1. Skip the self-checkout

This came up in our Escape Pod Zoom call this week, as a way of breaking away from our isolation and the ease of “not talking to others.” If you’re able, stand in line and wait (maybe without looking at your phone), and make small talk with the person helping you. I did this a few hours after our call and it was a delight.

“Buying things in stores is a simple trick I use to spend more time offline and increase my chances of chatting with real humans. Win-win. Nobody said real life would be easy.”

From Mehret Biruk’s ‘How to live without social media.’

Q. Could making small talk help us get better and talking about our own work in bigger settings?

2. About Page collaborative workshop?!

I’m thinking of making a collaborative workshop, instead of me just blabbering on for an hour.

Talk for a bit, we work together, talk for a bit more, share our work… if that sounds like a productive use of your time, click here to add your name to the wait list and I’ll let you know when it’s ready to launch.

P.S. this will be for your about page anywhere, not just on Substack. Your website also needs a nice about page!

3. Trust that the kids are alright

Kamilah Jones of Hard Decora passed along this video after this week’s Escape Pod Zoom call, basically telling me “don’t worry, the youth got it!” I’m a believer.

Q. Are you comfortable saying you’re an artist, and not a content creator?

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Next call is Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 2pm EST– click here for more info.

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4. Make it easy for people to contact you

This advice might not be for you you, and that’s fine – skip this and have a great weekend!

Sending an email to someone whose work you admire feels good, and it can sometimes lead to opportunities.

But I bet if you start doing this you’ll run into a common problem – most people don’t list their email address anywhere.

There may be reasons for this, notably avoiding harassment from creepy men (SIGH), but… if you’re up for it, try to have an email address that can receive inquiries from other artists, companies, art directors, and more.

Yes, DMs on social media can work, but not every artist, company, or art director is hanging out on social media everyday, but they’re all checking their email around the clock, I assure you.

So, be reachable. Have an email address. Make it easy for people to say they like your work, give you money, and/or hire you.

Who could have seen this coming?

It was July of 2023 when Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said this:

“Politics and hard news are inevitably going to show up on Threads – they have on Instagram as well to some extent – but we’re not going to do anything to encourage those verticals.”

But now?

“Our intention is to introduce political recommendations in a responsible and personalized way, which means more for people who want this content and less for those who do not.”

Several friends have said they’re glad Threads wasn’t super political, and a nice change of pace from Twitter.

But when your town hall is run by a bunch of money hungry clowns who are desperate to appease the new regime, this is what you get. The “food court” that you thought was still an okay place to hang out was always destined for this outcome.

A client who has worked with some wonderful people is building an email list from scratch.

Typically this could mean sending a boring email to “all your contacts” saying, “hey, I have a newsletter now, please subscribe.”

Instead, I suggested they think of the amazing people they worked with throughout the years, and think of all those stories you shared, and the memories you’ve made. They’ve got to have dozens of those stories to write, right?

So write that post, with that one person in mind. Once published, send that person a link to the piece.

Maybe they subscribe, or at least reply and you two catch up, and who knows where that leads?

It’s not always about getting 100 new subscribers. Sometimes the right message to the right person at the right time is all you need.

Got this great question from Christy, a fellow writer on Substack; why spend money on something that’s not doing anything for you in the moment?

My thinking is that Substack could go away tomorrow. I’ve seen a lot of people say, “I’ve stopped paying for my website and moved everything to Substack.” But Substack is something you don’t pay for.

For example, I paid $430 a month for Bench to do my bookkeeping and taxes every year, and they just disappeared one Friday. They came back, but it was not a comforting experience. The same could happen with Substack, Medium, or any other platform. What if these sites go away? I’m terrified that my best work on Social Media Escape Club is only on Substack. If Substack shuts down or I leave the platform, where does my body of work go? It’s gone.

I’ve experienced this before. I sent over 1,000 newsletters for Skull Toaster, my metal trivia project, and now they’re all gone. They were in MailChimp or people’s inboxes, but there’s no archive. My music blog, which I started in 2001 and ran through 2008, is all gone too. That’s why I believe in having a website as an archive of your work.

A website can also replace the feeds we use on Substack Notes or social media. Instead of sharing off-the-cuff thoughts on those feeds, post them on your site first. For example, I visit Seth Godin’s blog every day because I know there will always be something there. Imagine people coming to your website to see what you’re up to—because they know that’s where your best work lives.

Ultimately, having a website ensures your work doesn’t vanish when a server shuts down or an account gets deleted. It’s time to rethink how we use websites: put your best work there first, then share it elsewhere. That’s my two cents.

“I should stab you!”

That’s what an old man on the trail said to me today, after I defended myself from his three unleashed dogs with my hiking poles.

I don’t care how “friendly” your dogs are, but loud barking and encircling me doesn’t feel friendly. Keep those pups on a leash.

See, it only takes one person to ruin your afternoon, right?

