The Future Belongs to Creators

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Q&A Friday #4 Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

In today’s Q&A Friday, we’re joined by guest co-host, Cory Miller. We talk about how our goals changed over time, acquisitions, handling communication while working remotely, and more!

How have your dreams and goals shifted over time and how do you know when it’s time to pivot? What are your feelings about those processes?
Has ConvertKit had any acquisition offers? What was it like to get an offer?
How do you deal with communication overload while working remotely?
How is Covid-19 affecting customers?

Creators of the day

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With ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.

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Creating From a Vulnerable Place Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

Today we are joined by special guest host, Alexis Teichmiller, and we’re talking about vulnerability.

Vulnerability has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, but that’s not a bad thing.

Social media makes it easy for people to only share their successes. But, if you can be more vulnerable on these platforms, and open about your process, people will connect with it more deeply and see you as a real person.

Main takeaways

Share both your successes and your failures. Be open with your audience about what went wrong, instead of just showing the positive results.
Vulnerability is more for you than others. It’s you keeping a promise to yourself that you’ll be who you are.
Be calculated in what you choose to share. Knowing what you’re trying to accomplish when you share something will help you avoid oversharing.
Imposter syndrome can stand in the way of your vulnerability. It makes you feel like you need to have the answers to every question in your profession.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“Find the right amount of vulnerability for you. Think about what you’re trying to accomplish and who you’re trying to help by what you share online. ” ~ @nathanbarry

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Using Constraints to Power Creative Output Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

Constraints can be a great way to lock yourself into a project and force yourself to create on a regular basis.

You will undoubtedly run into natural constraints along your journey. That’s a good thing! But you can also give yourself some external constraints that will keep you motivated and moving forward.

Holding yourself accountable will make you more creative.

Main takeaways

Scheduling is a great way to keep you consistent. You can take scheduling to the next level by creating a system that holds you accountable if your work is incomplete.
Needing to publish regularly can also serve as a constraint in itself. If you have an audience that counts on your work at a specific time, you hold yourself accountable to publish on time.
It takes a lot more work to do something irregularly than regularly. The key is to make creating a habit in your daily routine.
Find an accountability partner or a group of people that will hold each other accountable.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Streaks App

Thought of the day

“You may have to be more intentional with the way you budget your money in order to buy from a small-time creator, or the people who are just getting started, or the people who are good at one thing instead of a million things. But I believe that local economies can help us power this creative world that we believe is going to continue to come to life as more menial jobs get automated and people have more time for creative outlets.” ~ @BarrettABrooks

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Finding Leverage as a Creator Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

Leverage is one of the most important ways that you, as a creator, can push your product out to the world.

The key to finding leverage is through a good reputation, which you’ll gain as you grow. It takes a lot of hard and dedicated work to start this process, but as you gain momentum, you’ll be able to refocus that work into other aspects of your business.

At first, it can be scary to put your name to your work, but it is a key factor in gaining a reputation that you’re proud of and that will work in your favor moving forward.

Main takeaways

There are three types of leverage: labor, capital, and products with no marginal costs of replication.
As you grow and gain a reputation, the ability for you to leverage your products and services also grows. You can begin to multiply one form of leverage with another, accelerating your efforts.
As a creator, you should be thinking about two things: 1) How can I productize what I’m doing? and 2) How can I build an audience? Both will create leverage.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“Spend some time journaling today and think about where you already have leverage in your business, where you could create more leverage in your business, and also think about where you are shying away from signing your name to your work.” ~ @BarrettABrooks

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The Creator Journey Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

We often have assumptions built into our thinking about what it looks like to start a creative business — things that might not be obvious if you haven’t done it before.

And this is true whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned creator. Our goal in this conversation is to help you understand what some of those things are, and ways you can make progress on your own journey.

Main takeaways

Creative “sparks” often occur as external events. It might take losing your job or being thrown into a project to get you started.
Research the market. Is there competition? How can you be different? Is there a gap you can fill? Do the research, but don’t stay in this phase for too long.
Once you have a direction, build momentum and to keep it going as long as you can.
Decide on your medium: writing, audio, video, etc. Then choose a platform to distribute what you create (that isn’t email).
The creative flywheel includes learning, creating and publishing content consistently, sharing and promoting your work, and making and selling high-quality products and services.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“The thing I would encourage you to do is to start to think about all of those activities you do to run your business and how you can move them from a sequence into a flywheel.” ~ @nathanbarry

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Q&A Friday #3 Apr 10, 2020

Show notes

In today’s Q&A Friday, we talk about extending your networks, early mistakes and what we learned from them, combining email lists, and more!

If you own a micro gym, what is the first thing you do after getting Zoom classes for current members set up?
What do you recommend for getting into the second or third tier of connections? I’ve got about 250 people on my email list and I know almost all of them. How do you connect with people they know?
How did things fail or result in undesired outcomes in the early days, and how did you correct it?
I have email lists from past talks and events I’ve done previously. Is it okay to add them to my subscriber list now that I have ConvertKit? What's the best way to do that and should I send them an email first?

