The Future Belongs to Creators

Latest Episodes:

Running an Airbnb Side Hustle Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

We acknowledge that not everyone owns property, but for those that do and want to make a little extra money, this episode can be a great starting point for getting into the rental business.

Tyler Knutson and Alyssa Dulin, two ConvertKit employees who have insight into this industry, join Nathan to discuss everything you need to know about starting your Airbnb side hustle.

Along the way, they provide tips and tricks on how to find good guests and how to manage your property if you don’t live nearby.

Alyssa even made a PowerPoint presentation, so check out the YouTube version of this episode if you want to see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQkSKvgizdA.

Main Takeaways

If you have a house, using your existing equity and refinancing while interest rates are low, can make buying an Airbnb property attainable.
Using your existing property and renting it out (if you travel frequently) is a great way to capitalize on your investment.
Deciding what kind of host you want to be (how hands-on, etc.) and what kind of guests you want to have are important prior to starting.
If you’re going to be remote, make sure you set up the necessary automation to make things efficient and allow you can stay hands-off.
Pictures are crucial in making your listing look professional and charging a higher rate.

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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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Q&A Friday - Election Results, Money Habits, Changing Course, and More! Nov 13, 2020

Show notes

Coming off a crazy week, it’s good to get back to a sense of routine and the expected. In this week’s Q&A Friday, Nathan and Barrett talk about the election results, before diving into some wide-randing questions about money habits, why you should start thinking about your finances early, finding your ideal team size, and more!

Today’s Questions

What have you learned about transferring internet money into real-world assets?
What money habits or practices do you wish you had implemented earlier?
For ConvertKit, the desired team size was to stay around 50 employees and you keep expanding. What's the thinking on that, and when should creators push past initial thinking on team size?
How should a designer approach getting customers at scale when they have successful productized services in place and are experimenting with selling products?

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Unfold

Thought of the Day

“Focusing in one place or on one skill reduces the amount you need to learn and clarifies what you want to put out into the world as a creator.” ~ @nathanbarry

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5 Questions Every Creator Should Ask as You Plan 2021 Nov 09, 2020

Show notes

With Halloween behind us and the rest of the holiday season here, it’s time to start planning your creative work for next year. Though it’s been a challenging year in many ways, there’s a lot to be learned that we can carry into next year.

Part of this planning process includes asking some difficult questions associated with both your creative work and your responsibilities as a business owner.

Nathan and Barrett discuss the five questions you should be asking yourself as you plan for 2021, with a few follow-ups included, that will set you on the right path for the next year.

Main Questions

What am I most proud of from 2020? You don’t have to think about this for too long, but it’s good to recognize and feel proud of things that you’ve accomplished.
What habits or thought patterns held you back in 2020? Compounding habits can sneak up on you and have detrimental effects that hold you back. Look back, recognize them, and try to change course in 2021.
What is the biggest obstacle you face right now? What advice would your future self give you to overcome it? It’s a hypothetical, but if you frame the problems as someone else's problem, the future becomes clearer.
What drove revenue for you in business this year? Take a deep dive into the difference between revenue and income and which products are making you a lot of money. Do a financial audit and break it down into specifics.
If we were to meet a year from today, with a bottle of champagne, what would we be celebrating? If you put yourself in the mindset of celebration, you can clarify which goals are worth pursuing and the things you’d be excited to celebrate.

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Creators of the Day

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Thought of the Day

“Life is going to go on even if your candidate doesn’t win. You can only control what you can control. Don’t let this election derail you.” ~ @BarrettABrooks

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Paid Newsletters: Should You Earn an Income Through a Paid Newsletter? Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

It’s been a big year for paid newsletters. They promise an easier way for creators to get paid directly from their content.

While newsletters aren’t a new thing, there are some exciting things happening in this space. And for an independent creator, figuring out how to get paid for what you already do is a no-brainer.

So, what are the pros and cons of paid newsletters? How would you go about launching one? Are there any strategies and processes to help you succeed? And, most importantly, how do you ensure that it’s worthwhile for your readers?

Nathan and Barrett discuss these questions and more!

Main Takeaways

Paid newsletters fit into a larger “media” budget for consumers. Meaning that they exist alongside Hulu, Netflix, Patreon, etc.
Getting paid to make the things you want to make is a significant benefit of creating a paid newsletter.
A potential negative of having a paid newsletter is that your best stuff will likely be behind a paywall, making it hard to grow your audience.
Providing ongoing value to your customers is challenging. Consider an annual rate to lock them in for a longer period of time.
Long-term planning is key to sustaining your paid newsletter and making sure that it's ready to go every week (or period) without fail.

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Creator of the Day

Resource of the Day

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

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Q&A Friday - Newsletter Popularity, Skills for Creators, Preventing Burnout, and More! Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

It’s Q&A Friday! In this episode, Nathan is joined by fellow ConvertKit team member Miguel Pou. They discuss newsletters, skills every creator should have, the pros and cons of building in public, and more!

