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My basic bro Trello board.

The other day I was on a call with a founder discussing an upcoming workshop I’m working on.

The founder asked me what the workshop was about.

I gave him a vague answer, and then I told him all my notes are on my Trello board.

“Well, let’s see your Trello board” he says.

I shared my screen to show him my board, and I could feel a tone shift on the Zoom call once he laid eyes on it.

“Woah,” he says.

“You have so many notes here.”

I sheepishly told him that yes I do take a lot of notes.

“Do you think that’s going to be easy for you to come up with ideas with that many notes?”

I already knew the answer was no.

I mean, take a look for yourself…

You see…

As a creative, I’m constantly trying to capture new and exciting ideas.

The problem with that is I end up taking so many notes.

These word dumps can lead to analysis paralysis.

And then I don’t actually process the notes into actual decisions.

This hurts my ability to launch offers, workshops, guides, or anything else that could actually make me money.

Ouch.

This was clearly holding me back.

So we immediately simplified things.

I created a basic bro Trello board with three cards.

– Ideas

– In progress

– Done

One constraint I added…

I don’t put more than 2 things in the “in progress” section.

This allows me to focus so I don’t get overwhelmed or fall into workaholism.

I created 3 boards, one for workshops, one for emails and one for YouTube scripts.

Check it out below.

As you’ll see above, this new board is much cleaner.

I’m using it starting today and will report back on how it helps. I already imagine it’ll be much better.

And I must ask…

As a creative, do you struggle with having too many notes and not knowing what to do with them?

How does that impact your ability to write clearly?

Let me know by clicking REPLY below.

Until next time.

Last month I made a business intention that I will generate 15k a month.

I keep coming back to it again and again.

Why do I want this much money?

What’s the point?

But the number isn’t the important part.

It’s easy when I go to business events and hear about people saying “I’m scaling my business and making $100,000 a year” and then I think I want that too.

But I found when I really step away and get specific, then I start to understand what I really want.

So here’s what 15k allows me to do…

It prevents me from having to drop everything I’m doing and go do a favor from a boss who’s going to pay me a little bit of overtime, much of which will just get taxed away anyway.

I can go travel to a few places each month. I hate flying and car rides make me sick, but I like experiencing new environments every once in a while, so I don’t need a ton for that.

I can go to a restaurant and not worry about the bill.

I can buy high-quality food.

I can get a gym membership and stay in shape.

I can train Brazilian Zouk regularly.

I can support my inspirational artist friends.

I can do more deprivation therapy to stay relaxed.

I can travel south during the winter to avoid seasonal depression.

I can invest in programs to sharpen my skills and deliver better content for my clients.

Even as I type this, my shoulders are dropping.

I’m feeling more relaxed.

It’s sitting well in my body.

This is a sign that it’s actually motivating for me.

You’re not going to see some advertisement with a guy in a float tank talking about how he’s going to hustle to make 15k a month.

This is not hardcore aspirational poster material.

It’s just what I want.

It’s specific to me.

And that’s the point.

But the next question is then how do I make this money without destroying my soul (a mistake I’ve made many times).

Well, I need constraints.

I need to be able to get this work done in a way that’s fulfilling to me.

That doesn’t mean I’m always going to be happy all the time or whatever.

It just means I’m genuinely enjoying the process and it’s energizing me.

For me, I hate sales calls.

So I’d like to avoid those as much as possible.

So I’ll have to create offer documents.

I’ll also need at least 3 days a week to create offers.

It’d be nice to have 52 offers per year (1 a week for my audience).

Also, I hate blasting social media feeds. So I won’t be posting on social media all day.

I also won’t be working with founders who want to use Claude and ChatGPT before discovering what their unique brand voice is. I’ll be willing to hand hold for as long as possible since not every founder gets this right away. But understanding personal voice is a vital part of the process for capturing strong engagement, especially in the AI age.

I work with founders who care about their creative expression and want to express that through their business.

I’ve found that the more specific and unique my intention is, the harder it motivates me to work, and the better my odds at actually fulfilling it.

Until next time.

​

This past weekend I attended a Brazilian Zouk connection-based intensive in Washington DC.

If you’re unfamiliar, Brazilian Zouk is a social partner dance that emerged in Brazil in the early 1990s.

The goal was to make our dance feel truly “good.”

