Category: Creator Confidential
-
Executives who can execute
Some companies need their executives to merely make good decisions; they take in information, influence budgets, and hire. These same companies—usually huge ones with tens of thousands of employees—are the ones who max out their headcount and hire contingent workers and freelancers, agencies and services companies, and research companies, to actually do most of the…
-
Why I stopped calling myself a “freelance writer”
Several years ago, the CEO of a prominent product development services company approached me to help out with copywriting and publicity. I had started my own editorial studio, Wonder Shuttle, and gave myself the job title of creative director. That didn’t matter much, because most of my network still knew me as a freelance writer.…
-
Audiences in the arenas
It used to be that spectating was the only way to experience creative work. Stadiums, arenas, and theaters are based on this premise. People who spectate are known as the audience. Spectating is still an incredibly popular activity—just look at Twitch. Sure, I listen to podcasts, I watch films and TV, and I read. I…
-
Hard Work, Plus
In September 2007, J. Cole stood outside Roc-the-Mic studios in the rain for 2 hours waiting for Jay-Z to hand him a beats tape for American Gangster. The second Jay-Z saw it, he said, “I don’t want that, give it to one of them.” That’s why self-promotion is, understandably, one of the most dislikeable parts…
-
Reiterate
Wonder Shuttle is an editorial studio that works with companies to turn their team’s knowledge into additional hires at lower costs. It’s a way to make an impact with content, beyond marketing. I started Wonder Shuttle in 2013 and publicly launched it in 2014. From 2016 to 2018, I worked with Shopify and its enterprise…
-
Fans stick together
A fan is a person. That person who watches The Mandalorian might want to listen to the Midnight Boys and House of R while they wash dishes or during their commute. For most of the day though, the person isn’t actively being a fan. They’re working at their job, they’re making contributions to other people…
-
Business trust over business size
A Redditor asks, “How do I look bigger than I am?” with some context: I own a startup that provides a service to organizations. I’m about 6 months in and I’ve grown monthly revenue to about 4k. I am the only employee (like most startups) and I’m finding as I move upstream, I’m getting asked…
-
What a Multi-Hyphenate Career Actually Looks Like
So you’ve decided to work in a multi-hyphenate career path. Based on eight years of experience, here’s what my path looks like.