The Rules Are All Made Up: A Collection of Essays on Solopreneurship
These atomic essays were originally written as part of Ship 30 for 30 and posted on Twitter. I've copied the essay content here so it isn't just lost in the endlessness of the Twitter feed. Enjoy!
3 Questions That Will Help Avoid the Toxic Productivity Trap
To be clear, I'm not saying all productivity is toxic. I'm only referring to the trend to do more just for the sake of doing more or when you spend more time building your productivity system than actually using it.
It serves no purpose to check off 100 boxes a day or have the coolest productivity system if it doesn't add something to your life. It's simply another way to glorify being busy.
In my experience, toxic productivity happens when we're taking action from a place of lack. We're trying to fill a void or avoid something we don't want to deal with. I think we can agree this isn't the best approach.
My focus here is on how to choose (or create) a productivity system that is right for YOU.
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to help narrow this down:
What is the purpose?
This is the why behind it all. Why do you want to get more done? Why are you taking on this big project? What is the purpose that is driving the action? It's important to know this because it will keep you focused on the goal, not the shiny new strategies.
What are your priorities?
Who & what are important to you? If you say that your family and your health are important but then adopt a productivity system that keeps you busy at all hours, you aren't honoring your priorities. Doing more in less time is great, but do you even want or need to do more?
What is your personality?
This one can help save you lots of time and frustration. If you don't know when you have the most energy, how you work best (both alone and in collaboration) or what environment you thrive in then how can you know if a productivity system will actually work for you? A little focused observation can help you figure this one out.
Self-Awareness & Intention are the key
When you know the answers to the above questions you can confidently choose a tool, strategy or system that will help you spend less time working and more time living your amazing life.
See the original atomic essay on Twitter
Curious What Your Niche Might Be? These 20 Questions Can Help You Gain Insight
I've seen quite a few Shippers talking about how they aren't sure about their niche yet (🙋🏼♀️ I'm with you!) so I'm sharing some questions I'm using to spark ideas. I'm confident a niche will emerge naturally, but this helps me consider it from different angles. I hope it does the same for you 💥
🥺 The Emotional Angle
What makes you mad about the world, life in general, your industry?
What makes you sad or triggers an intense emotional reaction?
What do you wish would change about the world?
What makes you climb on your soapbox?
🤩 Your Strengths/Skills
What is your superpower?
What types of soft skills have you developed in your life?
What types of hard skills do you have from education, jobs, and training?
What do other people constantly come to you for help with?
What kinds of activities do you lose track of time doing?
What comes really easily to you that seems harder for others?
What kind of work would you do for free (or already do for free by helping friends, volunteering, etc.)?
😬 Your Struggles/Challenges
What types of challenges have you overcome in your life?
What have you struggled with in life that you’ve learned to get past?
Have you been through something that required you to make a change in how you live or what you believe?
Could your solution work for others?
🤔 The Problem Angle
What problems that people talk or complain about catch your attention?
What problem do you see others struggle with that you know how to solve or could help them find a way to solve?
If you're not sure if you have a solution, do you have any skills that could help others who are tackling the problem? (writing, web design, etc)
Are the people you want to help aware of the problem?
Are your people actively looking or paying for solutions?
I'd love to hear from YOU about how it's going with your niche. I'm also open to any comments about what you think my niche is from reading my past essays. No pressure – it's all just information ✌️
See the original atomic essay on Twitter
Not Sure Who You’re Writing For? This Exercise Can Help You Create a Clearer Picture
Have you ever landed on someone's socials or website and felt like they were speaking directly to you? Like they're in your head and they just get you?
This is because they've taken the time to get to know your pain points, fears, desires, and goals. Feels a little like magic, right?
Today I'm sharing some questions/prompts that can help you figure this out for yourself and make people feel like YOU'RE the one reading minds 🥳
Use the niche questions I shared to help you find WHAT to write about and then use this exercise to figure out the FOR WHO/SO THAT. Let's dive in!
🥸 Demographics, Identity & Values
Age
Gender (or gender identity)
Location (where in the world PLUS city vs rural)
Family Structure (relationship status, kiddos, pets, etc)
Social Identity (race, ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation - these are helpful if your writing is specifically targeted to a minority group)
Job Title, Industry & Income Bracket
Level of Education
Where do they get their information? (books, socials, blogs/websites, influencers/personalities, conferences, etc)
What are their core values? What is most important to them?