But, the opposite must be true.

It only takes one person to make your day.

That’s how we’re jumping into today’s FOUR THE WEEKEND (and don’t worry, nobody got arrested).

1. Imagine your website as the center of your online world

What if your website was the first thing you checked in the morning?

Maybe some new email subscribers came in? A few sales? A post from three weeks ago got a spike in traffic?

What if you uploaded your latest photo, with a 30 word caption?

What if you shared a snippet from your new track?

What if you posted a video of your studio space?

This is the sort of “content” we post on various platforms to pull people into our world, and then when people finally visit our website it’s just a static page with some links to other platforms, and maybe a year-old About page.

Are we building a world on platforms we don’t control without solid ground under our feet? All our art might be on a singular platform, but what happens if your account get suspended, or the site goes down for two days?

Where do people find us when the outposts we’ve been working on for years go away?

Q. What if your website was the first thing your fans checked in the morning? What would that look like? What’s a website you check everyday?

2. Sign up for my About page workshop

Yeah, I’m talking about this again! Lots of you downloaded my ABOUT PAGE PDF in a previous email, so I’m going to do a mini-workshop this month or next. Click here to add your name to the wait list and you’ll be the first to know when it launches.

3. Reach out to people

I spoke with 

Frederick Woodruff about escaping social media, and one of the ways a friend of mine keeps meeting new people without being on any platforms. Watch the 1+ hours video here.

We spoke about this in yesterday’s Escape Pod Zoom call – one person can change your life, get you that gig, teach you that skill, open your eyes, and more.

Cassidy at 

Dedicate Your Life To Music said this, too:

If we want to have professional careers as musicians, we do not focus on platforms.

We focus on people.

Platforms are tools.

People are the goal.

Read more here at ‘What Platform Should Musicians Focus On In 2025?’

Q. Do you have a few people who support your work no matter what? Are you that person for someone else?

4. Craft your own KPIs

This from Matilda Lucy:

“Get clear on why you’re building what you’re building and what success looks like to you. If (like me) you love experimenting and tracking, create a KPI dashboard with your own success metrics beyond CAC and conversion rates.”

I made a dashboard for my running in 2024. Most of the run tracking apps are big into speed and pace, but I wanted to keep track of ELEVATION.

How many feet can I climb in one year?

Well, in 2024 I climbed 83,193 feet.

I would head to the hills a few times a week. The most in one day was 1,728 feet, and one week I climbed about 4,500 feet.

Jim is a trail running legend around here. You know how many feet he climbed in 2024?

1,205,015.

Yeah, over a million feet!

For both of us, that amount of running takes time, but we adjust our work schedules around this wild pursuit. More climbing meant we were setting some good boundaries and doing our best to not spend too many hours on the laptop (or staring at our phones).

Q. What’s a KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR that you can set up for this year? Is there anything you could do a million of?

Have a great weekend, everyone. Stay safe. See you all on Monday.

//SETH

◼️ This Monday newsletter is sponsored by dumb wireless, the place to get the Punkt MP02, the Unihertz Jelly Star, the Wisephone II, and more. Use code minimalnewyear for a special discount.

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Social media got us hooked on the likes. The “engagement.”

As users leave, they’ll be less engagement, which could speed the exodus of creative folks on the existing platforms.

So, how will Meta fix this?

“Meta says that it will be aiming to have Facebook filled with AI-generated characters to drive up engagement on its platform, as part of its broader rollout of AI products, the Financial Times reports. The AI characters will be created by users through Meta’s AI studio, with the idea being that you can interact with them almost like you would with a real human on the website.”

This is great news if you can pay your rent with likes. But for the rest of us, “AI-generated characters” won’t be buying our offerings.

They might visit your site, or leave a two word reply, but they’re not buying a ticket to your next show, or attending your gallery opening.

“The latest AI spin from Meta sounds like more of the same: a mix of vague hype, dubious business models, and a baffling sense of what people really want from a social media network.”

This is why we need to get back to talking. Being actual humans.

If I called you right now, could you tell me what you do? Or would you put it to voicemail and avoid the interaction?

Can you talk about your work without fumbling over your words (well I, ummm….), or apologizing (I kinda make this music, like… sometimes…)?

What do you say when a friend asks?
When an art director emails you?
Would you accept an invite to go on a podcast to talk about your work?

Getting better at talking about the real work you do, in the real world, with real people will get you further than some new trendy marketing hack.

Get good at making small talk at social gatherings, and finding the fellow weirdos that are just as awkward as we are (and would rather be home drawing, or writing music).

Try this: make a five minute video or voice note, talking about your work.

The “greats” are great at talking about their work because they’ve been talking about their work for years. I’ve gotten better at this (not great, by any means) because I’ve talked to a lot of people about my work over the last six months (like Claire Venus and Sarah Fay).

That was a lot of Zoom calls, and saying yes to doing interviews and phone calls.

