Invincible Career - Claim your power and regain your freedom

In 2020, I spent hundreds of hours creating professional and personal development articles and podcasts to share with you. If my newsletter has enriched your life this year, helped you find a job, or given you more confidence at work, please consider subscribing to enjoy the premium version with weekly professional challenges. Your support makes all the difference! Thank you.

It’s hard to see the forest for the trees with all of the articles I’ve written for this newsletter. So, I wanted to do an end of the year wrap-up to categorize and summarize everything for you.

More often than you might imagine, people ask for my advice on a topic, and I can point them to a specific issue that I’ve written about it. Sometimes people are already subscribers, but it’s easy to miss an issue over the course of a year!

I hope this helps! Next week, I will kick off a whole new year of the newsletter. 🎉

Invincible Freedom and Career

* What do I mean by an “invincible career”?

* How to regain your freedom and eliminate vulnerabilities

* How to navigate a career change

* This is the reason that you hate your job

* Facing the paradox of choice in your career

* How to future-proof your career

* Fifteen perks of being a solopreneur

* You don’t HAVE to do anything

* Your chance to redefine what work means - Part 1

* Your chance to redefine what work means - Part 2

* Vital skills for the next 10 years

* Make money with your voice

* Make over $2M a year on Patreon? Yes, it’s possible

Success and Happiness

* How you can make a lasting lifestyle change in the new year

* Why you shouldn’t rely on hacks to advance your career

* Comfort is the enemy of your growth at work

* Use humor to be more successful

* The secrets behind your flow state

* Don’t let a promotion ruin your career

* Three superpowers that will make you successful in your career and life

* How to succeed in your new job

* How to escape the tyranny of expectations

* When will you have enough?

* Don’t be lost in obscurity

* Can you be too successful?

* Do you have a fear of success?

Failure

* Why so many people fail

* Don’t risk career suicide with your professional brand

* Invest in yourself before failure occurs

* Perfectionism will destroy your career

* You can rebuild your life after failure

* Should you keep investing or cut your losses?

Remote Work

* How to work from home

* How to take care of your career during quarantine

* Will you need to pivot your profession?

* Remote work forever - Now what?

* How to survive the chaos of working at home

Job Search and Interviews

* How can you stand out in the market?

* How to tap into the hidden job market

* How to do a remote job interview

* One way to make job interviews easier

* The best way to get a better job offer

Cover Letters and Resumes

* How to write an intriguing cover letter

* Your resume is a necessary evil

Dealing with Layoffs

* How to tell when a layoff is coming

* How to stay off the layoff list

* Laid off? What to do in that first week

* The best warning sign of a failing company

Introversion and Extroversion

* Do you need to be extroverted to succeed?

* Why is introversion suddenly sexy?

Networking

* Do business cards still matter?

* Find a realistic career hero

* How to socialize in a brave new remote world

Work Relationships

* How to handle conflict at work

* My boss is stealing my ideas!

Communication

* How to make requests that don’t frustrate people

* Ghosting will destroy your reputation

* How to improve your communication skills for work

Leadership

* Seven simple steps to better leadership

* Would you be a great boss?

* Are you a leader worth following?

Professional Challenges - premium posts*

* Identify 10 people on social media

* The first step to light up your network

* Reconnect with your network

* Make your career and business antifragile

* Share your professional wisdom online

* Attract an audience that will grow your career

* Becoming an idea machine

* Inspiration and motivation are overrated

* Planning the business of your career

* Consider the world of opportunity

* What is your value proposition?

* Identify your ideal employer

* Connect with your key partners

* Connect with your communities

* Find your financial independence crossover point

* Choose your primary channel

* Update your elevator pitch

* Find a panel discussion

* Find an internal speaking opportunity

* Be a guest on a podcast

* Get in your green exercise

* Schedule daily exercise

* Find an accountability partner

* Add a daily goal-directed habit

* Ask for feedback from your coworkers

* Ask your boss for feedback

* Review your own performance

* Identify the bottom of your funnel

* Where do you want to live?

* What has failure taught you?

* Make Twitter your career tool

* Face your biggest fears

* What if your dream comes true?

* What stands between you and your vision?

* Attend my professional meetup

* What are you thankful for?

