Hey Reader,

In February 2017, Barrett Brooks and I had a crazy idea: We should start the best business conference for creators.

Each of us had our own careers transformed by who we met at conferences. The right event led to the right connections, which would accelerate your creator career by years. I wanted to create that opportunity for every creator in our community and there wasn’t an event that blended business strategy, connection, and inspiration.

At the time, we were a software company with $6.5 million in revenue, 12,000 customers, and a small but mighty team of 28. An event sounded impossible. Even crazier, we wanted to launch it in 4 months.

Year 1 of Craft + Commerce was a huge success: Seth Godin and James Clear (he wasn’t famous yet) gave the main keynotes. We sold 125 tickets and produced an event we were really proud of. We also lost a lot of money. But creators loved it and eagerly bought tickets for next year.

Year 2, we gained some momentum and had a larger event, with Casey Neistat and Pat Flynn keynoting. We took everything we learned from attending dozens of conferences and poured it into making the best event we could. We even hired a speaking coach and designer for every speaker to make each talk as polished as possible.

Year 3, we had real momentum increasing tickets sold by almost 50%—but we still didn’t sell out. Events are hard. But we could forecast the momentum and it was clear that year 4 would sell out!

…but thanks to COVID year 4 didn’t happen.

Then we had to cancel the next year as well.

In 2022 we were back for year 4—our first after COVID—and it was brutal to sell tickets. All our momentum was gone and it felt like starting over. Kit was a bigger company, but many of the creators who had attended the first 3 years of Craft + Commerce had pivoted their businesses. We sold about the same number of tickets as year 2, but expenses were far higher, so we lost money again.

Year 5, we had to move to a new venue and still hustle to drive sales. But the community was growing. We entertained moving it to another city since Boise wasn’t a major city. But feedback from our core group encouraged us to stay consistent.

Year 6, we were thriving in our new venue and a new community was forming. The momentum was real! It actually felt a lot like the last year before COVID: we had real momentum. Could next year be the year?

This year, our 7th year hosting the event and 9 years after having the idea, we did it: we sold out of 400 tickets for Craft + Commerce. For an entire week the city was buzzing with creators. Over 100 people flew in early or stayed late to meet, brainstorm, and record with other creators. Kit Studios was constantly busy with hundreds of hours of content being recorded across 5 studios.

So many creators I talked to said it was their favorite Craft + Commerce yet. The speakers were fantastic. But more importantly, I was blown away by how many world-class creators—many of whom I’ve watched keynote at other events—were there as attendees.

2,921 days after our first event, we hit our goal to build and sell out the best business creator conference.

An overnight success.

Oh, and more than 40% of our attendees bought their tickets for next year before the weekend was over.

We expect 2026 to sell out even faster, so if you’re thinking about attending, consider signing up to get notified early:

​Get your ticket to Craft + Commerce »​

As much as I'd love to see you in 2026, that's not the main point of this newsletter. Instead here's what I want you to take away:

Take the big swing. Do the thing you feel is crazy, out of reach, and certainly not guaranteed to succeed.

Then when it loses money—year after year—just keep going.

If you have a vision and any kind of momentum know that you can compound that into something magical if you are determined enough.

Craft + Commerce took 2,921 days to finally sell out. But every single day was worth it.

Your dream is worth pursuing as well.

—

The title is inspired by Chris Guillebeau's 279 Days to Overnight Success. Chris inspired me in my creator journey and his World Domination Summit conference was such an inspiration for building Craft + Commerce.

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PODCAST

This Mindset Shift Took Me From $700K to $2M

Most six-figure creators hit a ceiling and can't break through $1M.

My good friend Tim Grahl was stuck at $690K for 3 brutal years. Same numbers, same frustration, same broken business model.

Then he had a realization that changed everything and he grew to $2.2M.

The problem wasn't his marketing or funnel. It was his mindset.

If you're stuck in the mid-six-figures and can’t figure out what’s missing, this one's for you.

​Watch or listen to episode »​

(this is one of my favorites we've ever recorded)

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COME WORK AT KIT

Kit is hiring: Senior Content Marketing Manager: Lead Gen and Creator Content

We're looking for a strategic content marketing leader who can bridge creative storytelling with measurable business outcomes as we scale from product-led to sales-led growth.

The role breaks down as 40% strategic planning, 20% cross-functional collaboration, and 40% hands-on execution. You'll own the entire content marketing function and have direct accountability for content's impact on our revenue growth. We need someone with 8+ years of experience who understands both the creator economy and how to prove content's ROI with clear attribution to business outcomes.

We're 100% remote with a culture that values emotional intelligence and radical candor. You'll be part of our mission to help creators earn $1 billion using our platform, working alongside an 8-person marketing team that's committed to helping creators earn a living.

​Learn more and apply for this role »​

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WORKSHOP

Why you should write a book

Does writing a book feel impossible? You've thought about it, maybe even started, but there's the blank page, the time commitment, the fear no one will read it.

Before I wrote Authority, I had the same doubts. But books change everything for creators. Mine opened doors I didn't know existed, brought in clients I never would have met, and continues to generate income years after I wrote it.

That's why I'm joining Chandler Bolt for a free workshop called The 3 Key Principles for Growing Your Business with a Book. It's on Tuesday, July 22nd at 5pm ET. Chandler built selfpublishing.com into an $8 million business helping people write and launch their books.

We'll cover how to find your bestselling book idea quickly, the myths that hold you back, and the exact system for launching a book that grows your business.

​Register for the workshop »​

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Have a great week!

—Nathan

P.S.

Last reminder that I'm hosting a workshop with Nick Huber tomorrow on how to build a personal brand. Register here and get the recording »​