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.
Creating with soul
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Hey Reader, If you read this newsletter, you’re someone who thinks a bit differently than the average person. There are many people who are chasing the next dollar and looking for new ways to make money on the internet. They follow a formula, and it’s obvious. Their work lacks substance, and something is missing. I mentioned Aaron Francis last week as an example of someone who has built a strong personal brand. But Aaron has also taken a different path in terms of putting real character and soul into his work. For example, look at this epic trailer and Steve Tenu created for his course: I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an incredible video made for a developer course. On mastering a specific database, of all things (PostgreSQL). But it’s memorable. And it stands out. You see Aaron building out his YouTube studio, planning the course, and conducting his research. You see him recording the course and using sticky notes—all set to inspiring music. The reason this resonates is the subconscious message it sends: if they put this much care and hard work into creating a trailer for their course, they’re likely putting just as much into their craft. It’s in stark contrast to the academic, boring courses that simply instruct (e.g. “Learn this, then learn that.”). What Aaron and Steve have accomplished is transforming something typically corporate and generic into a narrative where you want to follow the hero. You genuinely care about what they are doing. It’s no longer just a course, it’s a story. It’s no longer just an outcome, it’s a craft. This level of creating with soul is what we believe in at Kit and why we’re rebranding the company to reflect that belief. It’s why we’re doing what most companies would never do: rebranding in public. We’re showing the entire process and sharing the story along the way. We could just complete the rebranding process, achieve the outcome, and move on. But as we embark on the journey ourselves, we want to share that experience with others. We want people to learn from it. In the most recent episode of our rebrand documentary, you get to see behind the scenes of everything. You see the significant decisions we had to make, the conflicts that arose, the emotions we felt along the way, and so much more. You watch as the team travels to meet each other to work in person. Even Koto, the agency we work with, is integrated into the story in an impactful way, which is truly special. As you think about your next creative project, I encourage you to ask yourself: “What would it look like to truly bring character and soul into this?” How can you not only create the outcome you want for your customer but also tell your story along the way? How can you share the emotion you felt? Aaron’s video concludes with him stepping out of his studio onto the balcony, arms extended, captured beautifully in a dramatic drone shot. We witness Aaron’s celebration of the hard work he’s invested in bringing to life something he cares about deeply. You can’t help but want to be a part of it. PODCASTMark Manson: From Blogger to Bestselling AuthorMark Manson made an appearance on Andrew Wilkinson’s podcast, Never Enough, to talk about the business of being a writer and a bunch of other topics:
It's fascinating to hear how mark thinks about the idea of running a media business and how passionate he is about it. You’ll also hear him talk about how much money he made from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. He doesn’t say the exact number but tells you how much her makes per copy, and how many copies have sold, so you can do the math. CONVERTKIT (SOON TO BE KIT) FEATUREFind & organize images faster: New Media GalleryIntroducing the new Media Gallery. Filter, favorite, and find your most-used images quickly. Just click the heart icon. Also, new filters for Unsplash let you sort by newest, oldest, or popular. You can also filter by landscape or portrait orientation to find just the right image. Try it out the next time you create an email or landing page! BOOKThe ShitheadMy friend, Tim Grahl just released his latest book, The Shithead, last week, and I got to read an early copy. This fictional story follows Eric Bauser, a son, husband, father, and small business owner who is slowly losing his grip on reality. "Perfectly portrays the cost of self-deception and the quest to find and reclaim your true self." — Jay Papasan, New York Times bestselling co-author of The One Thing
It’s an engaging read any entrepreneur will relate to. 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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