So be bad at it now, and make that five minute clip. No one has to see it. You can even delete it when you’re done.

Maybe script it word for word. Or make notes on index cards. Make five videos. Make an voice note when sitting in your car outside of work. Meet with a friend and practice with them.

Do this now when the stakes are low, so when you do catch a break, and someone asks you to be on their podcast, or join their Zoom call group, or meet for coffee, you’ll feel a little bit more confident.

It’s almost 2025, baby! Speak the creative universe you want to inhabit into existence! Manifest!

After all, we live in a world where “AI-generated characters” exist “to drive up engagement,” so like, maybe we can do whatever we want.

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◼️ I’m going to do a mini-workshop in early 2025 about ABOUT pages and talking about our work, handy for Substack and your own (gasp) website! Click here to add your name to the wait list and you’ll be the first to know when it launches.

◼️ Next Escape Pod Zoom call is Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 2pm EST – click here to RSVP.

//SETH

◼️ P.S.Ditch Gmail and switch to Fastmail: get a free 30-day trial and 10% off your first year here (affiliate link).

◼️ Today’s newsletter is sponsored by dumb wireless, the best place to get a great phone without all the noisy distractions. Use code minimalnewyear for a special discount.

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Hi. The photo above is from a recent trip to NYC, where I lived from 2004-2010. It’s where I left my last full time job in 2006, and I’ve been figuring it out ever since. I guess I could say I’ve been “building my business,” but really it’s more like I’m crossing a busy stream by jumping from rock to rock, and I made it another year. One step at a time, friends.

Today’s “FOUR THE WEEKEND” is pretty lightweight, perfect for the hazy time between Christmas and New Years.

Remember – you don’t need to reinvent yourself, or fix anything over the next few days. You’re great just the way you are.

1. VALENTINE’S DAY IS 50 DAYS AWAY

Maybe plan something fun for Feb 14, 2025? I dare you!

Release a new single, a photo zine devoted to love and heartbreak, maybe a new shirt design, or a funny video serious you could roll out that entire week. Maybe it’s a collaborative post about breakups with some of your readers, or a collection of poetry from several other writers in your circle.

Okay, if not Valentine’s Day, what’s another holiday you could release something around that might be a little more “on brand” for you?

2. SIGN UP FOR MY ABOUT PAGE WORKSHOP

Lots of you downloaded my ABOUT PAGE PDF in a previous email, so I’m going to do a mini-workshop in early 2025. Click here to add your name to the wait list and you’ll be the first to know when it launches.

‘Write Your Artist Bio in 6 Sentences’ over at Dedicate Your Life To Music is a good place to start even if you’re not a musician.

3. GET AWARENESS OFF YOUR PLATE

This is what I tell anyone who can’t fathom being without social media; seek out opportunities to work with other people, do interviews, show up on podcasts, collaborate on projects.

Check out these two post below (loaded with examples and ideas) and envision you world with less social media.

https://socialmediaescapeclub.substack.com/p/lets-rethink-how-we-do-awareness

https://socialmediaescapeclub.substack.com/p/getting-awareness-off-my-plate-is

Which podcast would be a perfect fit for you to guest on? If you could get an interview with any media outlet to talk about you work, who would it be?

4. MAKE A LIST OF PEOPLE YOU COULD PARTNER WITH IN 2025

This one is from 

Ana Calin (see her post here), and is closely related to the idea of getting awareness off your plate.

Make a list of 20-30 people you could partner with in 2025.

These partners should be influential figures with a complementary service to yours and a similar target audience.

By partnering with them you can send referrals, co-market and even launch joint ventures.

It’s a fantastic way to grow.

Get out a piece of paper or make a new note on your phone and think about getting away from doing everything yourself, and figure out the people in your orbit that might be open to creative expansion.

For me that looks like people I could interview for this newsletter, guests I could invite to our Escape Pod Zoom calls, and smart people who could co-lead a workshop.

Who are some people you could work with that’d help you get deeper into your work? Who are the people you could grow with?

Have a great weekend, everyone. See you all again on Monday.

//SETH

◼️ This post is sponsored by dumb wireless, the best place to get a great phone without all the noisy distractions. Use code minimalnewyear for a special discount.

This one is from Ana Calin (see her post here), and is closely related to the idea of getting awareness off your plate.

Make a list of 20-30 people you could partner with in 2025.

These partners should be influential figures with a complementary service to yours and a similar target audience.

By partnering with them you can send referrals, co-market and even launch joint ventures.

It’s a fantastic way to grow.

Get out a piece of paper or make a new note on your phone and think about getting away from doing everything yourself, and figure out the people in your orbit that might be open to creative expansion.

For me that looks like people I could interview for this newsletter, guests I could invite to our Escape Pod Zoom calls, and smart people who could co-lead a workshop.

Who are some people you could work with that’d help you get deeper into your work? Who are the people you could grow with?