Hi Reader, Screenwriter and director Brian Koppelman wrote his first screenplay, Rounders, while working a day job. He worked on his manuscript for two hours each morning before work. Years later, he told aspiring screenwriters: "Don’t quit your job because the pressure will be so great that the anxiety will be thwarting. Instead, build your routine.” I built a routine like Koppelman’s when I’d a corporate gig as a six-figure copywriting job. I worked on my business for an hour or two before work each morning. Routines were everything to me. I built up a nice cushion of cash reserves so I wouldn’t feel that anxiety Koppelman writes about. Then, I quit my job to work on my business full-time. A few years later, routines are still everything. I’ve a routine for creating social media content and writing daily emails like this one. I drop our youngest off at school, put on a pair of noise-canceling headphones, and work on content or creative projects for 90 minutes. I’ve a routine for working with a team member who keeps the lights on in my business, paying invoices, and checking in with potential clients and my socials. Usually, we catch up before lunch. I’ve also a routine for sharing and engaging with potential clients on LinkedIn. That’s in the early afternoon after a workout or a nap! And I’ve a routine for onboarding and helping clients. Usually, that’s after all of the above (I’m in Ireland, so I’m mindful of time zones for US clients). Finally, before I log out, I write down the top 3 things I want to do the following day on a whiteboard near my writing desk. That sets me up for tomorrow. One day looks a lot like the next. My business routines might sound boring, but they’re like a metronome keeping a beat. I don’t worry much about doing the things that keep my business humming. And I rarely get burnt out. I’m accepting three new clients who want to add an extra $10k to their business. If that’s you, reply “ROUTINE” to this email and I’ll send you the details. Write on, |
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Hi Reader, Do you find writing content hard? Figuring out what to post online takes time. And that’s before factoring in writing the post and turning followers into email subscribers or, gasp, clients! I get it. Lurking online is easier than writing and pressing publish. Sometimes, I fool myself into thinking it’s “market research”. But I know if I don't press publish, I won’t grow my brand. I almost always feel better when I write a post and press publish. If you’re feeling stuck like me,...
Hi Reader, This week, I launched a private Telegram community for readers of this email list. My goal is to share insider content about how I run my six-figure content business and help you add $3k to yours by 2025. I also want to explore other distribution channels that don't rely on an algo. Then, I can share the results with you so you can do the same. After I launched my Telegram community, a few subscribers emailed me to ask, "Why not WhatsApp?" Well, I picked Telegram because of its...
Hi Reader, For a few years, I was a content strategist for a Fintech. One of my projects was improving a newsletter for small business owners. The newsletter enjoyed a lousy 5% open rate. The back of a cereal box was more engaging than the boring product content inside the newsletter that a developer banged out between coding sessions. So, we stripped out the boring product content and started sending customer stories and how-to guides. And open rates slowly climbed towards 20%. My open rates...