Readers!

Long time, no talk. I wanted to thank you all for your patience as I took a bit of a hiatus (7 weeks, to be exact…). As some of you might have been able to tell by the topics and vibes of my last few issues, I wasn’t in the best headspace.

Now, after taking some time to take a few steps back and clear my head, I’m back and feeling ready to continue dropping you some (hopefully) insightful words.

During these last 7 weeks, a few things happened.

I got married, I traveled across the country to visit family, I planned a 2 week honeymoon through Japan (hmu if you have recommendations), and I had some time to myself to really contemplate the last few years of keeping my head above water while building a startup.

While things haven’t necessarily panned out in the ways I was expecting, this time to myself was a great reminder that you don’t always get what you want, even after putting in your blood, sweat, and tears. Nothing is deserved, and everything happens for a reason.

If you’re in a tough spot, whether that’s personal, professional, or a bit of both, just know that you’re not alone.

Keep pushing through, and remember to trust the process. You got this.

-Luke 

Personal Note

While this is my first week back, I don’t want to jump into the same old writing that I’ve been doing. Although this was a great space to think through things, I realize that this newsletter became more of a “diary” than a piece of content that you can gain something from.

That said, I want to get back to my roots with this newsletter. I love creators, I love entrepreneurship, and I love showcasing awesome people who deserve the spotlight.

Instead of diving into the thought pieces on a weekly basis, I’m going to take a new approach of covering trends, creators, and things to keep an eye on in the space on a bi-weekly basis. This newsletter will be continuously evolving as it always has, and as always, I want your feedback.

What would you readers like me to focus on outside of those topics listed above? Anything I missed?

Let me know by replying to this email!

PS - Thank you to all of those who have stuck with me, this is a new chapter of the journey, and I’m excited to bring you all along with me while taking your feedback along the way.

See you next week ✌️

Howdy readers,

Happy July, I hope none of you had a panic attack when you realized it’s the first of the month (and the fourth in a couple of days).

I hope the vibes are high and you’re feeling ready to celebrate with a long weekend of R&R. Everyone stay safe this weekend, let’s jump in.

-Luke

Building through the Fog

There’s a strange kind of fog that rolls in when you’re deep in stress and uncertainty.

It’s heavy. It lingers. It tends to make even simple things feel hard.

Ideas don’t come as easily. Motivation dips. And you quickly start second-guessing everything, including the stuff you used to feel confident about.

I’ve been in that place lately. The Fog.

I want to think clearly, I want to feel creative, but instead, I’m finding myself stuck in a loop of stress. And that makes things like trying to plan or progress feel impossible.

When your brain is in survival mode, it’s hard to focus on anything else.

The thing about this kind of fog is that it changes the way you see your work, your value, your aspirations. It’s not only hard to focus, it’s hard to believe. The long-term picture starts to feel fuzzy. You get so locked into solving the stress that you forget what all of this building is even for.

And so while I’m sure that I’m not the only one in this headspace, I know I need to work through it by making small shifts.

Maybe I don’t need to have it all figured out this week. Maybe I don’t need to feel wildly inspired or perfectly productive.

Maybe I just need to keep moving through the blur, the fog.

Even when it’s messy. Even when it’s slow. Even when nothing feels like it’s clicking.

Because I’ve seen it happen before, time and time again: clarity comes through motion.

The haziness lifts a little each time you show up, and you don’t have to wait for it to clear fully before you get to work.

Build through the fog, you got this.

Community Plug!

As you all know, I love to help spread the word about all of the happenings in our community and the big moves made by our fellow readers. This week, I wanted to plug the legend, Matt Throne’s all new content system, specifically made for coaches and entrepreneurs. Check out more details below!

If you have something that you would like to plug yourself, reply to this email and let’s chat. I want to help you get the word out about the things that you’re passionate about!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Hellooooooo readers!

Last week I asked you fine folks if I should keep the personal intro, or skip and jump right into the story. Welp, keeping the intro has won 75% to 25%, but don’t you worry, my meat and potatoes people. I’m going to keep em short and sweet going forward, I heard you loud and clear.

And for my readers who love my yap (d’awww y’all are too sweet), I’ll be sure to drop you a little blurb on most issues, but today is a bit of a long one so we’re jumping right in!

-Luke

Frustrations and Realizations

Source: Flywheel Co

I’ve been in a frustrating situation lately.

I’m learning that it’s not enough to just build something great. You also have to convince people to try it.

Like many founders and creators before me, I thought that making something useful, something that worked, something that people actually love, would be the hard part. But what I’m realizing is, the hard part is getting people to notice it exists in the first place.

That’s where I’m at with my startup as of recently. The users we do have? They’re all-in. They love the results. They want more. But getting new people in the door? That’s where the pain comes.

And this isn’t just a founder thing. It constantly has shown up in my creative work, too.

You write something vulnerable. You ideate something that you think is going to land with readers. And then it flops. Quietly. Like it never mattered in the first place.

