Lessons From 2023 – New Endeavors
Lessons From 2023 – New Endeavors |
A REFLECTION ON SOME OF THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AND LESSONS IN MY LIFE.2023 was the closing of one chapter and the opening of the next. I completed my MBA graduate program and moved out of my three-year home in Ohio, followed by a two-and-a-half-month limbo period. During this time, I sent out over 140 job applications all over the country. Eventually, I landed a full-time position in western Pennsylvania where I am currently stationed. It has also been a year of new endeavors. I picked up new skills in data analytics and user-experience design. I started writing on Twitter. And I launched the newsletter you are currently reading. One of the most enjoyable things this year has been connecting with my fellow creators whom I met on Twitter. Each person who generously jumped on a call with me has expanded my thinking and encouraged me in this new journey. Writing online has been one of the best things I've done. It has forced me to hone my writing, taught me new marketing skills, and inspired me with the ever-evolving creator economy. A few months into starting on Twitter, I hit a major period of stagnation. My audience wasn't growing, I was feeling uninspired, and my content felt dull. Two things helped me through that time:
Lessons of the year1. You are the niche. If you try to fit the mold, you are replaceable. If you build around your uniqueness, you will be indispensable. 2. Intuition comes from your body and subconscious. The rational mind lags behind your intuition. Your body gives you signals that your mind hasn't yet processed. Re-establish that connection with your body. Allow the subconscious to bubble to the surface. Be aware of what your spirit is telling you. 3. Your network beats your resume every time. My last two jobs came from my connections. It's not who you know but who knows you that gets you in the door. It doesn't matter if you are a high school dropout. If you have a network of people who like you and want to see you succeed, you will have more opportunities than you know what to do with. In the book The Go-Giver, Bob Burg and John David Mann writes: "Your network are the people you know you, like you and trust you. They might never buy a thing from you, but they've always got you in the back of their minds. They're people who are personally invested in seeing you succeed. And that's because you're the same way about them. They're your army of personal walking ambassadors." 4. The creator economy will transform the business world as we know it. You've heard it before: the creator economy is worth over $250 billion today, and will double in size by 2027. But I'm seeing an evolution among creators themselves: a shift from solo influencers to creator businesses. By "creator business" I mean entrepreneurial endeavors that are structured, run, and overall treated like a legitimate business that may or may not have multiple people involved. We've seen the beginnings of it between 2015-2020, but the pandemic accelerated this move as more people realized the efficacy of a purely online creator business. I wrote more about this trend on LinkedIn: Goodbye influencers. Hello creator businesses 5. Masculinity and femininity need each other for themselves to be fully realized. This year, I have been studying the role, relationship, and development of masculinity and femininity. Motivated by the desire to tap into the masculine soul within myself, I read academic research and talked with relationship coaches about this issue, trying to uncover the essence of what our wider cultural discourse are struggling to even define. One thing I am convinced of: although masculinity and femininity can exist independent of the other, there is a part of each that can only awaken in the presence of the other. 6. Your shadow holds the key to self mastery. By definition, the shadow is the part of your psyche that you have not yet mastered. It's where the snakes, poison, and immature inner child lie. To truly master yourself is to venture into the abyss of your shadow, contend with the monsters there, and bring them to the surface as transformed beings. 7. The best way to win in life is to do your darn best to help others win. A flourishing economy is not one where people hoard, but one where they give. Money and value must flow around in order to build wealth. On the horizonAs I move into the new year, one of my big new endeavors is launching a coaching service. I am still in the early stages of fleshing out the details of what this service would entail, what my methods and approach will be, and how I can bring the most value to the people I meet with. But here is the heart of what I want to do: Every day, I hear of people, especially young men, who hate everything about themselves. Streamers who put on a show every day for their audience secretly look on their lifestyle with disgust. Comedians who make a living making people laugh are secretly lonely and suicidal. People are taking a look at themselves and loathe the state of their careers, their lifestyle habits, and their relationships. They hate going to bed at night because that's when the voices of shame are the strongest. They turn to video games, porn, and social media in every spare moment to numb the depression. They are burnt out from the stresses of their jobs and don't even know it. They are not proud of themselves and of the lives they have. They know they need help but don't know where to begin. This problem resonates deeply with me and it's one I want to help people overcome. I want to help people build lives they will be proud of. This will include practical steps to pursue more fulfilling work, nurture deep relationships, and uncover the secrets in your psyche that unlock your progress toward fulfillment. Final ThoughtsWe keep learning and experimenting. I have many projects ranging from marketing to relationship research that are ongoing, and I plan to share what I learn as we move forward. And I eagerly look forward to getting my coaching service off the ground. I expect this new work will be very motivating and fulfilling to me. Finally, I am deeply grateful that you are here and that you chose to be a part of what I am creating. Your attention and support is not taken for granted. I love hearing back from my readers, so please don't hesitate to drop me a message if you want to! I wish you all joy and success as we journey into what the new year has in store for each of us, and I'm excited to be on this adventure with you! 'Till next time, Stay purposeful. – Nathanael Thank you for being a part of my community! If you enjoy this newsletter, consider sharing it with others who might benefit from it as well! And if you want to reach out, you can reply to this email :) |