🧐 Desires, Goals, Pain Points & Fears
What achievements do they desire? What does success mean to them?
What are they working towards? What is their big, audacious goal?
What are the challenges they face? What are their top 3 pain points? What problem(s) are they desperate to solve?
What is their biggest fear? What keeps them up at night?
What are their objections to solving the problem? What holds them back? What keeps them from going after their goals?
What does their life look like if they solve the problem(s)? What about if they don't solve it or leave it to fester?
One note: Obviously not every human is exactly the same, but getting clear on these things will help you speak directly to people with similar interests, goals, values, and fears. Think of it more as an art than a perfect science 🎨
See the original atomic essay on Twitter
Knowing What Success Means To You Matters (& Here's Why)
If you ask Twitter or Instagram, success means building a personal brand, collecting a bunch of followers and making a ton of money (on autopilot, of course!).
I call BS 🚫
I'm not saying it's not a valid option, I'm saying it's not the ONLY option.
If it works for you, fantastic. I'm rooting you on! If it doesn't, welcome to the Rebel Solopreneur club 💥
You Can Define Success However You Want
My definition of a successful business is that it's profitable, allows me to leverage my strengths, and fits into my life.
I don't feel compelled to build a personal brand, get to a certain follower number or chase 7 figures.
I'd rather spend my time helping people with big ideas to get them into the world.
Whether they need technical assistance, encouragement, accountability, or to talk through their big ideas to figure out how to best share them - filling those roles is what gets me hyped.
What Does Success Mean To You?
If you're a solopreneur, don't skip this step! It's so important to clearly define what success means to you and then take action from there.
Otherwise it's all too easy to get swept up in what everyone else is doing and find yourself with a business and life that aren't at all fulfilling.
See the original atomic essay on Twitter
Throw Out All The Rules And Find What Works For You (& Why It Matters)
The internet is a wild place isn't it?
All kinds of people have opinions on what you should write, how you should write, how often you should post, why you do or don't need a niche and on and on.
The truth? The "rules" are made up.
Are there people who are absolutely killing it online that you can learn from? Undoubtedly.
But learning from someone on the internet doesn't mean you need to try to become a copy of that person.
No one wants to hang out with a copy of Justin Welsh when they can just go to the source.
If you want to test out different writing or growth methods - go wild, but please - and I can’t stress this enough - put your real personality into your writing.
Humans want to interact with and learn from authentic humans, not regurgitated, generic content.
You get to choose how and what you share, but remember the humans you're connecting with are imperfect, flawed individuals who are drawn to people who are willing to share their flaws.
Find a way to do this that works for you, whether it's with humor, emotion or vulnerability.
The bottom line?
When it comes to advice on the internet - take what works for you and leave the rest.
See the original atomic essay on Twitter
Want To Build An Engaged Audience On Twitter? Keep These 3 Things In Mind
If your goal is a massive number of Twitter followers, this isn't the post for you.
If you want ideas on how to build an engaged audience of humans who notice (and reach out) when you don't post, who willingly share your posts and strike up conversations in the comments, you're in the right place.
In the last 2 months I've somehow managed to convince 660+ humans to follow me and regularly engage with my content so I figure I can pay it forward by sharing what seems to be working.
Check Your Agenda 🤔
Don't be the person who only makes connections because you want to sell your programs or services. That's gross and people can see through it.
Comment on other people's content. Have conversations. Send DMs without thinking about what you get out of it.
Connect With People In a Genuine Way 😍
I'm not saying you have to spend your whole day on Twitter, but humans want to connect with the people they learn from.
In general, people are craving more connection right now and if you're a solopreneur it's especially important. People buy from other people they know, like and trust.
So get out there and make friends, be yourself and have a little fun!
Add Your Personality Into Your Writing 🤪
This can take a little practice because we often think we need to be more "professional" in our writing.
This doesn't mean you have to go to the completely opposite end and document your every thought or private moment, but find a place somewhere in the middle.
If you're struggling to figure out how to do this, record yourself talking about a topic and then use the words you spoke in your writing. That is a little glimpse in your real personality.
See the original atomic essay on Twitter