It’s not that the work isn’t good, seriously, the amount of incredible work from others that have flopped is insane. Talent is out there, incredible products exist in the darkness. It’s not about how good something is.

It’s that attention is expensive, and people don’t just simply hand it out.

That’s what makes this part so exhausting. You’re trying to be loud in a room where everyone’s already shouting. And most of them are waving clickbait signs, showing you how much money they have, or throwing glitter in the air.

But if you believe in what you’re building, whether it’s a product or a piece of content, then your real job isn’t just to make it great. It’s to make it seen.

That might mean repeating yourself more than you want to, or trying formats you swore you’d never touch, or promoting the same thing over and over until you’re sick of your own pitch (anyone else?).

Because when it finally lands with someone, and they see the true value, it feels like magic.

They get it, they tell someone else, the thing starts to move.

So if you’re stuck in that weird spot where you know what you’ve made is great but no one’s biting yet, you’re not alone. Seriously there’s hundreds of readers here who likely feel the same way that you do right now.

It sucks. It’s hard. But… that doesn’t mean it isn’t working.

Keep going. Keep showing up. Keep giving it the best shot you can, because if it matters to you, there’s a good chance it’ll matter to someone else too.

Eventually, the silence will break, and when it does? It usually starts with someone saying,

“Wait… this is actually great.”

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Helllllloooooooooo readers,

No big intro from me today, because I think it’s been making me lose readers… but I don’t want to just assume, so I’ll let you fine folks decide:

Your feedback is appreciated as always ❤️ 

-Luke (if you’re new here, connect with me on LinkedIn to check out even more of my content!)

Jack of All Trades…Master of None

Source: Stephen Baines | Medium

Lately I’ve been thinking about the phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

Most people treat it like a warning. Like if you’re not the best in your league at one specific thing, then you’re just dabbling. Lacking direction. Unfocused.

And honestly, I’ve recently caught myself wondering if I fall into that boat.

I’m an artist, a creative, an entrepreneur; I write, I paint, I build; I’ve always been the kind of person who chases curiosity. I move between creative outlets depending on what’s exciting at the time, and that’s felt like a strength in some seasons and a weakness in others.

But here’s what I didn’t know.

That phrase? It’s not even the full quote.

The original version is:
“Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.”

There’s something powerful in being able to move between skillsets. To cross-pollinate ideas. To explore. In a world that expects everyone to specialize, being a generalist can feel like a glitch. But sometimes, that glitch is actually the strategy.

This came up in a recent conversation with a seasoned creator. We were talking about how creators, especially the ones building something on their own, end up doing everything.

It’s part of the job. You’re not just the talent. You’re the editor, the marketer, the strategist, the community manager. You bounce between roles constantly, and while it can be exhausting, it also builds resilience.

You learn fast. You adapt. You stay scrappy.

So maybe it’s time to reframe the way we think about mastery. Maybe it’s not just about going deeper into one thing. Maybe it’s also about seeing how many tools you can collect and learning when to use each one.

Being a jack of all trades doesn’t mean you’re lost. It might mean you’re equipped.

So if you needed a little reminder that you’re not behind just because you haven’t picked one lane, consider this:

“Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one.”

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Readers!

Happy Wednesday, I hope everyone is having a fantastic spring so far and you’ve all been able to get out and about to enjoy some sunshine.

I’ve been feeling a new sense of energy towards CreatorPad with the release of our all new website and web app, we’ve started onboarding creators as we phase out of beta mode, and we’re beginning to get on even more businesses as we continue to improve.

It’s been a long journey, but things are finally starting to fruit, and all of the work and growth is starting to feel like it’s leading to something real.

So much of the time, I (and likely you readers are, too) am too focused on the end goal, that it kills the daily progression that can lead to achieving your goals and reaching that “big picture goal.”

When you’re so focused on what’s to come, you tend to get frustrated with the little things, feeling like you’re working for nothing. This discouraging mindset only serves to hurt us in the long run, so instead of focusing on the 5 year plan for your goal, think about what you can do today to get closer to that big picture.

Let’s jump in.

-Luke

Your 5-Year Plan is Ruining Your 5-Day Plan

Source: The Daily Beacon

The idea of your dream coming to fruition is more than likely killing your ability to execute today.

Sorry, I had to say it (more for myself than you fine folks).

It’s so easy to get caught up in the big picture that you lose momentum on the parts that you can actually control.

The next task.

The next post.

The next message.

The next meeting that might unlock something small but important.

When all of your focus is on the five-year vision of what you're building, everything you’re doing today starts to feel small and disappointing by comparison. Like it’s not enough. Like it’ll never add up to something meaningful.

But as I constantly harp on, most progress doesn’t come from massive leaps. It comes from stacking small efforts on top of each other until something clicks.

The next five days are the only ones you can actually do anything about. That’s where the traction happens. That’s where the reps get built.

Don’t get me wrong, the plan is helpful and the vision is important, but if it’s making you feel like your current progress isn’t worth much, it’s probably doing more harm than good.

