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.
Maybe you’re already doing the right thing
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Hi Reader, People have been saying I seem to be really into rebranding things lately. Which is fair because last week, I announced that I’ve rebranded my podcast from Billion Dollar Creator to The Nathan Barry Show. I made a little video about it below, but in short… Fun fact, my first podcast was actually called The Nathan Barry Show. So you may be wondering why I didn’t just stick with that, and why we started a whole new podcast with a different name. The reason we started a new podcast, and called it Billion Dollar Creator, is because it was something I launched as a co-hosted show with Rachel Rodgers. When she stepped down last year to pursue her other ventures, I considered finding another co host for the show. But I ultimately decided that I just wanted to have conversations with creators myself and lean into doing more live coaching as a unique angle for the show. Not everyone is trying to build the next household name, and that’s okay. There’s so much you can learn from the episodes even if you’re not building a billion-dollar business, and I wanted a show title that felt a little more approachable. Calling the podcast “The Nathan Barry Show” also gives it room to grow and the flexibility for me to have conversations with many different and interesting people. I’m still focused on creator businesses, and I’m still focused on leveraging audiences and attention to create wealth. So you can expect more of the same great conversations, business breakdowns, and brainstorming where we get up on the board, map out flywheels, dive into revenue, and more. But aside from rebranding the podcast, I’ve also been thinking about what “more” I could do to grow the show. Many creators I’ve met share this drive for always pushing for more and discovering what we’re capable of. I found myself asking, “How can we grow the show? How can we increase influence? What more can we do?” I was talking to my friend, Grant Baldwin, about this at a mastermind retreat last month, and after sharing about my goals, and constraints, and target audience for the show, we realized there’s a bit of a conflict: I want to grow the show, but I’m also very intentional about its audience. I don’t want to just attract any listener, and I’m not trying to be super mainstream. I’m also not interested in leaning on clickbait tactics. That just doesn’t feel authentic to me. And finally, I have a full-time job running a software company, and that’s where the majority of my focus needs to be. When it comes to the podcast, what I really want is to create a must-listen show for creators. Where you can’t wait to tune in each week, because you know every episode is going to be incredible and will give you tactical things you can apply in your business. I want to create a show that is essentially your favorite creator’s favorite podcast. And through talking with Grant, I realized I had that. “Look,” Grant said, “if the podcast was your whole focus, I would say there might be some additional things you could do to grow it. But within the constraints you have, and the rate at which it’s growing… crazy idea here, but bear with me:
“What if you’re already doing all the right things? What if you just accepted that and kept doing more of what you’re doing?”
That struck me. What if I told myself, “Hey, you’re doing enough”? What if I simply kept doing what I was doing, and focused on how to continually make it easier to do what I’m doing? In other words, what if I directed my attention to refining the systems and processes for making it easier to record and removing friction? A flywheel, if you will. That switched it from being a business problem to an identity problem. It’s good to have ambition and to set big goals. But it’s also healthy to check in with yourself and see if maybe you’re doing exactly what you need to right now. You might just find you’re already doing enough and you can keep doing more of the same. PODCASTHow I’m Launching My $5,000 Course in 4 StepsIn the latest episode of the podcast, we switch things up: This time my guest, Darrell Vesterfelt, coaches me on the launch of my new Creator Flywheels course and group coaching program. Darrell is one of the smartest marketers I know and has years of experience working with creators on their launches. We dive into:
Watch or listen to episode » RECORDING STUDIORecord professional content with Kit StudiosEarlier this year, I shared that we opened our first physical space in Boise, Idaho called Kit Studios. It’s a recording studio optimized for easily creating high-quality content. I’ve also recently teased that we’re looking at opening new locations in different areas of the United States. People keep asking me what it costs, so I think I haven’t mentioned it enough: Kit Studios is FREE to use for Kit customers who are on either a Creator or Creator Pro plan. If that’s you, you can book recording time at Kit Studios for $0. Record a podcast, film a video for your YouTube channel, or shoot your next course—and look good doing it. Stay tuned for new locations next year. ARTICLEJames Clear’s favorite obscure speechesIn case you haven’t come across it, James Clear has a fantastic list of famous speeches and great talks. The list started when he came across a great speech that made him wonder: “What other great talks and speeches are out there that I’ve never heard?” While there may be a few you’re familiar with, there are plenty of hidden gems worth checking out. 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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