#112 Content Dollars & Communication Tips

Welcoming you back with two takeaways from conversations with Uber drivers last week.

• Last Thursday, Michael picked me up for a March Madness-centered work event that was about an hour’s drive from my house. He’s a 57-year-old Italian dude who uses Uber to make extra money after owning his own restoration company for nearly two decades. We talked a lot, but the thing that hit me the hardest was: “Always look out for yourself. Doesn’t matter if you own a business or work for someone else, you have to take care of yourself. Help others, but always keep yourself top of mind.”
  
  This stuck with me because most people wouldn’t say it. It sounds selfish, but it makes sense. Just like when a flight attendant instructs to put your mask on before assisting others - you can’t take care of anyone else if you haven’t first taken care of yourself. So don’t be afraid to put yourself first when you need to.
  

• When the event ended (with my bracket in shambles), Vik picked me up to take me home. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and kids after coming to the US from India 9 years ago. What stood out most to me was how appreciative he is of his opportunities and life overall. “Since moving here, I’ve both witnessed and experienced opportunity. Not in the sense of being a millionaire, but in having the chance to succeed at whatever you choose. Me, I just want a simple life for myself and my family. Being here gives me that opportunity.”
  
  Sometimes it’s nice to put things in their proper perspectives. We have it better than most, but sometimes we lose sight of that while we’re chasing the next big thing, the next business opportunity, the next investment or purchase. You woke up today with the chance to live life on your own terms. To pursue the life you want. Don’t waste it.
  
  (PS — After I got dropped off, we connected on LinkedIn. If you wanna connect, here’s where you can find me: MyLinkedIn)

Hopefully, you get a couple of takeaways from this edition as valuable as the ones I got from my drivers.

Let’s get going 🤝 

Ending March Strong!

FATTENING YOUR WALLET 💰️ 

• Making Cents of Money Thru Content Creation

• Hustle Hub: Passive Income, Handling Conflict, and Advice from Ray Dalio

ELEVATING YOUR BRAND 📈 

• Cool Communicator: How Only a Few Words Can Have MAJOR Impact
  

BOOSTING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY 🚀 

• A Myth-Busting Expert Advice on Productivity

MAKING CENTS 💰️ 

Lessons Learned thru Content Creation

If you couldn’t tell by now, I love to be transparent. I’ve learned so much over the last 2+ years, and I wanna take this opportunity to help you make cents (or dollars, ideally) of content creation, particularly with regard to newsletters.

A big realization for me, before we get into the money-making specifics, was that despite the fact we live in a video-first world, writing is still the foundation for everything. Improving as a writer has been crucial to both the growth of this newsletter and my overall presence online. The best video content is written out first and then brought to life, not to mention the importance of things like captions, thumbnails, text overlay, etc.

As I improved as a creator, the letter has grown, and these money-making opportunities have (and will continue to) become more accessible:

• Sponsorships (S/O Morning Brew as this week’s sponsor): We’re now in a place where we get to partner with brands that align with our values, goals, and audience. These sponsorships can help us build credibility and bring in other brands for future opportunities.
  

• Affiliate Marketing: OTF doesn’t do this, but once you build enough of a following, you can make money by recommending / selling products or services relevant to your audience. Not easy to make a killing this way (unless your audience is huge), but every little bit helps!
  

• Digital Products: Eventually, you will have enough valuable content that you can either A) repurpose some of it for sale as e-books or templates, or B) teach others how to do what you’re doing. For example, I’m currently working on a resource that brings together some of our most valuable AI content (have I mentioned that I think AI is the future?), and I am so excited to share it with you when it’s finished.
  

• 1-on-1 Consultation: I’ve personally paid for consultations in areas where I needed help to build a stronger online brand. Each hour-long conversation I’ve purchased has been well worth the money; there’s nothing better than 1-on-1 education. This is a service that I’m absolutely interested in providing the more credibility I build.
  

• Paid Community: You’ve undoubtedly seen this on Slack or Discord, but people pay to enter into communities that fit their interests/passions. Peers and moderators can hold each other accountable, share tips and lessons, brainstorm ideas and get feedback, etc.

O.T.F. 
O.F.T - One Final Thought

If you’re going to get into content creation, focus on your craft first. Improve your writing so that each post or upload can reach its full potential. Because if you do that, the $$ opportunities will come.