So over the next few weeks, try shrinking the timeline.

What needles can you move today?

What would make this week a win?

That long-term vision will come later, but only if you focus on the small wins today.

Reader Plug 🔌 

As you all know, I love to shout out our community of readers and all of the cool things you’re all doing. So, if you have something that you want to shout out, reply to this email and I’ll get it in an upcoming issue!

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Readers!

I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend and got some good rest in. While I spent the weekend driving countless hours and being in nature, I had a realization that I often have when I take some time to let my brain breathe.

When you’re stuck in the rut of building something, whether in content creation or startup life, it’s easy to burn the candle at both ends and not even realize you’re getting close to burning out. It’s the day in, day out grind that can lead you to making rash decisions like making a big change in your product or shift in your content.

And while I’m a big proponent of shaking things up to reignite creativity, I also came to a realization as I was standing knee deep in a river in Yellowstone National Park.

Sometimes the big shift isn’t what you need. You might just need to take a breather, step back, and come at the perceived problem at a new angle.

Let’s dive in.

-Luke

You Probably Don't Need that Rebrand

Source: This piece fed into ChatGPT. Terrifying, I know…

You know the feeling.

Your logo looks tired. Your content is falling flat. Your startup pitch is missing something, but you can’t figure out what. And suddenly, everything seems off.

You start thinking maybe it’s time to blow the whole thing up and start fresh.

Maybe the algorithm is allergic to your color palette. Maybe your tagline is the reason people aren’t buying. Maybe your creative voice is out of date. A rebrand starts to sound like the solution to everything.

Because at least it feels like progress.

It feels like doing something.

It feels like control.

But a lot of the time, the urge to rebrand isn’t about your brand at all. It’s burnout in disguise. You’re not bored with your identity, you’re just tired. You don’t need a new vibe. You need room to breathe.

It’s easier to tweak your aesthetic than to face the discomfort of slow growth. It’s easier to rework your homepage than to keep writing when engagement is quiet. It’s easier to obsess over fonts and palettes than to finish the thing you already started.

And sure, sometimes a rebrand is the right move. But it’s not always the next move. Especially if it’s coming from a place of panic, frustration, or emotional spiral.

You don’t need to start over every time something feels a little off.

You might just need rest. Or perspective. Or a short break from your own ideas. (Or to stand in a river and catch some fish in Yellowstone… wait no… maybe that’s just me).

So before you redesign your brand deck or rewrite your entire website or delete every post you’ve ever made, ask yourself if you’re actually making a strategic decision, or if you’re just craving a dopamine hit because building quietly is hard and no one’s clapping right now.

You’re not behind. You’re building.

You’re not broken. You’re probably just tired.

Step away first. Then decide.

Because chances are, you don’t need a rebrand. You just need a break.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Gooooooood morning readers!

How are we feeling on the verge of the upcoming long weekend (and kickoff of summer (wasn’t it January like two weeks ago???))?

I’m feeling ready for the weekend as I set off on a road trip up to Montana. As I’ve been getting deeper into John Muir’s writings recently, this adventure couldn’t be coming at a better time. I’m ready to get into nature and create some new perspectives for my creativity, approach to start up life, and being more grounded.

As the great Muir pens, “the mountains are calling, and I must go.”

-Luke

Laying the Groundwork

Source: The Free Dictionary (YouTube)

It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind.

As you scroll and see announcements, wins, and launches, it seems that everyone is shipping, selling, and scaling as you continue to build your foundations.

And if you’re in a quieter chapter, where you’re planning, building, fixing, learning, or just keeping your head down, those quiet moments can start to feel like you’re not doing enough.

Like progress only counts if it’s seen.

But the most meaningful stuff? As I’ve talked about many times, it’s likely happening where no one’s watching.

From optimizing a certain part of your business, to cleaning up your footage, crafting out your personal brand, or even building a tiny, seemingly insignificant feature; These are the times when the true growth happens.

And the toughest part?

That kind of work is hard to measure. It’s definitely hard to post about. But it’s often the stuff that sets you up for what’s next.

It’s the prep before the launch.

The editing before the publish.

The dozens of “no’s” before the first “yes.”

We don’t talk enough about that phase, and because of that, it’s easy to mistake quiet for failure.

But as I always bring up in these pieces, that silence doesn’t mean you’re stuck.

And it definitely doesn’t mean you’re behind.

This is the part where you keep going, even when it’s not flashy.

This is the part where the foundation gets built.

You’re not falling behind.

You’re laying the foundations for future growth.

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Readers!

Welcome back, I hope your inbox wasn’t too lonely last week, but fear not. I’ve returned to continue my ramblings.

Paris was absolutely beautiful and the week of R&R was much needed to get some proper celebrations in. I was able to meet up with the CreatorPad team in person, replace my blood with Aperol Spritz, and eat my body weight in meat and cheese.

