The Obvious Choice

Everyone teaching social media growth is competing for attention . . . on social media. They're forced to share what performs best, not what works best. 

Read the full article here: https://www.theptdc.com/articles/how-to-grow-social-media-from-nothing-or-basically-nothing

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Mentioned in this video: 

"Viralnomics: How to Get People to Want to Talk About You" https://amzn.to/4i1x0Dd

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 Growing my social media platforms

2:00 The Social Media Advice Paradox

3:03 Master the Four Stages of Social Media Growth

4:01 The Sea Lion Strategy

5:02 Don't Create a Community—Join One Already in Progress

6:00 The Sea Lion Method: Step by Step

6:34 The 15-Paperclip System That Built My Community

8:04 What's Working Right Now: Real Success Stories

8:41 My Current Approach: The Hidden Work

9:33 Connect More, Create Less

9:54 Five Connection Strategies That Outperform Content

15:15 The Psychology of Sharing

16:30 The Three Types of Content That Drive Growth

18:45 Final Practical Tips for Sustained Growth

19:21 Choose Your Path: Engagement or Sales

20:42 The Timeless Social Media Strategy

Books I recommended in this video:

Snow Leopard by Category Pirates https://amzn.to/4ii8zBS

The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter https://amzn.to/3QHaKmS

Four Thousand Week by Oliver Burkeman https://amzn.to/4h2nxe3

Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb https://amzn.to/4hjOVVn

The Humans by Matt Haig https://amzn.to/41AicWR

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

It's been almost two months since The Obvious Choice was released. Lots of people have been asking me how it's been going. If I'm honest, my answer is "not great". I've been disappointed with sales and so has my publisher.

I'm sharing five crucial lessons I've learned from this experience. Not to complain, but to illuminate the path for anyone bringing something valuable into a noisy world.

Whether you're launching a product, sell a service, or creating art––these five lessons transcend any specific field.

Read the full article here: https://www.theptdc.com/articles/my-book-launch-didnt-go-all-that-well-really

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 What I learned from my book launch bombing?

0:49 Five crucial lessons I learned from this experience

1:04 Lesson 1: Positioning: The Art of Framing Value

3:42 Lesson 2: Audience: Quality over Quantity

7:24 Lesson 3: Influence: The Contextual Boundaries of Your Authority

10:15 Lesson 4: Mastery: The Illusion of Transferable Excellence

13:06 Lesson 5: Self-Reliance: The Ultimate Liberation

Writing isn't just about putting words on a page—it's about clarifying the chaos in your mind and presenting ideas in a way others can understand. In a world where AI can write for us, mastering this inhuman skill might be the most powerful advantage for any ambitious person today."

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

In today's episode, I'm thrilled to sit down with my long-time friend Alex Hutchinson, New York Times best-selling author of "Endure" and his new book "The Explorer's Gene." We dive into the courage it takes to explore new creative paths rather than getting typecast by your past successes, and Alex shares how his unplanned writing journey led to his most powerful work.

Get my friend Alex Hutchinson's new book, The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map

Alex Hutchinson is the New York Times bestselling author of Endure, a longtime columnist for Outside covering the science of endurance, and a National Magazine Award–winning journalist who has contributed to the New York Times, The New Yorker, and other publications. A former long-distance runner for the Canadian national team, he holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia and a Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge, and he did his post-doctoral research with the National Security Agency. 

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 Alex Hutchinson Introduction

1:28 Discussing Alex's books, including "Endure" and "The Explorer's Gene"

3:12 The evolution of book writing toward self-development and life design

4:25 What exploration really means beyond physical travel

5:06 The dilemma of being typecast after success

6:18 The explore-exploit dilemma: balancing new ventures vs. known success

7:49 "It just didn't seem fun to me" - Making career choices based on enjoyment

8:50 The challenge of crossing between different professional worlds

10:47 How John and Alex first met through a cold email

14:00 The challenges of writing: structure vs. crafting sentences

17:33 How the interludes in "Endure" evolved organically

20:37 The choice not to track book sales and analytics

21:23 Injecting personal experience into writing in the age of AI

24:32 Writing with "your cup half full" to prepare for life's challenges

28:57 - Introduction to the Wundt curve concept

In this episode, we're talking about letting your geek flag fly and how embracing your unique obsessions can be your secret weapon in business. If you're tired of blending in with everyone else online, I'm going to show you why your weird, nerdy passions are actually the key to standing out and connecting with the exact people who will become your most loyal customers.

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

0:20 What is your geek obsession?

0:50 Christina crossfit gym story

02:20 Comitology and Astrology

04:00 Location bias

05:00 SNASA

07:00 Building a vision out of your geek obsession

09:40 Being different

11:00 Industry norms

12:30 Risks

13:10 Difficulty in execution

13:35 Doing too many of the right things

14:20 Business model

16:15 Ben Mudge story

19:00 Follow your obsession

Success everywhere is a lagging indicator of becoming great somewhere.