And there were several badges we could earn based on how well we displayed the following traits…

• Adaptability
• Comfort
• Floorcraft
• Musicality
• Smell
• Presence and Playfulness

As for my own goals, I wanted the “carebear” badge, which goes to those who scored consistently high in the “comfort” category.

But I wasn’t graded on my technique.

I was graded on how well these traits resonated.

It was about seeing how well my partner could feel me.

And each time we danced with someone, we’d give them a score on each trait using the resonance scale below…

1. Quiet resonance (where connection was barely felt).
2. Soft resonance (connection felt briefly but not consistently).
3. Emerging resonance (more consistent, almost consistent throughout).
4. Clear resonance (very enjoyable and comfortable throughout).
5. Strong resonance (going beyond consistency and into unique creativity, depth and personality).
6. Deep resonance (a seamless adaptation of emotional tone that adds more nuance and confidence, leaving a lingering impression).
7. Unforgettable resonance (being beyond physical to the point of wow).

Most of my dances fell in-between soft-clear on the resonance.

I did have one strong resonance dance that I was really proud of though.

But I’m still chasing the elusive “carebear” badge.

Here’s the thing I noticed though.

It wasn’t a skill problem.

I’ve been dancing Zouk for a long time. I know the steps. I’ve even had two dances I’d grade on the unforgettable scale (based on my own subjective interpretation). So I have an idea of what high resonance actually feels like.

But at times during the event, I noticed I was on autopilot a lot. I wasn’t as present or relaxed as I could be.

And I would see a direct correlation between the times I was on autopilot and the times I scored lower.

I noticed this is also true when I’m writing.

For example, when I sat down to write a finance email for Karim Rahemtulla at Oxford Club about how he hated crypto and was done trading it, I knew exactly what I wanted to say. That email had very few edits and was one of the most engaged with emails that week.

It’s the same in my own writing.

When I know what I want to say…

When I know my brand voice inside and out…

When I actually understand what my audience needs from me in that moment, then the writing comes out smoother.

There’s a real energetic charge behind it.

The best part from a business angle is the writing performs better too.

More people open the emails.

More people respond in the comments.

And if they’re ready, they’re more likely to buy.

Even if the writing isn’t “technically” perfect.

So if you want to start writing from a place of deeper resonance more consistently, I encourage you to check out The 2-Minute Writing Spark.

It’s a guide I created for the purpose of finding ideas that resonate most with you. All in just 2 minutes a day.

You’ll learn…

• How to get ideas flowing without forcing them
• How to find the ideas that actually make you want to keep writing
• The real reason most writers get blocked, and how to stop hitting that wall
• How to never run out of things to write about

All in a simple 8-page guide.

Keep in mind, The 2-Minute Writing Spark is NOT a copywriting book. It’s designed to change your relationship to writing from “ugh I gotta do this” to a deep, embodied process to connect with yourself.

​Click here to download the 2-Minute Writing Spark today.​

To less autopilot and more resonance.

When you first get started writing YouTube scripts, it can be easy to overthink the process. So I filmed a video on the first question to ask before you start writing. This will eliminate friction behind your idea, and put you on the path to a quality first draft. Click the image below to watch.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been obsessive about my next direction.

​I put out a new intention. ​

I’ve been clear about the new type of people I want to work with.

But of course… the universe loves to tempt.

And just as soon as I made the declaration, I’ve had multiple direct response copy companies reach out to me over the past few days.

Funny how that works.

These companies want to interview me even though I don’t see them as part of my future.

Just when I get out, they want to pull me back in.

Me right now.

It all feels like a test.

Like the universe is saying…

Do you actually want this? Because I remember you told me you wanted this before.

And I’m responding…

Yes, I remember saying that, and it was true at the time, but I’m telling you now I don’t want that anymore.

And then the universe says…

Ok… we’ll see about that.

That’s how it works.

And I’ve found this true in relationships and other areas outside of business.

I know this is just part of the story, though.

Nothing good ever comes THAT easy.

So what am I going to do going forward?

I’m going to double down.

I’m going to start writing even more about the people I want to work with.

I’m going to find more of them online.

And eventually, I will leave the island, and not look back.

Until next time.

After 4 years working in financial publishing, I’m doubling down on creative expression and human connection in the next 2 years.

Click here to see my full business intentions for 2026-2028.

As I continue going all-in on YouTube scripts in 2026, I decided to start my own YouTube Channel.

Click here to watch.