While I’m back to the grind, I feel refreshed and ready to dig into some exciting work in the next few weeks. What are you readers excited for in coming months? New developments on your start up? Cool content collabs coming up? New videos that you’re excited to drop?

Reply to this email and let the community know about some of the awesome things that are on your horizon! We can help celebrate you, support you, or give you some feedback that you might craving. We’re here to help, just reach out. 😎 

Speaking of feedback…. Let’s get into today’s issue.

-Luke

When the Feedback Stops

Source: GPT prompt of: “comment bubble with the sad face”

When you’re getting feedback, the thing you’re creating tends to actually feel alive. Like what you’re building matters. Like it’s real.

It could be a message from a user, a comment on a post, a meeting with an investor or advisor. These can be the fuel that gives the work momentum, clarity, and purpose.

But then the feedback stops.

Not because anything’s wrong, but because you’re just in the “in-between”.

The part where you’re building quietly. Waiting. Tinkering. Making judgment calls with no real data, just your gut and some educated guesses.

You’re not launching something new. You’re not sharing a ton online.

You’re just… working.

I’ve found that it’s in those quiet moments that my brain starts to wander.

When the feedback stops, you question whether the direction you’ve chosen is right. You doubt whether anyone even cares. You wonder if this is a sign to stop.

It’s the startup and creator version of shouting into the void.

But what’s helped me the most during those stretches, is staying connected.

Creating little moments of engagement. Posting something small, reaching out to a friend or advisor, asking for feedback, showing a WIP screenshot just to start a conversation.

It gets things flowing again. And it serves as a reminder that oh yeah, I’m not actually alone on this.

The silence can feel like no one’s paying attention, but more often than not, they are, they just don’t always say it.

And that’s okay.

You don’t need feedback every day to keep going, but you do need to believe that what you’re building is worth seeing through.

So if you’re in a quiet stretch, don’t panic, reach out. Say something. Ship something.

Because silence might be golden… but it’s terrible for morale.

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Good AM readers!

Spring has sprung and my allergies are trying to kill me.

And while the pollen might be getting the best of me now, it won’t be for long, because at the end of this week I’ll be headed to Paris with my fiancé to galavant, eat way too much food, and drink too many Aperol spritz.

That said, I’ll be taking next week off from the newsletter to fully unplug. If you’re a longtime reader, you know the value I place on fully removing yourself from work every so often.

Taking a moment to shut off your brain, let yourself breathe, and see beyond the computer screen can allow you to see creative blocks in an entirely new light.

So, I’ll be taking that beat, and I can’t wait to come back with even more energy on all fronts.

Before I go, I wanted to give another massive thank you to those who reached out to congratulate me after last week’s issue, I appreciate you all so much, and I love to see the community continue to develop.

See you all in two weeks ❤️ 

-Luke

Start Before You’re Ready

Source: ChatGPT’s interpretation of the article below

Some of the best ideas start as accidents.

Not because they were planned perfectly or validated by five rounds of research, but because someone followed a spark.

They chased a hunch. They made something no one asked for, and it worked.

Creators and founders fall into the same trap all the time: if there’s no obvious demand, no clear roadmap, no audience, no guaranteed ROI, then it must not be worth doing.

But the truth is, most great things didn’t start with permission.

They started with curiosity.

Maybe it’s a tool you wish existed. A format of content that you want to try. A message you feel pulled to share, even if no one’s listening.

You might build something that goes nowhere. And that’s fine. Most things don’t go anywhere at first.

But sometimes, quietly and unexpectedly, one of those weird little experiments catches on. And it only happens because you gave yourself the space to make something just because you wanted to.

You don’t always need a reason to create. You just need to give yourself permission to explore.

So if you’re feeling stuck or uninspired, maybe the best thing you can do this week is build something no one asked for.

You never know what it might turn into.

Let’s get serious

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Hello hello readers!

After weeks of planning, coordinating, and secret keeping….

I’m engaged!

It was a beautiful weekend of celebrations with friends, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future.

And while this week’s update isn’t about getting engaged, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me some perspective.

Moments like these remind me why I build, why I create, and why I keep putting energy into things that don’t always have a guaranteed outcome.

The best things in life usually don’t come with certainty. They come with care, time, and hard work.

Which brings me to this week’s piece!

-Luke

Roots Before Blooms

Source: ChatGPT

It’s easy to look at something you’ve built, whether it’s a project, a post, a business, or a relationship, and feel like it’s not moving fast enough.

Like it should be further along by now.

We often treat slow growth like a red flag, but in reality, it’s usually a sign that something meaningful is taking root.

The best things rarely “go viral” on day one, and those things that do, don’t tend to last.

Longevity takes showing up, staying patient, and pouring care into something even when no one else is clapping.

That’s true in content. In startups. In relationships. In just about everything.

Sometimes, you don’t even realize how special something is until you zoom out. Until you see how far you’ve come. Until you get one unexpected reply, one thank-you message, one tiny moment that reminds you why you started in the first place.