Read the full article here: https://www.theptdc.com/articles/success-everywhere-is-a-lagging-indicator-of-becoming-great-somewhere

Order my book The Obvious Choice here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 Most of what we're doing these days doesn't need to be done, we've just been doing it for so long that it’s become a thing that we do.

1:50 The constant pursuit of greatness

3:07 Finding what you're born to be great at

4:12 Greatness transcends how you make money

4:43 The struggle between deep work and platform growth

6:47 Social media success is a lagging indicator of real-world success

7:17 Ask key questions about your path

9:23 Greatness requires persistent, consistent, obsessive focus

11:34 The pleasure is in doing the work, not in it being done

13:16 Saying no to opportunities that take you away from greatness

14:53 Content strategy plan

17:26 What are you optimizing for?

Welcome everybody to the Obvious Choice podcast, where today I'll be explaining some major changes coming to this show as I pursue my singular goal of becoming a truly world-class writer.

I'm putting an end to the scattered approach that's been holding me back, focusing on what truly matters to me, and yes, that unfortunately means firing Ren for what must be the fifth or sixth time.

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Timestamps

0:00 Opening banter; Jonathan jokes about firing Rencel again

1:18 Upcoming changes to the podcast format

3:10 Focusing the podcast on shorter episodes and interviews

8:43 The "finite nature" of podcasting; Jonathan shares experience with Ben Greenfield

11:10 Story about Men's Health and content driven by advertisers

17:54 How podcasts overcomplicate health topics when simple advice often matters most

24:19 Personal quest to become a world-class writer

31:13 New content strategy across platforms

36:19 Writing process and time management

43:30 "Going pro moment" with "absurd focus"

In this episode, we explore how to celebrate the process of doing challenging, meaningful work rather than fixating solely on outcomes—a concept I explore in my upcoming book, The Obvious Challenge. 

As I share my method of scheduling waypoints with loved ones to mark milestones in creative projects, we wrestle with explaining this approach without reducing it to another formulaic framework that sounds nice but offers little practical guidance.

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 Episode Introduction

1:06 Fitness, pushing too hard, and recovery

4:38 Naturally slowing down as we age

5:50 How exercise bolsters creative work

7:14 Celebrating the process, not the outcome

10:56 Personal growth in relationships

16:27 Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef at the Super Bowl

24:07 How to celebrate the process

28:45 Ask this question: does it make you a better person?

30:30 Scheduling celebrations in order to complete difficult projects

34:23 Personal blind spots and different perspectives

42:09 The conflict between creating frameworks that sell versus deeper understanding

48:43 Discussing the bestselling book "Let Them Theory"

Welcome to The Obvious Choice podcast, where today we're joined by Paul for a Hot Seat conversation about why successful businesses inevitably break down and how to systematically rebuild them. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your growing business, this episode will show you how to identify your natural strengths and create systems that allow you to focus on what makes you special.

Order my book "The Obvious Choice" here: https://amzn.to/4ghBzce

Not sure if you want to get my book, “The Obvious Choice”? Here’s a free sample to check out: https://www.theptdc.com/the-obvious-choice-free-chapter

Who Am I?

Jonathan Goodman is the creator of the Personal Trainer Development Center and host of the popular Obvious Choice podcast, a top show for coaches, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Jon’s been featured in most major business and fitness publications including Men’s Health, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Robb Report, Inc., and many more. Over 200,000 coaches and small business owners in more than 120 countries have purchased business development materials from him. 

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter "5 Reps Friday" read by 73,000+ each week: https://www.theptdc.com/newsletter-subscribe

Get my FREE "Jacked Nerds Reading List" here: https://www.theptdc.com/11-best-books-for-jacked-nerds

Join my Online Trainer Mentorship program: https://onlinetrainermentorship.com/mentorship/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=OTMEvergreen

Follow me on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/

X: https://x.com/itscoachgoodman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goodman/

Timestamps

0:00 Paul Introduction 

1:07 Paul explains his current bottleneck after rapid business growth in the first half of the year

1:55 Business growth inevitably leads to systems breaking

3:07 Paul shares his business vision and challenges as the bottleneck in his operation

4:24 The limitations of being a solo coach with many clients

6:57 Paul shares personal context about having OCD and ADHD

7:27 Jonathan emphasizes the importance of working with your natural operating style

8:00 Paul describes what makes him successful: empathy and his approach to coaching

9:10 The advantage of coaches who have life experience

10:30 Focus on your strengths

13:01 Create a detailed organizational chart exercise

14:57 Breaking down business tasks into smaller components

17:08 Delegating content posting while keeping control over creation

19:45 Overthinking certain tasks causes anxiety and brain fog