About five years ago, I posted my first public YouTube video.
To be clear, I had posted videos before, but they were always unlisted or private (shout‑out my Arizona State University 2019 speech and debate vlog).
With the encouragement of my parents and sister, I decided to try… something with the channel.
Did I think about going viral? Yes. Did it happen? Nope!
Did I think about eventually monetizing my content? Of course. Did it happen? Actually, yes, and I am so grateful for that.
Back then, I was just an almost‑twenty‑something getting ready to navigate the world of COVID, school, and work.
Over time, my YouTube channel evolved. It went from vlogs to how‑tos to being an amplifier for my podcast on how to help young professionals do more. With less.
Speaking of the podcast!
I still don’t exactly know what compelled me to start a podcast three years ago (originally called “College Conscience,” now part of the “Mindful Notions” brand). Maybe it was an intuitive desire to have more meaningful and nuanced conversations with friends.
But I don’t think I would have started my podcast if I hadn’t started my YouTube channel. And I definitely don’t think I would have gotten a full‑time podcast‑producing role if I hadn’t already had my podcast.
See a chain of logic here?
One of the throughlines across all the different content streams and roles has been my use of Notion, a productivity tool.
Let’s be clear: There are several great productivity tools readily available.
But I don’t think it’s an accident that, out of all of them, only one has really stuck while I do creative work that I love.
Actually, it’s probably the farthest thing from an accident.
What drew me to Notion was that it could be as simple or as complex as you wanted it to be.
If I wanted to spend the rest of my life making simple pages with the most sophisticated feature being a tastefully placed toggle every three blocks, that would be perfectly fine.
But for me, I really have enjoyed using Notion to learn the slightly more technical aspects of software.
To be clear, I do not code. I have a very, very limited understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (shout‑out CodePath!).
But I do have a better understanding of things like APIs, MCPs, and relational databases because of Notion.
Beyond the technical, I’ve also kept better track the developments of AI (maybe you’re also trying to keep up with this topic) via my podcasts — speaking with AI professionals in whichever city I’m in and with other young professionals — because of how I create these conversations in my Notion pages and databases (and now with my Notion Agent as well!).
Here’s the unique thing about Notion: it won’t fix all of your problems (you are the one who fixes your problems). It’s not devoid of bugs (we have the best engineering and product teams to deal with them!). But it does cultivate one of the most diverse and creative power‑user groups of any SaaS product.
We have people running their entire businesses on Notion. We have people who use Notion for their creative endeavors. We have people who use Notion for NY Fashion Week. We have people who use Notion to track their dreams — their literal dreams the morning after they had them. It goes on and on.
A few years ago, the Notion Ambassador program began cementing this unique connection between power users. It established better connections both among Ambassadors and with the company itself.
Now, the Ambassador program is several hundred members strong, representing nations across the world. Having been in the program myself, I can tell you that it’s one of the most proactive and kindest communities out there.
Because of my content, I was lucky enough to join the Notion Ambassador program at the beginning of January.
This past year, I have been building the Notion DC community from essentially… nothing.
We started small (as all good communities do!) with in-person coffee shop meetups. There, I was able to test the waters. What did people like about Notion? What did people not like about Notion? What were people confused about?
My opinion: You learn way more about how users feel in a five‑minute in‑person conversation than in a 30‑minute call. And each meetup felt like an entire semester’s worth of learning what people enjoyed, somewhat enjoyed, and DEFINITELY DID NOT enjoy about their own Notion.
What’s nice about building a tech community in DC is that there are already thriving ones. We have the AI Collective, Data Community DC, the Generative Series, DC Startup and Tech Week, and more.
Naturally, the next phase of building was to integrate the Notion DC community into these established groups.
I started hosting Notion Mail events in late spring and early summer with these groups. It culminated with DC’s first‑ever Make with Notion recap event, where we had a healthy mix of education and Notion swag (tote bags!).
At the time of writing, I’m proud to say we routinely have 50–100 attendees for our Notion DC events and have had over 600 clicks for a free trial of Notion AI for startups/SMBs through these events*.
Not bad for a community that didn’t exist until March.
In late August, I got a message from the team asking if I would be interested in applying to be the new Community Manager for the Notion Ambassadors. This position was based in NY and would focus on building the next phase of the Notion community.
I felt a lot of things. Most of all, excitement that I could get to work for a company whose product has helped drive so many of my creative endeavors over the past 5+ years, and a sense of possibility about what an even more robust Notion community could look like.
At heart, I’m a creator. And for the past five years, Notion has helped fuel that creativity. But I truly create best when I’m in a community. And there is no other community that I want to be a part of right now more than the Notion Ambassadors.
So what happens now?
What’s exciting about the Notion Ambassador community is that there is still so much to do. Has the community achieved an insane amount of value in the past couple of years? For sure. Can we achieve an even more insane amount of value in the next year and beyond? Yes!
For this Substack, we will be reverting to non-tech content after the last two “Accessible Intelligence” episodes with Hill, Austin Nellessen, and Magan Chin, and more of the informal life conversations that embody more of the early days of the podcast, where it’s just me and my friends (both old and new!).
On a more granular level, that means there is no official affiliation between this Substack and Notion. This Substack represents my opinions only.
If you’ve been here since my first unlisted vlogs more than five years ago, thank you so much for your support. If you’re meeting me for the first time in my new role as Notion’s Community Manager for the Ambassadors, I’m so eager to see how I can help you make your work better.
*I get a commission for each approved signup.
Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe
