✨ the SPARK 201 ~ I Agree with Ryan Holiday

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Welcome to the 201st issue of the SPARK, a weekly newsletter that helps you transform daily experiences into compelling content that
captivates and sells.

A good friend, Ross Brand, has been publishing a book for the last four years called “100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions, Volume 4: Top Content Creators Help You Succeed in an Era of Rapid Change.” 

I contributed to each of the first three books and don’t remember what happened last year, but I missed the submission window.

When he sent the request for predictions earlier this week, I knew I didn’t want to miss the year's window. (And a huge hat tip to him for publishing this book for the fifth year in a row! It’s a big undertaking, even if he has processes in place.)

I will, of course, share the link when the fifth edition is published.

It’s probably no surprise that my “prediction” concerns the rise of publishing platforms rather than starting with a traditional website.

Hopefully, this doesn’t seem like a broken record, but I really feel that some significant changes are happening in the creator space.

I did a little digging for data to support this, specifically about Substack, and here’s what ChatGPT shared:

OK, what does this have to do with my agreeing with Ryan Holiday? (Author of Ego is the Enemy, a handful of other books, and the Daily Stoic newsletter).

His recent article, “This is Why I Don’t Have Goals (And What To Do Instead),” resonated deeply with me and spoke to my desire to have less “stuff” to maintain (i.e., choosing one platform to focus on instead of a website, multiple social channels, a separate email service provider, etc.).

The article is great (worth reading), but the TL;DR is that doing what you love and getting better at what you do should be the goal - not an external circumstance you can’t control.

Instead of writing a book to “sell a million copies,” - what if your goal was to go deep and write a book you’re proud of? That’s an outcome you can control.
(Side note: I get that unless you’re independently wealthy or have another source of income, what you create probably needs to be profitable. But you can grow it over time).

The world we live in, and all the self-help books that have come before us have conditioned us to believe that we’re supposed to have goals.

I’m not knocking goals (I prefer intentions)… but remember, we only have data on what works with goal setting because that’s all that’s been studied and measured.

It doesn’t mean something else won’t or doesn’t work.

And all the early studies were based on men. #justsayin

I think we’re hitting a point where we’re tired of trying to optimize every minute of every day or making sure we have an “approved outcome” from a behavior.

As a pretty productive person, I find myself wanting to toss the computer out the window every time I see yet another article, product, or tip about productivity.

Too many people spend time trying to maximize productivity as opposed to doing good work.

Just because you don’t have a 6-figure launch or 10k+ people on your email list doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful business and a quality of life you love.

This is the other change I see happening in the creator space.

People want to enjoy their work. Chasing another platform or vanity metric at a certain point feels incredibly hollow.

How often have you thought, “There has to be a better way.” 🤔

I’ve had that thought too many times to count.

The two biggest things required to find the better way are:

• Courage

• Commitment

It takes a lot of courage to pivot (note to self… which you’ll be hearing about soon enough). You might want to make a big pivot, or maybe it’s smaller and just letting go of a few things (platforms, clients, content type, etc.)—either way, this requires strong inner resolve.

The commitment piece means you need to deploy a lot of patience and be willing to do deep work.

But this is also where the magic happens, and you start seeing real change.

I was listening to a book the other day on my walk (The Pivot Year) and LOVED this question (I’m paraphrasing):

The digital marketing/creator space can sometimes feel like a bad MLM (zero judgment if that’s your business model)…or maybe a game of Chutes and Ladders that never ends.

At some point, you have to choose YOU.

Let go of what doesn’t work, give yourself some grace, and step into creating a life and business on your terms.

SPARK Spotlight 🔥

It’s LIVE!!!

Women, Wisdom, & Wealth is officially published and live on Substack!

The link above (or the logo) takes you to the first edition of the newsletter, which explains what it’s about and why I started it.

The podcast (of the same name) will launch at the end of October, which is later than I had planned, but it’s coming.

The weekly newsletter is free, but there’s a paid version (you’ll see the options when you click to subscribe). Anything you can do to share it would be most appreciated! I’ll do some behind-the-scenes with you on the progress and growth.

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A Little Brainpower 🧠

Johnathan Mast has an incredibly helpful Facebook group & newsletter on using AI. In this video, he shows you “How to Write a Helpful EEAT Blog Post with AI” (EEAT is Google’s “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness & Trustworthiness).

Did you know you could do SEO on Instagram? “Instagram SEO: How to Increase Your Discoverability.”

If you’re thinking about a paid version of your newsletter, do it. “9 Reasons People Pay to Subscribe on Substack and How to Deliver.”

Tool Time 🛠

• Video: Another option to Loom and Tella. The free 2-videos a month might work for you if you don't record a lot. Check out Phia here.

• YouTube: Brainstorm, research, and plan your YouTube videos better. AI concepts & thumbnails, and more! Get the 60-day free trial here.

• AI Video: This is wild! Create UGC videos in minutes… without a creator (more changes to the creator space!). Check out MakeUGC here.

• AI Personalized Landing Pages: This looks pretty interesting. Add a little personalization to your landing page with AI. Try Fibr.ai free here.

This is just for fun…

Sometimes, a little celebration is in order. Toss a little confetti to honor the moment (and yes, I pressed them all quickly, one after the other).

Welcome to Fall 😂🍁🍂🍃

So, I’ve been eluding to some big changes in my life and business, so I may as well fill you in on some of what’s happening (more to come!).

Ready for this?

I’m not staying in Costa Rica. 🤯

I know, I know. After everything I went through to get down here, I realized that this chapter of my life needed to be closed.

I’m probably going to write a more in-depth post in the next couple of weeks, but there are a handful of reasons that, when combined, it was a no-brainer.

So, I’m heading back to California on October 1st.

I hope this can serve as an example of how it’s OK to change your mind and do what’s right for you.

My friends down here are bummed, but my family & friends in California are thrilled.

And, of course, I’ll be back to visit.

Costa Rica will always have a special place in my heart. ❤🇨🇷

Have a wonderful day,
Kim