Maybe it’s not about chasing something newer or bigger or better.

Maybe it’s about nurturing what you already have. Appreciating the thing you’ve built and letting it grow without rushing it.

That small newsletter, that early product, that first version of your creative voice might be more powerful than they look right now.

Give it time. Keep going. And don’t be surprised if the thing you’ve been building turns into something bigger than you imagined.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Helllllloooooooooh readers!

Lots of great energy this week. So much going on, so little time.

This time of year always feels to move a bit faster for me.

Maybe it’s the shift in seasons or just the pace of life picking up, but regardless, life recently has me reflecting on momentum. How sometimes it’s rushing forward like a tidal wave, and other times it feels like you’re crawling through quicksand.

What I’ve found, though, is that the biggest shifts usually come during those quiet stretches. The moments that feel slow, unproductive, or stuck often end up being the lead-up to something clicking into place.

Before we hop into the piece, I want to give a big thank you to this week’s sponsor, Anvara!

If you know me, you know that marketing that resonates is my bread and butter. While Anvara isn’t tackling the local influencer marketing scene, they are making waves with their creative marketing blitzes. If you’re looking to make a splash and grab attention outside of influencer marketing, check out Anvara at the link below. And if that’s not your speed but you still want to support my writing, go click the link below and help me earn four bucks.

One click makes a major difference, can I count on your support?

-Luke

What If You’re Closer Than You Think?

Source: This article fed into GPT

There’s this weird moment that can sneak in when you’ve been building something for a while. Whether it’s a startup, a creative path, or just a project you care way too much about, this moment can send you down mental rabbit holes that you didn’t know existed.

It’s not always a big, dramatic moment. More often than not, these moments are quiet and subtle. You’re sitting there, completely drained, still staring at the screen, wondering if anything’s even working. Whether this is worth it.

You’ve been at it for days, weeks, months. Maybe years.

You’ve put in the time. You’ve put in the effort. You’ve shown up.

And yet it still feels like you’re stuck.

Then, just when it seems like nothing’s shifting, something clicks. Not with a bang, but with a subtle nudge. Maybe it’s an unexpected message, a random thought that suddenly makes sense, or a post that finally hits the right note.

Someone notices. A customer says yes. A breakthrough happens.

And in that moment, everything feels worth it again.

Building something from scratch, as a creator, a founder, or anyone who’s trying to make something happen can, more often than not, feel like you’re shouting into the void. You put in the work with no applause, and progress can feel invisible. It’s easy to think about quitting when results are nowhere in sight. But the truth is, your work is often doing the heavy lifting before the results even appear.

You might be one message, one post, one small idea away from everything clicking into place. But you won’t know unless you keep pushing forward.

Some of my biggest breakthroughs came when I felt like I was at my lowest, when I thought nothing was working. That’s when I almost gave up. But instead of throwing in the towel, I kept showing up, kept putting in my all, and then, only at these low points did things start to change.

And with this in mind, I had a recent realization.

The real game isn’t about being the smartest, the loudest, the fastest.

It’s not about closing the biggest checks or getting the most views.

It’s about pushing through when it feels like nothing is working, staying in the game long enough for your work to catch up with you. More often than not, it’s those quiet moments that lay the foundation for everything to shift.

You might be closer than you think. Just keep going.

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Readers!

Happy Wednesday, to all of my creators, builders, and entrepreneurs, I hope everyone’s week is going great and we’re approaching warmer months with fire in the belly.

On the CreatorPad front, the hustle continues. Cold pitching, in person sales, connecting creators with businesses, managing campaigns, and beyond has me feeling a bit all over the place.

And while I feel scattered, I know it’s because I’m obsessed with what I’m building. Being a builder means thinking about all the potential scenarios, picking up any slack, and ensuring that things get over the line.

So fellow builders, next time you’re feeling overwhelmed and you have 1,000 fires to put out, remind yourself, you’re doing this because you love it; because you see the value that you create. Changing that frame of mind might just push you through those inevitable roadblocks.

Thank you to Beehiiv for yet another sponsor on this week’s newsletter, if you’d like to support my creator journey, please go click the link below. It makes a massive difference and helps me afford the coffees that help get these issues out every week (😅).

-Luke

Build the Thing You Can’t Stop Thinking About

There are weeks where I feel like I’ve aged ten years.

Not because things are falling apart, but because building something from scratch just completely takes over your brain. I’ll be making coffee, brushing my teeth, hanging out with friends, trying to fall asleep, and the wheels just keep spinning. What's next? How do I get this thing in front of more people? What am I missing?

It’s like my brain won’t shut up. And although it’s exhausting, I weirdly kind of love it.

Because as painful and unpredictable as this whole startup “thing” is, I can't stop thinking about it. Not because I’m obsessed with some exit or title, but because I care about what I’m building. I want it to work because I know it can help people. And that (perhaps foolish) belief has its teeth sunk deep into me.

And honestly? When I think about it, I often have that same feeling when I’m creating.

