Hey Reader,

If you regularly read this newsletter, you’re probably ambitious.

You have dreams, goals, and aspirations.

But sometimes those dreams can feel lofty or unclear.

• Maybe you want to be a published author
• Maybe you want to start writing a weekly newsletter
• Maybe you want to open up a new marketing agency

How long is it going to take you to get there? How are you going to do it? What stands in the way?

These questions can be hard to answer. Often things feels so overwhelming, you just kick the can down the road. “I’ll figure it out later.”

A question I really like, and use a lot in my company, is:

This question helps immediately identify what’s standing in the way so you can recognize obstacles and clarify action steps.

• What would need to be true for you to be a published author?
• What would need to be true for you to start writing a weekly newsletter?
• What would need to be true for you to open up a new marketing agency?

Take your time here. Spend a while really thinking about the question.

In many cases, the answer ends up being simpler than you thought. All of the nebulous reasons for why you can’t become a few manageable tasks.

That’s what I like: this question turns ambitions into todo lists. Instead of coming up with why we can’t, we start to think through how we can.

This doesn’t mean that every time you ask the question you have to do whatever it takes no matter what. Sometimes the question illuminates legitimate reasons for why you shouldn’t do something—or at least not right now.

It’s important to use this question as yet another tool in your toolkit as opposed to the one hammer that turns every situation into a nail.

For instance, while it can be a useful question in a professional environment for getting your team to break through initial resistance and think creatively, you shouldn't use it as a bulldozer.

Use the question to find out what something would take and, once you know, evaluate:

• Is this worth doing?
• What tradeoffs am I willing to make?
• Is this the right time? If not, when might it be?

Try it out by yourself or with a team the next time you’re in a mental fog.

What would need to be true?

​

​

​

PODCAST

We’re Scaling Ali Abdaal’s Business to $10 Million (Here’s How)

In this episode, I coach Ali Abdaal, the internet’s leading productivity expert, on how to scale his business from $5M to $10M.

We explore the shift from a creator-focused model to a sustainable business, the pivotal role of the creator as a guide, and how to set measurable goals that drive growth.

We cover:

1. How to stop getting stuck in busywork
2. Setting goals that rapidly scale your business
3. #1 framework that hinders creator growth (and how to avoid it)

​Watch or listen to episode »​

​

​

REDDIT

From 50k → 120k email subscribers

What does it take to grow an email newsletter to over 100,000 subscribers?

You may know Tiago Forte for helping people build a “Second Brain”. His Marketing Director at Forte Labs, Julia Saxena, recently did an AMA on Reddit talking all about newsletters, online business, and marketing.

Questions she answered include:

• Do you do any sort of personalization? What role does that play?
• What has been your most successful acquisition campaign so far?
• If you were starting from under 1,000 subscribers, what would you do differently?
• What strategy do you use to help keep subscribers engaged once they’re on board?

​View post »​

​
​

BOOK

Running Down a Dream

My friend, Tim Grahl, wrote a compelling book for anyone looking to turn their dreams into reality. In it he shares a personal journey of overcoming doubt and offers actionable steps along the way for how to combat fear in the pursuit of your goals.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or someone just starting out on their journey, you’ll find wisdom and encouragement for breaking free from self doubt.

​View book »​

​

​

Have a great week!

—Nathan