I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
Behind the scenes of the busiest week of my career
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Hey Reader, One of the things I love about working from home is I don’t have to worry about a long commute. My wife and kids are just a few steps away. While I love to travel, I don’t want to travel so much for work that I miss getting to see my kids grow up. This is what motivates me to maximize my time away from home. If I have to be away, I want to make the most of that time. That means meeting as many people, and creating the greatest number of opportunities, as I can. Last November, I had the busiest week of my career. But it was by design. [calendar image] We were hosting two events for the Billion Dollar Creator podcast—one in Austin and one in Los Angeles. The events each included a podcast recording and a mastermind. I could have just attended the events in Austin, flown to LA, done it again, and gone home. But if I’m going to be away from my family, I’m motivated to make the biggest impact I can during that time. Time is the constraint we all have. What are you going to do with that constraint? I knew I wanted to maximize my time, but doing so requires planning. You can’t just do things spur of the moment. If you want to line up many opportunities and meetings with people, it takes some careful coordination, because other people’s schedules are involved. My team helps a lot with this. I knew our events were going to be in two major hubs. There are a lot of great people to connect with in Austin and LA. As much as possible, I wanted to make some podcast appearances while I was in town. Short of that, maybe some lunches or dinners. Don’t wait to get invitedOne of the best tips I ever learned is if there’s someone influential you really want to meet, don’t wait for it to happen on its own. Make it happen. Say, “Hey, I’ll be in You don’t actually need to have a trip already planned to ask this. If they say no, don’t go. If they say yes, now you have a reason to plan a trip! Similarly, I was able to meet with so many different people all because we scheduled this trip. There were dinners, coffees, meetups, masterminds, podcast recordings, and more. The podcast tour was our excuse, but you don’t need to have a tour. You can choose yourself whenever you want. You don’t have to wait to be invited. For example, though I have a relationship with Ryan Holiday, and I’ve wanted to be on his podcast, it hadn’t ever happened. Instead of waiting to be invited, I said, “Hey, I’m going to be in Austin on “That’s fantastic,” Ryan said. “Let’s do a podcast.” While reaching out individually to people I knew I wanted to connect with worked well, something else that created even more opportunities was posting on Twitter about my trip. I talked about the purpose of the trip, my plans, and some of the people I hoped to meet. People saw that tweet and replied saying we should get together while I was in town. That created even more chances to connect. I will say that while the trip was exhilarating and so much fun, it was also really exhausting. Going non-stop for a week really takes it out of you. But I created more content, and developed more relationships, than many people do in half a year or a more. A few days later, I was back at home with my family feeling accomplished. It’s super satisfying to me to make my trips as efficient as possible, and I do really enjoy them. So I think I will continue to get the most out of my travels as I can. CONFERENCEJoin us at Craft + Commerce!Our annual event, Craft + Commerce, is happening June 5th–7th in downtown Boise, ID. Craft + Commerce is more than just a conference: it’s the best place to meet and connect with other creators. Get personalized help from ConvertKit experts, watch mainstage keynotes from inspiring speakers, and enjoy unforgettable welcome and closing parties. This isn’t just an event where you sit in a chair and listen. Actionable, intimate workshops give you plenty of opportunities to raise your hand and get answers. Connect with people who will help you level up your business. We hope to see you there! BOOKEmpire of the Summer MoonThis book about Native American history explores the culture clash between the Comanche tribe and American settlers. S.C. Gwynne’s narrative skill makes this book both engaging and informative as it paints a vivid picture of the struggles, triumphs, and tragedies faced by both sides during this time. It’s a compelling read that sheds some light on a lesser-explored part of American history. Have a great week! —Nathan |
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
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