HUSTLE HUB 🤝 

YOUR SUCCESS:

Get $$$ - Not looking for the next big thing? Here are some “old-school” passive income ideas to fatten that wallet.

THEIR SUCCESS:

Get Mindful - What’s “the best advice” billionaire Ray Dalio has to offer? The one thing he credits for all his success? Click here to find out.

YOUR SUCCESS:

Get Rewired - Conflict is an inevitable part of any hustle. Here’s how you can “rewire your brain” to handle it better.

COOL COMMUNICATOR 😎 

Few Words, MAJOR IMPACT

Today’s Cool Communicator is a double-dip! This week, I came across multiple articles that, in different ways, showed how much power only a couple of words can hold. Here they are:

1. “How To Shut Down Office Drama With Four Simple Words” (Forbes)
   
   This (possibly-paywalled) article was about handling a high-drama workplace. Its lesson, however, is applicable outside the office, too. And here it is:
   
   When someone is being dramatic, trying to persuade you with baseless interpretation or elicit an emotional response, you can take drama out of the equation with four simple words: Just the facts, please.
   
   This (or some variation of this) is “grounded in behavioral psychology - when people realize their theatrics aren’t getting the expected reaction, the energy shifts. Drama relies on an audience, and when it doesn’t get one, it naturally fizzles out.” Requesting facts changes the tone of the conversation from dramatic to one that encourages “rational problem-solving and fosters long-term trust among coworkers.”
    

2. “Stop Saying These 2 Words to Sound More Confident” (INC.)
   
   The main point here is that you should not use any words that “soften your statements and make you seem less sure of yourself,” and there’s no term that does this more often than, I think.
   
   Once in a while? No big deal. But if you say it too often, or at the wrong time, it can “weaken your message, diminish your presence, and undermine your confidence.” It signals to people that you are unwilling to fully commit to what you’re saying.
   
   So what’s the fix? Here are some recommendations, depending on the situation:

• If you’re making a suggestion, replace “I think we should” with “I recommend…”
  

• If you’re making a statement, don’t replace it with anything. Simply cut the “I think” and sound assertive.
  
  For example: instead of “I think we’re going to reach out goals,” say “We’re going to reach our goals.”

O.T.F. 
O.F.T - One Final Thought

The words you use matter. That’s a fact. Whether you’re trying to project a certain quality or alter a negative atmosphere, paying a little more attention to detail can go a long way.

You want to sound more confident? I recommned to stop qualifying statements with “I think.”

You want to create an environment that prioritizes rational thought over emotional decision-making? Politely ask for “just the facts, please.”

The newsletter every professional should be reading

There’s a reason Morning Brew is the gold standard of business news—it’s the easiest and most enjoyable way to stay in the loop on all the headlines impacting your world.

Tech, finance, sales, marketing, and everything in between—we’ve got it all. Just the stuff that matters, served up in a fast, fun read.

Look—over 4 million professionals start their day with Morning Brew’s daily newsletter, and it only takes 5 minutes to read. Sign up for free and see for yourself!

Check it out

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 💡 

On Productivity

Before You Go!

Thanks for joining us for another edition of OTF. Next week, you’re going to see the introduction of a new monthly arrangement. We’ve always kicked off the month with a MONEY EDITION, prioritizing content like Making Cents, Hustle Hub, and anything else that might fatten your wallet.

But moving forward, the month will begin with our GROWTH EDITION, followed by our PRODUCTIVITY EDITION, before getting to MONEY in the third week. (The fourth week, beginning in May🤞, will feature all new content that we cannot wait to introduce.)

The thinking here is simple: Growth + Productivity ➡️ Money. So this order makes the most sense to us. Hope you like it.

In the meantime, please respond to our latest poll on your way out!

Community Poll 📊 

Last Week’s Poll Results:

Quality of ChatGPT’s Cyberattack Advice?

• LIFE-SAVING - I wasn't doing any of this! - 25%

• SOLID - A couple actionable tips - 75%

• WEAK - Nothing I didn't already know - 0%

As always, see you next Tuesday 🤝 

Find me on LinkedIn & Instagram 

You are now On The Fly & In The Know.