The best content I’ve made didn’t come from forcing myself to post. It came from the stuff I needed to say. The ideas that wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote them down. The stuff that feels right always seems to hit harder than the stuff that’s just meant to check a box.

Whether you’re building a company, a creative career, or anything in between, it’s kind of the same thing. You don’t always feel like you’re making progress. You don’t always feel like it’s working. But if it lives in your head rent-free, if you can’t stop thinking about it...

You might be closer than you think.

It’s not you, it’s your platform

Your newsletter content is top-notch. Your social media game is on point. Your aspirations are through the roof. Yet you’re stuck on level one.

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Most newsletter platforms leave the growth and monetization aspects of content creation to the creator. But that’s like trying to drive a car with no wheels. 

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It’s time to ask yourself: if your newsletter platform isn’t doing enough for you, what are you going to do about it?

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Good AM and happy Wednesday, readers!

I don’t have too much to report on the personal front this week, so our intro will be short and sweet today.

On my end of things, I’ve been on the in person sales grind for CreatorPad recently, and it has me doing a lot of reflecting. Reflecting on personability, human to human interaction, and how all of it ties into the current landscape of my creator and startup founder journey.

These reflections have led me to some interesting realizations, and I’m excited to continue exploring this new path. It’s clear that genuine connection still matters, even in a digital world. Face-to-face conversations build trust in ways that algorithms can’t, and I’m rethinking how creators and brands can balance scalability with authenticity.

Speaking of scalability and authenticity, the sponsor of this week’s newsletter is Beehiiv yet again! Thank you to Beehiiv and to everyone who has been clicking these links when I have them. It makes a massive difference, and helps me earn some cash for my content, which has been my dream for as long as I can remember.

If you want to help me make three bucks, click that link below. And in the meantime, let’s dive into my weekly yap sesh.

Your Audience is Smarter Than You Think

Source: Mascola Group

One of the easiest ways to lose people, whether in content, sales, or just everyday human to human connection, is by underestimating them.

People can tell when you’re going through the motions. When you’re posting just to post. When you’re saying what you think they want to hear rather than something you actually believe. And customers? They’re just as sharp. They know when they’re being sold to, when a pitch is all fluff, and when you’re trying to force a deal that doesn’t make sense for them.

People aren’t dumb. And the second you treat them like they are, you lose them.

I’ve experienced this on many fronts, even firsthand in my own work. The posts I’ve made just to “keep up with the algorithm” never land as well as the ones I actually care about. The best responses always come from honesty, not strategy.

And I’ve found the same thing happens in startup sales. If I go into a conversation pushing an agenda rather than actually listening to what a business needs, I can feel the walls go up. Nobody wants to be talked at. They want to be understood.

And the key to all of this? Respect.

Respect your audience by making content that actually means something. Respect your customers by recognizing that they know what they need.

If you approach everything in your world: content, sales, or anything else, with authenticity instead of trying to game the system, you’ll see the difference almost every time.

People are smarter than you think. But if you treat them that way, they’ll actually want to stick around.

Let’s get serious

What’s the mark of the world’s best, most growth-minded newsletter creators? They’re all on beehiiv.

Why? Our entire platform exists to help serious content creators scale faster. We’re built for those who are ready to take their content and build it into a behemoth. 

It’s why we offer a no-code website builder. It’s why our ad network matches you with global brands like Nike and Netflix. It’s why we never take a dime of your subscription revenue. And it’s why Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ashley Graham trust us to connect with their huge fan bases. 

It’s all to put your hard work in front of more people. So if you’re ready to build, ready to grow, and ready to make the world take notice, beehiiv is ready for you.

Get started for 20% off with code BUILD.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Readers!

Happy Wednesday! It’s about to be 80 degrees in Denver today, and I’m ready to get the laptop outside, get some work done over too many iced coffees, and end the day with a couple of brews in the sun with friends.

As a chronic work-from-home-er, getting out of the house has been a major factor in my growth recently. I’ve found that while I love being in my domain and getting work done in a quiet space with no distractions, being “stuck” at home comes with many negatives, especially if you begin feeling burnt out.

Waking up at the same time, doing the same tasks, handling chores; when every day starts feeling like a loop, it’s easy to fall into a rut.

So to anyone feeling a bit cooped up, this is your sign to get out of the house, change up your scene, change the routine, and bring some new energy into your week. Your productivity levels will thank you later.

And I was going to segue into “speaking of productivity…” before jumping into the piece today, BUT Beehiiv decided to toss me another sponsorship opportunity in today’s newsletter. So, as always, if you’d like to support me for free, click that Beehiiv link below (it will help me earn over three bucks on each reader’s click)!

I appreciate all of you, now let’s get into it.

-Luke

Stop Trying to Be Productive

Source: Dall-E’s rendition of the piece below

Humans are obsessed with productivity.

