The Unsexy Truth About Building a Creator Business


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,
Bryan Collins

Letters From the Desk of Bryan Collins

Do you want to grow a profitable content business? If so, join 25,000 readers. I share daily insights about personal brand building, writing online and growing a profitable business. It's for creators, coaches and business owners.

Read more from Letters From the Desk of Bryan Collins
A group of men sitting next to each other

I’ve spent thousands on business masterminds over the years. I’ve paid for online and in-person masterminds. Online masterminds are convenient. You can join the weekly accountability calls and check-ins on your lunch break or at night. But I find all those weekly Zoom calls and live cohorts exhausting. It’s also hard to get value from a program where you must wait your turn to ask the facilitator a question. I’ve sometimes paid more to circumvent that problem and get 1:1 time with the...

man using laptop computer

Over the years, I’ve started and stopped a few Substack publications. I even interviewed co-founder Hamish McKenzie for my podcast. For a while, I figured Substack was more suitable for journalists and politics bloggers. Now, I’m more bullish on the platform than ever. I love reading stats about how other creators are finding success on it. I recently read a report from Ciler Demiralp of The Newsletter Circle. Her team analyzed 75,000 Substack publications. Here are a few findings that stood...

A couple of people holding hands while standing next to each other

Short one today… If you want to build a relationship with readers and followers, try these 21 tactics: Write and send a daily email. Readers will expect to hear from you. Share a recent win…or a loss (people love the losses more than the wins) Ask a new subscriber, “What are you working on?” Describe your morning or evening routine. Offer up a contrarian take on a topic like AI. My take? Write what AI can’t. Write about something you learned or discovered. Include a photo of yourself, not...