Miguel also talks about his career journey and experiences as a support engineer at ConvertKit.

Today’s Questions

What are your thoughts on newsletters and their recent resurgence in popularity?
What soft skills or technical skills do you think would be most beneficial for the average creator to learn?
How should a designer approach getting customers at scale when they have successful productized services in place, and are experimenting with selling products?
How do you prevent burnout as a creator when you work full-time and create on the side?
You seem to be a big proponent of building in public. Should all creators use this strategy? What are the biggest benefits?
Why would someone pay me money at an early stage when they don’t know what I’m doing yet? Is there a rational reason someone would be an early customer?

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Woodworking For Mere Mortals

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Q&A Friday - Shifting Roles, Making More Money with a Side Hustle, The Future of Social Media, and More! Oct 24, 2020

Show notes

It’s Q&A Friday again! You can always ask us a question in advance through email, Twitter, snail mail, passenger pigeon, or telepathy. Just get us your questions!

In today’s episode, we talk about the role of a COO, making more money with your side hustle, the future of social media, and more!

Today’s Questions

How will your job as COO of ConvertKit be different three years from now?
How can a side hustle make $500/month?
For the Craft and Commerce conference, if June of next year looks like it does present-day, will you still hold the conference?
What do you think social media will look like in 10 years? Any predictions?

Creators of the Day

Brilliant Side

Resources of the Day

Extreme Ownership

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Should Creators Join Unions to Avoid Being Taken Advantage Of? Oct 19, 2020

Show notes

Unions can be a hot button issue for some, but it’s not something we often connect with creators. Guest-host Charli Prangli joins Nathan to explore the idea of creator unions, what they would look like, how they might function, and the benefits and drawbacks of them.

Main Takeaways

It can be easy for major brands to take advantage of the independent creators they work with. Creator unions would work to fix this power imbalance.
While a union could elevate the entire industry, it could also end up restricting access to certain members, and what kind of work they could do.
A union could offer shared resources, advice, and support for living and thriving as a creator.
Creators who work with brands for free, outside of a union, may be devaluing the industry because brands will look for those who work for nothing.

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Q&A Friday - What We’ve Learned with Creator Sessions, How To Define a Creator, Biggest Career Leaps, and More! Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

It’s another Q&A Friday! This week, we have Haley subbing in for Nathan. Haley runs our events (currently on pause) at ConvertKit, but today she’ll be helping to answer your questions.

In today’s episode, we talk about explaining what a creator is, if you should include friends and family on your email list, the scariest leaps we’ve taken in our careers, and more!

Today’s Questions

Have you ever had to explain or justify what you do or what a creator is to non-internet people? If so, what’s worked and what hasn't?
What are your learnings so far with the Creator Sessions? How are you assessing and tweaking the success and direction of these?
What are your opinions on whether creatives should put friends and family on an email list? Should you ask them to opt in?
What is the biggest leap or scariest decision you’ve made in your career?
I would love to have a Side B of Creator Sessions where they talk about connecting with their audience and see how that dovetails into how I use ConvertKit. Does that exist or could it?

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How to Start and Grow a Sustainable Coaching Business Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

Coaching has become a popular business for creators. Both Nathan and Barrett have used coaches and Barrett has coached others. It’s an appealing career track, but what should a coaching business look like in practice?

Throughout this episode, we talk about what a coaching business looks like, what you should be aiming to do as a coach, and how to grow it into a sustainable business.

Barrett has a ton of insight in this line of work, so we’re doing a deep dive to tease out the important pieces of starting a coaching business.

Main Takeaways

A coach is paid to help you get better in very specific ways, such as avoiding weaknesses, understanding and enhancing your strengths, and helping you understand where you should be spending your time.
The biggest mistake people make when starting a coaching business is thinking that a coaching certification equals coaching qualification.
When starting out, you should choose a pricing model that feels comfortable to you.
Don’t start a coaching business because you need money or because you’re trying to fulfill a need in your own life.

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Creator of the Day

Ian Barnard

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Reboot Podcast

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Q&A Friday - Changes in the Creator Landscape, Hands-On Creative Leaders, Podcasting, and More! Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

It’s another Q&A Friday! In today’s episode, we talk about the biggest changes in the creator landscape, whether or not creative leaders should do production work, podcasting, and more!

Today’s Questions

What are some of the most significant changes in the creator landscape in the last ten years?
Who has come into the creator space that has had a big impact?
Do you think it's possible for good creative leaders to still have hands-on work? And are creatives who want to stay creating doomed to stay in "lower" roles?
Can you talk about Coinbase?
As people who do a podcast, how do you think about advising people to start a podcast (or not) without jumping on this increasing “do a podcast!” bandwagon with a “me too” mentality?

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