* Make your final push

* Schedule time for friends and family

* Make time for you

* Capture your achievements for the year

* Reflect on the year

Quick Tips - premium posts*

* Redesigning your environment for success

* It’s hard to leave a good team behind, but they’ll be OK

* Get your requests in early next year before budgets disappear

* The power of passive income

* How to find a trusted mentor

* Get close to the money in your company

* The benefits of getting out of your office

* Understanding performance in your new job

* Making a great first impression in your new job

* How to make your business card more memorable

* Why you should make your boss’s life easier

* How to pin down your manager to get promoted

* Don’t wait for failure to occur in your career

* Leave your phone and laptop behind to be more productive

* Control your work reputation

* Remove fear and dream bigger

* Your resume won’t get you a job

* Deflecting anxiety makes it worse

* Take time to let off steam

* Reignite old connections in your network

* How to protect and focus your time

* The power of tiny gains

* Learn from the past

* How to escalate appropriately

* Pay attention to the culture before taking a job

* Record your voice for interviews and talks

* Record yourself on video too

* Build alliances before an important meeting

* Create antifragile sources of income

* How to make remote work work

* Create a memorable email for intros

Your subscription helps!

In 2021, I’m looking forward to writing more articles and recording more podcasts for you. I have no employees, interns, or even an assistant. This is a one-person labor of love that is my passion and a part of how I make a living.

If my newsletter has been helpful for you and you’d like to help support my efforts to create it, please consider subscribing to the premium weekly version.

Thank you for being a loyal reader and I appreciate your support!

What if I told you that a podcast brings in $2-4M in annual revenue on Patreon? No, that’s not my Patreon page (I wish!).

Did you know that the top streamer on Twitch pulls in over $5M a year?

Yeah, I was surprised too.

Whether you call it the “passion economy” or the “creator economy,” something fascinating is happening for people who crave freedom in their work and lives. More services and platforms have been springing up over the past few years that enable you to make a living simply from who you are and what you can do.

This goes way beyond making money from your voice, which I talked about recently. This is also not about using your talent and skills for an employer, which most of us do — or have done — for most of our working lives.

One example is True Crime Obsessed, a popular podcast that takes a deep dive into longer true-crime docu-series (e.g., Serial, The Staircase, Making a Murderer). They have 38,680 patrons on Patreon. Their tiers range from $5 to $20 per month.

I don’t know their exact monthly subscription revenue (i.e., it isn’t published). Even if everyone is only at the $5 tier, that means they’re generating at least $2,320,800 in annual revenue from their Patreon account.

I’m only using the following to show what is possible with a loyal fan base. Most people won’t achieve the level of income of these top earners. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see many creators earning six figures, which could be enough to make a living (in most places).

* All Gas No Brakes shares exclusive interviews on Patreon. They bring in $1,079,040 per year.

* Bill Bishop writes the publication Sinocism on Substack. Estimates put his annual revenue from the newsletter at over $1M. Note: the top 10 writers on Substack collectively bring in more than $10 million per year.

* Podia is a platform for video courses and digital memberships. The top creator there makes more than $1M a year.

* Beardbrand is a merchant on Shopify and grew to $120k in monthly sales in less than one year.

* Richard Blevins is a gamer better known as Ninja. He earns $5.4M per year from streaming on Twitch.

There are over 50M content creators in the world. But, there are probably only ~2M that make a living by doing it full time.

What is the Passion Economy?

Our current economy has been based on scale, reach, automation, and deep pockets. Large corporations like Amazon, Google, Netflix, YouTube, and Apple have dominated the marketplace. Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Flipkart, etc., have flooded us with mass-produced goods and competed for our wallets with ever-lower prices.

Massive social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have overwhelmed our attention span and tested our patience with others. More and more people are taking “social media detox” breaks, or delete their accounts entirely. Yet, people have said that they would be interested in a new platform dedicated to one of their personal passions.

Adam Davidson coined the phrase “passion economy” in a book called The Passion Economy. You can think of it as the ultimate “shop small” philosophy.

It’s based on three key components coming together:

* Creators who are building a business around a unique talent, skills, ideas, topic, or passion.

* Audiences who are interested in the goods, services, or experiences the creators have to offer.

