In this insightful Dave Pakos podcast episode of Just Keep Learning, Justin sits down with the former teacher turned online writer and solopreneur. 

Dave shares his transformative journey from the traditional world of teaching to carving out a space for himself as a writer, freelancer, and business builder. Along the way, Dave dives deep into the challenges of pursuing an unconventional path, the value of personal development, and the importance of leveraging systems to create sustainable success.

Whether you’re an aspiring solopreneur, a creative looking to scale, or someone questioning the "safe" path society laid out for you, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring takeaways.

Dave’s story begins in the classrooms of Germany, where he taught English and Physical Education to students aged 13 to 18. While teaching is a noble profession, Dave found himself questioning if he wanted to spend the next 30 years doing the same thing. His curiosity and drive to explore other opportunities led him to learn animation, freelancing as a creator of explainer videos. Over time, he transitioned into online writing—a field that offered him the leverage and scalability he was seeking.

Dave emphasizes that transitioning from a traditional career to solopreneurship is rarely seamless. He shares two vital strategies that helped him along the way:

1. Start Before You Quit: Begin building your side hustle before leaving your primary job. Dave started taking on freelance animation projects months before he left teaching, giving him a head start.
2. Build a Runway: Save enough money to cover 12 to 24 months of expenses. Having a financial safety net allowed Dave to navigate the early, uncertain months of freelancing without the pressure of immediate success.

As Dave ventured into online writing, he discovered its unique ability to build leverage. Writing—whether in tweets, threads, or newsletters—enables creators to share ideas and reach thousands, even millions, with minimal input. However, he quickly realized that online writing is vastly different from academic or traditional forms of writing. Here are his top tips for aspiring writers:

• Write Like You Speak: Ditch the jargon and keep it conversational.
• Inject Your Personality: Share personal stories and opinions to stand out in a saturated market.
• Always Make It About the Reader: Even when sharing your journey, tie your insights back to how they can help your audience.

Dave candidly shares some of the mental roadblocks he faced, such as the discomfort of selling his services and overcoming "shiny object syndrome." These challenges are universal for many solopreneurs, but he’s learned to stay focused on his primary goal of building systems that allow him to spend more time with family while maintaining financial stability.

Dave’s advice for young people and anyone feeling stuck is simple but profound: don’t blindly follow the path society sets for you. Instead, take the time to figure out what you truly want. Reflecting on his journey, he encourages others to:

• Question societal norms.
• Learn from mistakes and pivots.
• Build a life aligned with your values and interests.

1. Embrace Building in Public: Share your learning journey openly to connect with like-minded people and grow your audience.
2. Focus on Just-in-Time Learning: Avoid consuming content you don’t need immediately. Instead, learn as you go and apply knowledge in real time.
3. Take Action Over Perfection: The only way to grow is to start, even if you don’t feel ready.

“You have to start to become great; you don’t have to be great to start.”

“If you want to stand out online, you have to share parts of your story.”

“Leverage allows you to do the same amount of work but multiply your output exponentially.

“Education should be free, but the packaging, speed, and accountability of paid courses are invaluable.”

Dave Pakos is a former teacher turned freelance animator and online writer. 

His journey from the classroom to solopreneurship is a testament to the power of curiosity, self-education, and persistence. Today, Dave helps others navigate the transition to online writing and solopreneurship through social media, newsletter and creator business. 

Be sure to follow Dave to  learn more about his work and insights.

And check out this episode for a deeper dive into Dave’s journey and to glean wisdom you can apply to your own life and career!

LinkedIn: @davepakos 
X: @DavePakos

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I'm so happy you found this podcast. I am here to serve you, the creative solopreneur & aspiring content creator to get clarity on how to create content, teaching, build a business and design the life of your dreams without burning out in the online learning, creator economy.

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