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.
Falling apart
Hey Reader
This last week I was at a conference called Mastermind Talks where I heard talks from—and got to meet—people working on incredibly important global issues.
That included:
- Daryl Davis who has worked to befriend members of the KKK and gotten many of them to give up their racist beliefs and leave the Klan.
- Yeonmi Park who escaped the regime in North Korea and has been telling her story of the brainwashing and human rights violations in her native country.
- Alex Gladstein from the Human Rights Foundation who shared about the police state and genocide in China.
Alex said that if you are the type of person who thinks, “If I was alive during the holocaust I would have done something” well, it’s going on right now. China is systematically imprisoning and ethnically cleansing the Uyghurs. Anyone who speaks out about it is required to retract their statements (NBA, John Cena, etc) because of the financial and social control that China has.
My sister-in-law is back visiting for 6 weeks, taking a break from her work in Thailand and Myanmar as the education director at a medical school. She has countless stories of the war in Myanmar where the military government is trying to eradicate ethnic groups. The need for medics operating in the jungles of Myanmar is just continuing to grow.
I’m still closely following the war in Ukraine—rooting for the Ukrainians to fight off their invaders and reclaim their country.
It can also feel like my own home here in the United States is falling apart at the seams and I’m forced to take a side and be an activist on an unending set of issues.
What do you do?
What does it look like to be a good person at this moment in history?
Does my work to help creators earn a living actually matter?
Rather than just keep my notes in my journal I thought I’d share some with you to start a conversation. Here’s what I think:
Here’s what I think:
1. Don’t get overwhelmed and despair.
That doesn’t serve anyone. It’s okay to turn off the news to focus on your business, your family, and your community. You protect your ability to serve by protecting your own optimism and energy.
2. Know that the world is a remarkably better place than it ever has been before.
Global poverty, access to medicine and technology, infant mortality, and financial opportunities are all improving. One thing that has shifted is our ability to know about and follow these issues.
3. Focus.
You can’t solve every problem in the world. Trying will just spread you thin. You’ll become the person who is all talk and no impact. Impact requires focus.
This graphic from Matt Ragland illustrates the power of focus:
You can’t make a statement on every issue or donate a tiny amount to many organizations and expect to make an impact.
As a creator or a brand you will be better heard if you repeatedly talk about the same issue. Think Patagonia with the environment or Ben & Jerry's with racial justice. They are known for their stances on those issues, because they focus the bulk of their charitable donations and work on them.
4. Find what means the most to you and overlaps with your mission. You'll be more likely to stick with it over time and make a real impact. At ConvertKit we donate monthly to 5 organizations helping to meet basic needs (food, water, shelter, education, and safety) around the world.
Harkla is a company making products for kids with special needs. They donate 1% of their sales to The University of Washington Autism Center to provide access to therapy and fund research. It’s directly aligned with their mission and an organization they have personal ties to.
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As a creator your voice matters. Where others can reach dozens of people you can reach thousands.
I personally struggle with when and how to best use my platform and money for the biggest impact. If you have ideas or systems that work for you, I’d love to hear them.
What are the issues and causes you’ve chosen to have an impact on?
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WHAT I'M READING
In Order to Live
This is Yeonmi Park's story of growing up in North Korea, escaping into China, then having to walk across the Gobi desert to Mongolia before being granted asylum in South Korea. I'm halfway through the audio book and it's really good. Buy the book »
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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