Resources → The Newsletter • 4 min read

🧗 How to climb the ladder of creator success

Say yes to every opportunity that promises to get you even half an inch closer to your goals. In the early days of building your dream, progress will feel painfully slow. But don't mistake slow progress for none at all. Because it is there. You are getting closer. Just keep climbing.

💬 In this week's issue:

Step by step. Why increasing your income may look different than you think.
All in. Discover the uncommon route one YouTuber took to find success.
Boundaries. Learn how to stop online trolls in their tracks.

🪜 The ladders of wealth creation

Making money is a skill—like playing the drums or piano—that you can get better at over time.

The creator economy offers participants some pretty incredible financial upsides. However, the challenging part can be knowing where to begin and what opportunities to pursue.

A common theme you'll see amongst the top-earning newsletters, bloggers, YouTubers, etc. is that they all leveraged a part of their past experience into successful projects. This insight is exactly the type of filter you can use to decide what project might have the best chance of success.

Nathan Barry created a visual that helps explain this journey.

Progress occurs as you move up each ladder and then migrate to the next.

Most independent creators and publishers begin with traditional jobs that teach them particular skills, industry opportunities, and more.
Next, they create a side project where they leverage a single skill into something that relies less on their time and more on their expertise.
From there, as they gain recognition, they build more things in response to their audience and make their side work their full-time gig.

Now, this is an oversimplification, and many creators have a winding journey that skips steps entirely. But the framework is a powerful one.

Every step you take should be supported by the one you're currently on. And if what you're aiming towards feels like too big of a stretch, find and reach for a smaller step along the way.

🗞 Latest tips & stories

The best books for aspiring writers
The ownership economy and the future of the internet
5 article templates that increase engagement
How can publishers respond to the power of platforms?
The hottest trend on TikTok? In-depth analysis.

🔥 Why obsession can be a good thing

At 13 years old, YouTube took over his life.

Mr. Beast is a phenom of the YouTube world. It's easy to see their massive success and assume they had an advantage getting there.

But in a recent interview, Mr. Beast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) says they owe their rise on the platform to a single trait: obsession. Here are a few points that highlighted this idea.

YouTube has been the only thing Donaldson has thought about, every day, for the last 10 years.
To date, they've uploaded over 700 videos.
Mr. Beast's deepest relationships are with those who share their passion.

💡

Unconventional success requires unconventional focus.

You don't need the same extreme obsession as Mr. Beast to succeed online. But if there's a topic, idea, or community that drives you more than any other — if there's something you just can't stop talking about — lean into that.

Give yourself permission to go all in.

💌 Publishing requires bravery

If there’s one thing a woman can count on, it’s getting harassing messages online.

The moment you publish anything online: a photo, tweet, or article — you're opening yourself up to the comments and opinions of others.

This can be scary because we know hate exists online. But, we often assume trolls must just come with the territory. And while that may be true, there are still things you can do to give yourself a better experience while supporting your work and others too.

Use advanced comment settings on social media platforms.
Utilize a tool like Cove, which only allows members of your Ghost site to comment on your work.
Find niche communities that offer support.
Learn the basic tactics people use to counter trolls.
Develop strategies for emotional resilience.

Growing into a successful creator requires taking care of your whole self. So be brave, hit publish, and set every boundary you need to do your best work.