Arizona Mastermind: 3 takeaways

I just got back from two weeks in Arizona for a ghostwriting mastermind event, run by Nicolas Cole.

I got to hang out with a bunch of fellow writers and nerd out on business fueled by buckets of cold brew.

Here are my biggest takeaways

Writing online is the most leveraged activity you can do

Whether you’re starting out in business or already an experienced founder, sharing your thoughts online is the highest ROI on your time.

The internet has removed the barriers created by geography. You can literally create an empire and connect with people around the world from your laptop.

Case in point: writing online has made me more money than anything before and helped me connect with interesting people around the world. This is exactly how I was able to go to Arizona and learn from some of the best digital writers out there. All in under 12 months. It’s also how I’ve made some amazing friends, gotten to work from anywhere and learned from people way ahead of me.

Yet I still speak to 7 & 8-figure founders who don’t think writing online will help them or their company.

Just ask yourself, will more VCs, partners and customers knowing you be good or bad for business?

Distribution is the new moat for business which allows you to:

• Access funding

• Instantly solve problems

• Reach potential customers

All through writing.

But it takes time and effort. Maybe that’s why most overlook it. It’s important, but not urgent.

But, would you rather have a library of content which positions you as an expert to the world?

Or have crickets show up when someone Googles you?

And if you’re just starting out, then this still applies. The more people who know you, the better. Doesn’t matter if you don’t have an idea yet, everything is easier when you already have an online network to leverage.

But where do you start? Right here:

1/ Find your edge:

• List your top 3 interests

• Ask people you trust your biggest strengths

• Look for ONE intersection that you can focus on

2/ Learn the fundamentals of writing

• Your hook should capture the reader and tell them what to expect

• Give away tips, lessons, mistakes, frameworks and opinions to educate the reader

• Get clear with your writing style and leave the reader with an emotion- they remember feelings

3/ Post consistently

• Write at the same time every day for 30 days

• Never sit down to write at a blank screen- prepare ideas ahead of time

• Review your metrics every week to see what’s working and what’s not- double down on the highest-performing posts

Lastly, give yourself runway. Don’t expect results overnight. The best ideas come once you’ve got the bad ones out of the way. You need to post enough before you can see a trend of what works.

If you’re strapped for time and need some help, then let’s talk.

Who you surround yourself with matters

Cliche but true. Living with a bunch of entrepreneurs all week gave me so much energy. I was completely present the whole time, never in my head.

Everyone was there to learn and motivate each other. It’s also fun and a good reminder that life is about fun experiences with cool people (for me anyway). Sure it was good for business, but attempting to run a marathon untrained, go-karting and countless team dinners were good for the soul.

General ambition creates anxiety, specific ambition creates direction

Great quote from George Mack.

There are a million things to do in business. How do you know which to do next?

The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt is a simple framework for finding your current bottleneck, removing it, and getting to the next level.

Here’s how it works:

1/ First, you need a goal 💰

• Clearly define your business goal: get specific and remove the timeline.

2/ Identify the bottleneck 🛑

• Look for the part of your process where work piles up or progress slows (not booking sales calls? Send more DMs!)

3/ Focus on the bottleneck today 🚀

• Figure out the bottleneck and remove it quickly. Ignore everything else.

4/ Only solve bottleneck problems ❌

• Don’t solve problems you don't have.

5/ Do more first 🔥

• The first bottleneck is usually a lack of volume.

6/ Then improve efficiency 🎯

• Once you’ve increased volume, get "better" (improve your effectiveness).

7/ Repeat the process ♻️

• Once you've improved the machine, repeat and increase the volume again.

8/ Act fast, don’t overthink ⚡

• Make quick decisions to solve bottleneck issues and Take immediate action.

This removes the overwhelm and thinking. You can literally apply it to anything, which I love.

Until next week

Tom ✌️