* Online platforms that host the creators and their offering and connect them with their audience.

The passion economy is enabled by various digital platforms and services that have been created over the decades (e.g., blogging, messaging, photo and video hosting, podcasting, e-commerce, online payments). In some ways, it feels like a response to the commoditization that has occurred with goods and services — and even employment.

Buyers, audiences, and fans are seeking:

* Higher-quality goods they can trust

* High-touch personalized services

* One-on-one connections with experts

* A stronger sense of community

* Connecting with people around niche interests

* More intimate relationships with fewer people

* Unique and interesting experiences

* More targeted and valuable information

Creators are seeking:

* Freedom from employment in jobs that don’t fulfill them

* A chance to live up to their full potential

* Fair compensation for their talents, skills, and knowledge

* An opportunity to make a living doing what they love

* A shot at turning a passion into a way to make a living

How is this different than the gig economy (e.g., Uber, Lyft, Doordash)? With a gig, you provide the service that the platform demands (e.g., giving someone a ride from point A to point B). They set the rules and control pricing. If you want to earn more, you have to hustle faster and work longer hours.

The gig economy is based on convenience, consistency, and competitive pricing. The passion economy rewards individuality, creativity, relationships, and excellence.

With the passion economy, you work for yourself. You decide what you are selling. You set your prices. You decide when you want to “work.”

A very entertaining Uber driver can’t suddenly decide that a ride to the airport is worth $400 because he’s an excellent storyteller. Uber controls the pricing.

But, an artist on Podia can charge whatever she wants for access to a painting lesson. If she’s an amazing artist in high demand, she can charge a lot more than another artist who doesn’t have a fan base.

You will never get rich in the gig economy. But, the passion economy has the potential to make you wealthy if you are damn good at what you do and your fans love you.

What can you sell?

Your imagination is the limit. No, really, it is.

Every day, I come across a new creator that has come up with something I had never considered. Some people are incredibly creative, and I’m always surprised that an audience is hungry for what they have to offer (e.g., “People will pay for that?”).

Here are some simple examples to give you an idea of what you might have to offer:

* Your knowledge and advice (e.g., newsletters, articles)

* Your words (e.g., short stories, poetry, fiction, nonfiction)

* Courses you create

* Live courses

* Live webinars

* Live coaching sessions

* Exclusive podcasts

* Photography

* Videos

* Illustrations

* Designs

* Comics

* Watching you play games

* Artwork

* Pottery

* Physical products

* Access to you

* Access to communities

* Music

Monetization models

I’m a little overwhelmed by all of the creative ways people have monetized their personal passion economy “businesses.” You may already be familiar with social media influencers who get paid by sponsors to showcase products to their large audiences of followers. One of the most popular influencers, Kylie Jenner, has an ad equivalent value of $1M+ per post across her social media portfolio.

But, the rest of us mere mortals generate income from sources such as:

* Ad revenue sharing

* Sponsored content

* Affiliate revenue

* Tipping

* Paid subscriptions

* Direct sales of physical and digital goods

* Tickets for live and virtual events

* VIP meetups

* Fan club membership

However, all of this boils down to four primary models:

* Subscriptions for access to exclusive content

* Freemium with upsells to premium content

* Direct sales (e.g., services, digital goods, physical goods, events, experiences)

* Ads and Sponsorships

I know that this can seem out of reach if you have a small audience of followers and fans. But, it doesn’t take much to get started with a passion economy business. You can also build your audience on the side while you’re earning income from your primary job.

Kevin Kelly’s famous “1,000 True Fans” concept should give you hope if you’re interested in making a living from your passion, knowledge, and talent.

“To be a successful creator you don’t need millions. You don’t need millions of dollars or millions of customers, millions of clients or millions of fans. To make a living as a craftsperson, photographer, musician, designer, author, animator, app maker, entrepreneur, or inventor you need only thousands of true fans.” — Kevin Kelly

Passion Economy Platforms

Here are just a few of the platforms and service providers that power the passion economy. Some of these are my referral links, so thank you for your support! Check them out if you want to learn more.