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Planta

Thought of the day

“In the spirit of casual Fridays, do something that will get you in the right mindset to have some fun this weekend. Whether it’s starting a new project, spending time with family, or just goofing off, have some fun.” ~ @nathanbarry

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Secondhand Lions

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Your Work Deserves to Be Promoted. Here’s How. Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

It’s likely that you enjoy the process of creating a lot more than you enjoy the process of promoting. However, promoting is a skill that you can learn and get better at.

In many ways, our work is not done until we promote it. Promoting the work is just as important as creating it.

But, like everything, promotion is a lot easier with a system. Here are some tips that will help you develop that system and make the whole process less overwhelming and threatening.

Main takeaways

Self-promotion is not bad. It’s a small bet toward getting your content out there and in front of people.
Make sure you build self-promotion into your creative process. It will become more natural when it’s just another step in your outline.
Email is the best and most reliable place to start promoting your content.
Use social media to share the highlights.
There are communities for everything (Reddit, Soundcloud, etc.). Find them and promote your work there.
Paid ads are great to boost your reach if you have the money.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“One of the key differences between creators who have a hobby that they work on and creators who earn a living from their work is their level of willingness and comfort with doing the heavy lifting of getting their work to spread.” ~ @BarrettABrooks

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How to Incentivize Your Subscribers to Join Your Email List Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

People are more protective than every of their email accounts, so it can be hard asking them to join your mailing list. And if you do ask, they may need the right incentives to actually sign up.

The key is to give these subscribers what they want so they feel confident in signing up for your list. Permission-based marketing is more effective than spam mail, so it’s important to focus on the people who want to hear from you.

Today’s episode is an extension of yesterday’s, so be sure to check out episode 011 for more information on how to get started with landing pages.

Main takeaways

An opt-in incentive is something you give to subscribers, and it should be valuable to them.
Use your landing page to give people a taste of what they can expect from your opt-in incentive, should they decide to sign up.
We suggest using a double opt-in method. This may decrease your subscriber count, but it will also decrease the spam you get from bots. And, overall, it will improve the quality of your list.
Opt-in incentives will vary across different industries.
- For authors, the incentive might be the first chapter of an upcoming book.
- A podcaster might include a how-to guide they discussed in a previous episode.
- Musicians could include a behind the scenes process for creating an album.
- An athlete could give unique insights into their leagues.
- Chefs might feature some of their favorite recipes.
- Filmmakers or photographers could include an exclusive photo pack or b-roll.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“Do something you really enjoy today. Take an hour for yourself. You may realize you need it while we’re in the thick of this pandemic.” ~ @barrettabrooks

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Designing a Great Landing Page for Your Next Creative Project Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

We’re creating a landing page on the fly. Rather than put a lot of planning into it, we decided it would be more authentic to create a landing page and evaluate different scenarios in the moment.

Landing pages are a great tool for grabbing attention. We’re going to walk through how to design a great landing page with a ConvertKit template that will help your call-to-action be more effective.

Main takeaways

Choose a template that best reflects what you do and will catch people’s eyes.
Consider the amount of content you are trying to convey and choose a template accordingly. If you are pre-launching, you will probably need less content.
The easiest way to start is to change the imagery and colors. These are quick changes that will create progress.
Use a headline that captures the core value of what you do as a business. There are helpful tips for how to do this in ConvertKit’s templates.
For your call-to-action, have someone interview you. It’s a helpful way to get more clarity around your core values instead of just free-writing.
Decide what information you need from people. For example, you might not need a first name, but it could help you personalize your content.
Add a thank-you page, and provide more information that could be helpful in the future.

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“Now, especially while social distancing, is the perfect time to start a project. Whether you’re taking an off-line business online or you have another venture, now is a great time to start.” ~ @BarrettABrooks

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Mastermind Groups: How to Surround Yourself With Remarkable People Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Mastermind groups are a great way to share ideas with like-minded people in your field and to cheer each other on.

In a mastermind group, your peers are able to give you a more objective look at the work you do. As your group continues to hold each other accountable, you’ll strengthen the skills you have, while also giving valuable insight to others in the group.

Today we talk about the best ways to get your own mastermind started and what to look for in the people with whom you choose to surround yourself.

Main takeaways

Try and find people going in the same direction you want to go. Look for people in your immediate network who are like-minded.
Put yourself in situations where you can meet people. This can be done through interviews, conferences, roundtable discussions, meaningful social media conversations, etc.
Come up with a format for your group meetings. Go with what works for you. We suggest covering the following: How are you doing? What have you accomplished since we last met? What are you struggling with?
Take retreats and spend time with each other in person to build even deeper relationships.

Creators of the day

Resources of the day

Thought of the day

“Think about who you want to surround yourself with. If there are people out there who do work that you admire, reach out to them. They could end up being your friends one day.” ~ @nathanbarry

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