From the moment we open our eyes in the morning (or before, shout out to my fellow anxiety dreamers), there’s pressure to optimize every second of the day. We track our steps, our sleep, our focus time. We read books on efficiency, listen to podcasts on habits, and try to squeeze the most output from every hour.

And while that might help some of the gurus online who are looking to sell you a course, real creativity and momentum don’t work like that.

For me, some of my best ideas don’t come when I’m grinding through a to-do list; they show up when I’m showering, walking, or doing something completely unrelated. I’ve found that creativity thrives in boredom, in those small moments where your brain has the freedom to breathe and wander.

But with the current landscape of socials constantly reeling you in, vying for your attention, you never have to let your brain take a breather.

Which leads me to my first question: when was the last time you let yourself be bored?

For creators, founders, and anyone trying to build something from nothing, the instinct is always to be doing more. More content, more ideas, more work. This is all good and well, but if you never give your brain a break, if you’re always consuming or producing, you leave no room for new ideas to form, especially in creative work or problem solving.

And here’s the crazy part we often forget: thinking is working, too.

Sitting at your desk isn’t the only way to make progress. Staring at a screen isn’t the only way to build. Some of the most valuable “work” happens when you’re away from it. On a walk, in the shower, zoning out while making that 3:00 PM coffee. Just because you’re not actively typing or producing doesn’t mean your brain isn’t doing the work behind the scenes.

Some of my biggest breakthroughs have come when I wasn’t even trying. A content idea that hit me while waiting in line for coffee. A startup solution that popped into my head while taking my pup on a walk. Creativity is weird like that. It shows up when you stop forcing it.

So if you’re feeling stuck, uninspired, or burnt out, maybe the answer isn’t another productivity hack. Maybe it’s shutting your laptop, putting your phone down, and letting your brain breathe for a second.

Because sometimes, doing nothing is exactly what you need to do.

Let’s get serious

Your newsletter, now exiting the stratosphere.

We’re beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for builders. Every product we drop and feature we create is made with one goal in mind: exponential growth. 

Our founders sought to bring the tools and tech to creators everywhere that helped turn their old company into a multi-million dollar operation. So when we say we can take you from “up-and-comer” to household name, we mean it.

If you need a beautiful destination for your content, use our no-code website builder. If you want paid subs, we don’t take a dime. If you want big name sponsors, we connect you with the likes of Nike and Netflix. 

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Hello hello!

The first day of spring is tomorrow, and while I’m excited for warmer days…. I have no idea how we got here. Wasn’t it just the start of the new year like 3 weeks ago?

Not many updates on my end of things other than bringing on a new team member to CreatorPad, making things move at light speed as we continue building, testing, iterating, and repeating.

Until I can give you the full run down, I hope you enjoy this week’s read, brought to you by Beehiiv, again!

I’ve been a massive fan of Beehiiv since I started this newsletter almost three years ago, and it keeps getting more powerful. If you have any interest in starting your own newsletter, consider clicking the link below. And if you don’t want to start your own venture, but you want to support me in mine, click the link below to help me earn from my writing.

Beehiiv is paying me $3.20 per click, so taking two seconds to open a new tab will help more than you could imagine. Thank you to all who click my links when I have them, you know who you are and you’re making a massive difference in my creator career!! ❤️ 

-Luke

The Hidden Cost of Free Advice

Source: Mehvish Waliany (LinkedIn)

The internet is overflowing with advice.

Scroll for five minutes, and you’ll find someone telling you exactly how to grow your audience, scale your business, or optimize every aspect of your life. Free advice is everywhere….and that’s exactly the problem.

The more you listen, the harder it gets to know what’s actually worth following, and what’s just noise.

But when you feel lost, or feel like you need some guidance, sometimes any advice is taken, but that “free” advice comes with a cost. As a startup founder, creator, and scriptwriter, I’ve had advice thrown at me from every direction. Post every day. No, post once a week. Long form is dead. No, short form is dead. You need a niche. No, you need to be everywhere.

And it’s not just random internet gurus either. Well-meaning friends, investors, and even successful founders will give advice that sounds great on paper, but completely contradicts something else you just heard.

The hard truth is that advice is usually just a reflection of what worked for that person, in their specific circumstances, with their unique timing.

While it’s not “bad” advice per se, it could lead you down a path that is not the most effective route to take. Even if it seems promising, blindly following someone else’s playbook can be a shortcut to failure.

So, how do you know which advice to take and which to ignore? I’ve found a few things help:

1. Consider the source. Is this person actually experienced in what they’re talking about, or are they just repeating what they’ve heard?

2. Check for skin in the game. Are they giving advice with real stakes, or are they just throwing out opinions because they can?

3. Does it align with your goals? Just because something worked for them doesn’t mean it’s the right move for you.

4. Test before you trust. Instead of taking advice at face value, experiment and see what actually works for your situation. As always, test test test.

Some of the best moves I’ve made in my career have come from ignoring advice that didn’t fit my path. At the end of the day, you’re the one building. No one else has to live with the results other than you, so take advice, but take it carefully.

