DIRECT CONNECTION: “Speaking of RSS, I’m using it more than ever. Every newsletter I subscribe to goes into my feeds now and I made major progress unsubscribing from most newsletters that were coming into my email inbox. In 2025 I added 74 new feeds, bringing the total number of sites in Feedbin to 3,651.” Brad Barrish

CONSIDER:  “A question worth asking yourself: How would you act if you could ONLY reach the people you’ve already reached? No one new. It’s probably different than how you’re acting now… and maybe it’s better, too.” Jay Clouse

WORTH A WATCH: Via B. Paraseltzer: “I just watched this very timely interview with Chris Gethard in which he discussed getting back to independent/DIY creative movements, and getting away from platforms and social media.”

UPCOMING ESCAPE PODS!

◾ CO-WORK ESCAPE POD
Update your website, prepare for book club, clean out your inbox, or whatever else – come hang with the Social Media Escape Club and get some work done!
Tuesday, January 27
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
REGISTER: https://luma.com/82r8ujm9

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From a recent Email Guidance exchange, helping someone clarify what their paid offering actually is. What’s the thing they want to put into the world and invite people to support?

The big thing I feel with a lot of us creative people is we think we have this OFFER than people will want, and if we just word it the right way, or promote it enough, people will flock to it and pay us for it. Even if we’re good at it! We can do this stuff, hire me!

What I’ve found is instead leaning into the thing that’s ridiculously easy for us that could be the beacon that shines for the right sort of people that need what we offer.

Rather than turn ourselves into round pegs to fit into square holes, what if we doubled down on what comes natural?

I believe when we work from a space of almost supernatural flow we’re bound to attract the right sort of clients, co-conspirators, and allies.

From my talk with copywriter & strategist Jen Baxter, where we definitely talked about going deeper with our existing audience instead of seeking more.

Instead of 10 posts, what if you just talked to 10 people? Have 10 Zoom calls with people. It’s scary—you don’t know who you might be talking to. But you can select who those 10 people are. If someone’s always commenting on your stuff, that’s probably a good person to DM and say, “Hey, can we hop on a Zoom call?”

Build that group of people to figure out and think about and knock ideas around with, instead of constantly publish, publish, publish and hope something sticks.

Watch the full interview here.

Just like making music, writing an essay, or taking a photo, your newsletter can be a masterpiece.

The facts of your work are important, sure. But facts aren’t art, you’re the art. You’re the painting, you’re the photograph, you’re the seven minute ballad with a curse word in the chorus.

Put some of that into your newsletter.

During a recent live stream I got this question in the chat:

You talk about not needing to be everywhere. But what about people who do want to be everywhere—those with big, rockstar-level ambitions? How should they think about that?

Firstly, especially in the vertical video world: TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels – if that’s the game you want to play, fine. Make one video and post it in three places. Go be on every platform. Go post everywhere.

But the odds aren’t in your favor, especially since everyone else is playing the same game.

But what if you took one day a week and instead of posting everywhere, you emailed people who are already rock stars? What if you reached out to the people who are already doing the work you want to be doing? Who are the people that might help you ascend to the next level?

What happens when you become friends with people in those places?

So much of this game is about who you know.