’re excited about doing it, you know in your gut that you’re on the right path.
It’s almost an inexplicable feeling… you simply know.
When you find yourself dreading going to your desk or cringe at the thought of looking at your email?
It’s time to figure out what needs to change.
I was pleasantly surprised at the responses I got to the email I sent on Monday (subject line: She was sixty…). I shared the story of Louise Hay who started Hay House publishing at the age of 60 (now a 100M a year company) and that she accomplished that without social media, Google, or any of the other tools we have that make it easier than ever to start a business.
My intention with that email was to remind people they do not have to be doing everything all the time to grow a profitable business.
I feel very strongly about people not burning themselves out trying to “be everywhere” or use platforms that don’t feel right (you’re the only one that can define which platforms “feel right” for you).
NOTE: there is nothing in me that believes that social media doesn’t work or is past its prime. However, you have to be smart about how you use it and where you put your energy.
For every person that tells you Instagram is where you should spend your time and energy there is another person who is telling you to put more energy into YouTube.
Both can have solid, tangible results. BUT… you’ll have much better results with the platform you enjoy.
I was listening to a podcast interview with Sam Parr, creator of “The Hustle” newsletter (I completely get the irony in me listening to the creator of The Hustle and mentioning it here… but it was about newsletter growth. And for what it’s worth, my #FtheHustle is about the hustle culture, not the newsletter).
When asked what he would do to grow a list of 100k subscribers today?
He said he’d blog everyday and focus on driving traffic to his content. (*The hustle has over a million subscribers now… it’s 4 years old*)
My man.
Remember to build on assets on properties you own and control first… then promote it on other platforms.
Whatever you do, make sure you’re enjoying the journey. Otherwise, what’s the point?
A Little Brainpower 🧠
This is just… what the what?! I hadn’t even heard of Mr. Beast until watching a Noah Kagan video…apparently, he’s quite the YouTube sensation. This article is fascinating because it talks about “Virtual Concept Dining” (also never heard of). Talk about outside of the box business models and opportunities. Read “A YouTuber with 8 Billion Views Just Launched a 300-Location Burger Business in A Day” here.
In a time when everyone can be a creator, it can feel like a challenge to find your true fans. In my “She was sixty” email I sent this week, I asked the question: In a time when it’s never been easier to start a business, why do so few succeed? This article addresses that. Read “In An Age When We Can Circumvent Gatekeepers, 1000 True Fans is More Relevant Than Ever”
Tool Time 🛠
- Clipscribe: I literally forgot I had this video tool until talking to Jodi about adding captions to a video. This does that and so much MORE! Checkout Clipscribe here.
- Another video tool… with captions (I’m thinking it may be time to get back into video, with a new strategy). Easily resize videos without editing the source video! Try TypeStudio for free.
- For those of us who aren’t graphic designers, we can always use great tools and resources. Glaze has some great free illustrations. Checkout Glaze here.
- We’ve been looking at push notifications for Content Creators Planner (I’ve noticed them on more sites again lately). Here’s a great free tool you can use to test them out for traffic. Try OneSignal for free.
For your listening pleasure 🎧
Continuing on with the theme of the role social media plays in our lives, this was a great episode from Molly Pittman on the Smart Marketer Podcast. Listen to “I Took a 6-Week Break from Social Media! Here’s What I Learned”.
What if you took an audience-first approach to all of your marketing? The more I work on simplifying things the easier this seems to get. Listen to this week’s episode: “Achievable Online Success Starts with An Audience-First Approach KDS: 064” here.
No offense to anyone on TikTok… but this is funny…(this is Stuart from MadTV)…”Look what I can do!”
Watch this clip on Facebook here
Featured reader 🤓
Introducing Jan Carrozza of The Center for Direct Marketing & Dawn Pilot. Jan has been a huge supporter of my work (both here and with the Content Creators Planner). She’s brilliant at community building and is full of helpful tips and resources.
