A hub of resources for creators who want to build a six-figure business.
Excited to share the new 10k Creator Podcast with Joe Pulizzi and Daren Smith.
10 episodes focusing on earning 10k a month and building a 10k audience. Listen to Episode 1 here – The Content Entrepreneur’s Mindset.
Part documentary, part education. Digging into every step of the process from creator to entrepreneur. Walking you through strategies and mindset to help you grow your business from ground zero and beyond without building on rented land (social media platforms).
Top takeaways
Pre-sell your work – it takes courage to pre-sell your big, hairy, audacious ideas, and not enough content creators do it. Daren’s story on launching Craftsman Creative, writing his book in public and pitching the idea for the 10k Creator Podcast to Joe Pulizzi.Â
Think about terms – they are important. The ‘10k Creator Podcast’ is catchy – people get it. Joe on how selling ‘custom publishing’ to a marketer was impossible – the term didn’t resonate. So he came up with a better name: Content marketing, and the floodgates opened. Content marketing has become THE industry term.Â
And now, we have ‘Content Entrepreneur’ as the fastest-growing new business type. James Wedmore calls it the Rise of the Digital CEO.
Network in-person – the power of physical events for serendipity and opportunity, e.g. Daren gave away copies of his book in the swag bag at CEX 2022 (this has to be my next workation – great speakers and topics)
Build a growth mindset – it’s not just your abilities and talents that bring you success but whether you approach them with a ‘growth mindset’. Carol Dweck is brilliant on this.
Write down your goals for all areas of your life by hand, in the present tense and review them twice a day – let your subconscious get to work!Â
Teamlancing: collaborate with a networked team. Too many creators are doing it alone. We all need help, good company and small, niche communities of people on a similar journey to take things to the next level. I love Brian Clark’s ‘Teamlancing’ concept to power your personal enterprise.
The Tilt teamed up with other content pros to launch its first research report on content entrepreneurs. Most big-name ‘solopreneurs’ have a team of people helping behind the scenes, so take the term with a pinch of salt!
To avoid creator burnout, take a seasonal approach to content creation. Ship your work in seasons rather than weekly articles, episodes, or videos. We all need time to rest and recharge.
PS. I’m interviewing Sarah Hawley, CEO at Growmotely - let me know if you have any questions for her. They’ve just launched a community for upskilling and growth in the remote work realm. Check it out here.
5 Things 💡
2022 Creator Economy Benchmark Research – new research on what it takes to be a Content Entrepreneur.Â
Creator Economy Expo (CEX) – May 1–3, 2023 – the in-person experience for serious content creators. Get in early on Web3 and what it takes to thrive in the creator economy.
Content Inc. by Joe Pulizzi – a step-by-step blueprint for doing creative work at your desired level. Audience-first, products later is the business model for content creators and entrepreneurs.Â
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport on developing a craftsman’s mindset. How skill and ability trump passion in determining someone’s career path.
Craft + Commerce 2023 tickets – a conference by ConvertKit. All 2022 keynotes are on their YouTube channel. Â
Get in touch if you have a project to share, a link suggestion, or just want to say hi 👋
This is awesome! I will subscribe to the Content Entrepreneur's podcast. A wealth of inspiration and resources here.