Yesterday I held my first workshop for helping founders and writers with their YouTube scripts.
We went over the principles of what makes a good YouTube hook.
We also workshopped some ideas for their first YouTube scripts with some creative frameworks in mind.
I was discussing content ideas with a client last week, and she said something that led to me wanting to record this video.
A lot of people think authenticity just means being honest.
But after 8+ years of looking at copy analytics, I believe it’s a little more subtle than that.
So in today’s video, I’m showing what it really means to “be yourself.”
If you follow these rules, writing stops feels performative.
Instead, it actually gives you energy.
Over the past few months, I’ve been shipping more stuff than ever.
This has brought about several emotions – ranging from excitement to high anxiety.
I don’t worry too much about the emotions though.
It just means I’m growing.
But I am learning some new breathing techniques for when I get stressed.
Here’s a simple one…
Breathe in for 4-6 seconds…
Then breathe out for 8-10 seconds.
Always make sure the breath out is longer than the breath in. That’s the only rule.
A long exhale tells your nervous system you’re safe.
Your heart rate slows.
For me, it drops my shoulders two inches.
It’s like switching gears.
We need to grind.
But we also need to relax.
We often just forget the second one exists.
And if there’s one thing I’ve noticed after working at billion-dollar companies, it’s that top-level people aren’t any more talented.
They just know how to stay level-headed in high-pressure situations.
For example, when a launch went sideways, my manager would crack a joke. Then we’d take inventory of what went well and what didn’t and try again.
So if you’re taking on more work and feeling the stress, try this breathing technique out.
It might just increase your work capacity.
It’ll definitely make the work more fun.
Until next time.
P.S. And if you want to embrace something new, I have an “Electric YouTube Hooks” workshop happening in just a few days.
I’ll show you how to write hooks to increase viewer retention and get more people interested in your paid offers.
I’ll also be offering something exciting at the beginning of the workshop.
It’s completely free.
| I’m at one of those popular pizza places in the West Village. There’s a long line. I’ve never been a fan of waiting for food. I still have flashbacks from when I waited 3.5 hours for three soft tacos in Austin, Texas. But the Instagram influencer told me this place was fire. So waiting I will. I finally get to the front of the line after about a half hour. I order way too many slices. The tiny building is jam packed. There’s no place to sit. My pizza comes out. I grab my tray and find a little spot on the counter where I have to stand and eat. Here comes the first one… Poached pear with cheese. Interesting combo. Sweet and savory. It’s… pretty good. I like it. Did it live up to the hype I had in my head? No. But I scarf down the rest anyway and move along. Now I’m walking the streets again. I walk into this fragrance place (I love scents). I look at the price tag… “$300 for one scented candle?!” No thanks. Now I’m back on the streets. I spot this coffee table book shop. I think to myself… “I bet those books are also expensive as hell and people just put them on their coffee table for show.” I don’t bother going in. Later on that night I’m drinking cocktails at the hotel bar. I get hungry again. Back to the streets. I notice a tiny Italian place without any line. I walk right in. People greet me like they’ve been expecting me the whole time. Nowww we’re talking… I notice the moody orange light. The crowd having chill, down-to-earth conversations. Just what I’m looking for. Is the food good? Who cares at this point (just don’t poison me). I find this happens a lot when I travel, and when I’m writing for business founders. The stuff that performs best is often the more mundane, but really fitting to the personality of the founder. It’s their “warm Italian place.” That doesn’t mean it’s boring. For example, if a founder is a kind soul who also happens to talk like a mafia hitman, that’s something I can’t ignore. So I write his emails soft but with a little menace. I dial it up a notch. And his people love it. Same thing with the Italian spot I went to. It was a fulfilling moment in an otherwise surface-level weekend. I’ll remember that. And I’m sure I’ll be going back there again when I’m in town. So write to your audience in a way that feels like your hole-in-the-wall Italian place. They won’t remember the trendy pizza places. They’ll remember you making them feel like they were meant to be there. Until next time. P.S. Hooks are the front door to your Italian place. If they sound like everybody else’s, they won’t work. So I’m running a “Electric YouTube Hooks” workshop to help you write in your voice, so the right people stick around and get interested in what you have to sell. It starts in just 3 days. You can sign up for free here. |
Back in 2021, I entered a writing contest in a business mastermind.
We had to write bullets for a podcast, and I was really struggling to come up with what I wanted to say.
Then one of my business friends suggested I watch John Carlton’s “Writing with Rhythm” presentation.
After watching, it felt like the pathways cleared.
I was able to write sentences in a way I hadn’t before.
It was like I was looking at writing a completely different way.
And yes, I won the contest.
I still use the rhythm with words strategy to this day.
If it was good enough to win a writing contest, it might be good enough to help you as well.
Short one today.
Yesterday one of my emails was featured in Gill Hill’s Substack.
Gill is a master editor with a focus on fictional editing and plot coaching.
And unlike many editors, she edits with a copywriters framework in mind. I don’t know anybody with that particular skill set.
In the piece, she breaks down a linguistic concept called “prosopopoeia,” and I didn’t even know I was using it.
I thought it was fascinating, so I’m sharing it with you today.
You can read the breakdown here.
You can also learn more about Gill’s work here.
Until next time.