Newsletters

* Substack

* Revue

* ConvertKit

Writing

* Medium

* News Break (this is my News Break profile)

* Kindle Direct Publishing

Digital Goods

* Gumroad

* Podia

* Shopify

Music

* CD Baby

* Amuse

* SoundCloud

* Bandcamp

Physical Goods

* Shopify

* Teespring

* Zazzle

* CafePress

Art

* Redbubble

* Fine Art America

* ArtPal

Courses

* Podia

* Teachable

* Kajabi

Memberships and Fans

* Patreon (BTW, I’m on Patreon if you’re interested)

* OnlyFans (No, it isn’t just for that kind of content. Michael B. Jordan said he will be creating an account.)

* Buy Me a Coffee

* Ko-fi

Entertainment and Video

* Cameo

* Vimeo

* Twitch

A new path to freedom

I find all of this very exciting! It gives all of us more flexibility in how we decide to work and live. With a passion economy business — especially one with digital goods and services — you can live anywhere in the world and work whenever you want.

Most of us will follow a traditional career path of climbing the corporate ladder. It can be gratifying and lucrative, as well. I did it for about 17 years, learned a lot, and had many wonderful experiences.

The economy of the past century rewarded fitting in and being what a company wanted. Get your standardized education, put on your professional clothing, land a job in an office, fit into the corporate culture, don’t make too many waves, and you’ll be OK.

But, a better strategy for the economy of the next century is to be you — unashamedly yourself — and capitalize on how different you are from everyone else. Focus on your unique story, your personal brand, how you can stand out, and the personal value that no one else can copy. That’s where future success will lie.

As you know, I also recommend having backup plans and multiple income streams. Owning your income and destiny makes you invincible. It’s wonderful to know that you could ramp up your side hustle to pay the bills if something happened to your primary job (e.g., an unexpected layoff).

You can always test the waters with some of the platforms that I discussed here. If you’re enjoying it and making some money, see where it takes you! That’s how it began for me when I started writing on Medium.

You never know. Some of the more successful creators had no idea that things would turn out so well that they could quit their 9-5 jobs and go all-in on doing something they love.

If you do decide to try it out, let me know! I’d love to support you.

This week’s professional development challenge

⭐ Capture Your Achievements for the YearDespite all of the uncertainty, chaos, and setbacks, you’re still here and moving ahead. You accomplished more things than you give yourself credit for doing.

Larry Cornett is a leadership coach and business advisor. He lives in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with his wife and children, and a gigantic Great Dane. He does his best to share advice that can help others take full control of their work and life. He’s also on Twitter @cornett.

For this edition, I’m trying something a little different. I recorded a podcast episode that you can listen to here.

I looked back at 2020 and thought that it was time to look forward to the future possibilities. I feel like we’ve had so many negative experiences that it is time for some positive thinking.

This has been a year of doom and gloom. It’s hard not to feel down when so many people have suffered. It may have personally impacted you. If so, I am sorry.

We’ve lost friends and loved ones. As the vaccine rolls out, we’re on the path to recovery. But, it will take most of the new year to reach enough of us to achieve some sense of safety.

People have lost their jobs. Businesses have shut down, and many will never reopen.

However, we’ve also learned a lot about ourselves. We are resilient and resourceful. We adapted and found ways to stay connected with colleagues, friends, and family.

Those of us with access to technology (e.g., a laptop and internet service) have found ways to keep working. If you’re a knowledge worker, you may have been even more productive at home.

It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been “fun.” But, it won’t always be like this.

Remote work is really about “location independent” work. Not being forced to stay home, but being able to work from anywhere. As more employers embrace it, it also means working for anyone anywhere in the world.

This newsletter is about taking control of your work and life so that you can have complete freedom to work and live the way you want. That’s an exciting opportunity that the future holds for all of you.

So, listen to this episode and let me know what you think. Thank you.

This week’s professional development challenge

⭐ Make time for youWhat if I told you that the time you invest in yourself would more than pay for itself?

Larry Cornett is a leadership coach and business advisor. He lives in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with his wife and children, and a gigantic Great Dane. He does his best to share advice that can help others take full control of their work and life. He’s also on Twitter @cornett.

In this episode, I explain what I mean by “Invincible Career” and how important it is to remove vulnerabilities in your career. I also share my principles for striving to live an invincible life.