P.S. My “Electric YouTube Hooks” Workshop starts in less than 1 week.
I’ll be going deep on what makes a strong hook. So you’ll know how to identify a strong hook immediately.
You’ll also have the chance to start writing your own hooks, so you can get more people interested in your paid offers.
Plus I’ll have a special announcement in the beginning of the workshop.
The other day I had a brief revelation…
I’m done telling people what to do – in general.
Here’s what I mean by that…
If somebody asks for me advice, I’ll give them my best recommendation.
But I’m done telling people what to do in my emails.
I’m not against giving advice in principle, but there’s too much of it out there (a lot of being very average), and I don’t think it’s helping people at this point.
The truth is… people need to figure out their own way of doing things.
But they still can’t do it alone.
They need help.
Just not a carbon copy advice from some guru.
In my experience, I find that ends up just being a waste of time.
Plus, when somebody gives me unsolicited advice, I find it rude. Even if it’s GOOD advice.
So here’s what I’m doing instead…
I’m going to teach people how to think.
To do that, I’m going to go deeper on how I think.
Then, if it resonates with that person, they can use my way of thinking in combination with their own way of thinking to form new ideas that haven’t existed before.
That sounds a lot more powerful to me.
Here’s how I’m doing it…
I’ve already gotten started on a document defining my key principles for writing badass copy that sells.
I’m not ready to share it yet, but I’ll keep you posted as it becomes more fleshed out.
Until next time.
P.S. My “Electric YouTube Hooks” workshop is starting in less than 1 week.
Here you’ll get a chance to co-create powerful hooks for your YouTube scripts – all at no cost to you.
When I’m showing business owners how to write like themselves, I’ve heard them say…
“But I’m not that interesting.”
Or…
“I’m not very controversial.”
I partially blame social media for this. Instagram especially.
Many of us are scrolling through some of the most controversial, polarizing people’s feeds all day.
A lot of us spend the day scrolling through the feeds of the most controversial, polarizing people online. Donald Trump, Andrew Tate, that looksmaxxing guy Clavicular who’s been in the news lately for not-so-good reasons.
This might be what you think you have to do for attention.
Or you think you need to be posting a lavish life constantly.
Rooftop bars. Lambos. Always sunbathing in Talum.
Look, I’m definitely not saying you have to be like these guys. Please don’t.
But one thing is true – they say what they actually think.
And readers have an almost sixth sense for when somebody is being real and honest with them.
They can feel it, even if they can’t explain.
For you my friend – you definitely have something to day.
That’s my word.
You’ve got to be interesting to some extent, sure.
Rotting in bed eating cheetos all day might not be great source material.
But it doesn’t have to be the cliche interesting things you see in the media.
It could be something you said at dinner. The way you do something in your business that everybody else does differently. The thing a customer said that you still think about.
That’s material that nobody else has.
So next time you have an interesting conversation with a customer or a partner or a friend, take 2-3 minutes to write down something that stuck out to you.
You don’t have to use it in your messaging. But it’s often these mundane, real moments that speak to us most.
Until next time.
P.S. My ”Electric YouTube Hooks” workshop is happening in just 1 week.
We’re going to write some badass stuff that you can take with you to get your audience interested in you, and your paid offers.
At the start, I’m also going to share something special.
Click here to sign up for “Electric YouTube Hooks” for free today.
When it comes time to finally sit down and record a YouTube script, it can be tough to know what you’re going to say.
You might have been busy all last week, and didn’t have time to think of something to talk about.
So in today’s video, I go over a fast process that will get ideas flowing for you.
I find that when you think this way, the YouTube scripts practically write themselves.
Back in April, I was feeling lost.
I recently left Oxford Club.
I had some ideas for my next direction.
But didn’t know what that would look like.
I was also dealing with intense burnout I felt after dealing with Wall Street traders for 4.5 years.
Luckily, my former brand voice mentor Justin Blackman reached out to me.
After consoling me a bit, he asked if I wanted to be in his Different on Purpose program.
It was an easy yes, even though I had recently left my job and didn’t exactly feel like jumping right back into work right away.
Here’s why…
I’d been helping brands for 8+ years.
I’d been a part of many successful products launches.
Yet I still felt like I wasn’t as energized as I should be about my work.
It had become routine.
And I felt like it was time to take care of myself, for once.
Justin’s “Different on Purpose” program is designed to do exactly that.
It changes how you show up.
It shows you what’s special about you.
After about 3 weeks in the program, Justin was already pointing things out about me that I never noticed before.
By the end, I had a completely different way of presenting myself that I felt was more authentic to my own way of doing things.
Now he’s offering the program to business owners again.
Different on Purpose is an 8-week live workshop for freelancers, creatives, and founders who know their business needs to change, but can’t seem to do it on their own.
They’re ready to stand out and get chosen again, and just need a kick in the pants (and some direction) to get going.
It’s not a course though.
It’s small group coaching and workshops where you build your brand assets live on the calls each week. By week 8, you’re not just planning to stand out — you already are.
I’ve completely shifted my message as a result of this program, and I’ve never been shipping out more than I have before.
Then you get 4 more weeks of coaching, support, and bonus guest calls with some pretty fascinating people.
Overall, Justin has my highest recommendation.