And when in doubt, trust the person who knows your business, content, or audience the best: you.

Morning Brew, Time Inc, LA Mag, and You

What’s the connection? beehiiv. 

Our founders engineered the growth machine behind Morning Brew. They're now bringing that expertise to media juggernauts like TIME and LA Mag, helping them build best-in-class newsletters.

And all of that support, all of those tools, and all of that expertise is available to you. In short: no gatekeeping here. 

When you work with us, just like Time and LA Mag, you’ll get:

• The industry’s most powerful no-code website builder

• Access to our ad network and sponsors like Nike and Netflix

• Growth tools that help you scale with ease

Stop limiting your growth potential. Let proven experts working with the world’s biggest brands help you scale your content.

Get started for free here.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Reaaaaaaderrrrrssssss…

Happy Wednesday peeps, how are we faring as we make our way into spring?

On my end, the sickness that I was feeling last week finally caught up to me, and my head feels like it’s going to explode… BUT I’m too excited for things on the horizon to let a little flu hold me down.

On the CreatorPad end of things, we’re making some incredible strides, and things are looking very promising on all fronts. The team is growing, the customer base is expanding, and we’re exploring even more ways to help creators and local businesses.

With that said, if you know of any business owners who might be looking for a super easy and affordable way to reach their community and drive more business, shoot me a message. Whether that’s a local mom-and-pop shop or a startup founder looking to expand into specific markets, I want to help even more business owners break into the creator space while allowing awesome creators to earn from helping their local communities.

On the creative front, I feel as though I’m starting to hit a bit of a stride in my writing. Things are getting more streamlined, and you readers seem to be resonating with the new approach. I am also getting consistent sponsors, which is some fantastic monetary wind in the sails. Speaking of sponsors, Beehiiv was kind enough to support this week’s issue, so be sure to go click that link below!

Thank you, as always, for clicking those links when I have ‘em. I hope you enjoy this week’s read!

-Luke

You’re Overcomplicating It

Source: Alamy

Dear creators, founders, and anyone else trying to build something from scratch...

Let’s be real for a second...

We all have a terrible habit of making things way harder than they need to be.

As builders, we fall into the trap of thinking that success comes from some secret formula, a perfect strategy, or the most optimized workflow. We convince ourselves that if we just figure out the right way to do things, everything will click into place.

But more often than not, the problem isn’t that we’re doing the wrong things, it’s that we’re overthinking everything to the point of inaction.

I’ve fallen into this trap too many times to count. From crafting “the perfect” email outreach and trying to be overly strategic to spending hours carefully curating a “perfect” newsletter issue. These forced efforts almost always kill any momentum you’ve built.

Meanwhile, the people making the most progress? More often than not, they’re the ones doing. They focus on getting their work out there, testing things, and adjusting as they go. They don’t wait for the perfect plan. They focus on momentum.

As a full-time startup founder and creator, I’ve found that ‘doing’ rather than perfecting applies to almost everything.

Trying to grow as a creator? Post more, stress less.

Building a startup? Talk to customers, ship things faster.

Stuck on a decision? Pick a direction and adjust where needed.

Simple isn’t easy, but it’s actionable. And when you take away all the unnecessary complexity (the complexity that we create ourselves through overthinking), what’s left is usually the work that actually moves the needle.

So readers, creators, and builders, if you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself: Am I actually blocked, or am I just overcomplicating it? The simplest path forward is usually the one you’ve been avoiding.

Give me some feedback!

Morning Brew, Time Inc, LA Mag, and You

What’s the connection? beehiiv. 

Our founders engineered the growth machine behind Morning Brew. They're now bringing that expertise to media juggernauts like TIME and LA Mag, helping them build best-in-class newsletters.

And all of that support, all of those tools, and all of that expertise is available to you. In short: no gatekeeping here. 

When you work with us, just like Time and LA Mag, you’ll get:

• The industry’s most powerful no-code website builder

• Access to our ad network and sponsors like Nike and Netflix

• Growth tools that help you scale with ease

Stop limiting your growth potential. Let proven experts working with the world’s biggest brands help you scale your content.

Get started for free here.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Top of the mornin’ readers!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far, and we’re feeling ready to roll into March (how did we get here?).

I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so no long, runaround intro in this issue, but I did want to thank you readers who have been sticking around through the evolutions of this newsletter.

We’ve gone in many different directions, and we’re a long way from where we started, but that’s what growth is all about.

It’s not about the most efficient route, it’s not about getting to the end goal, it’s about exploring what makes you tick creatively.

That’s why this week, I want to talk about the kind of work that isn’t flashy, efficient, or scalable, but still makes all the difference. Thanks for tuning in!

-Luke

Doing Things that Don’t Scale

If you spend enough time in the startup space, you’ll hear one piece of advice over and over: do things that don’t scale. It’s almost cliché at this point, but admittedly, it’s one of those rare clichés that actually holds up.

Whether you’re building a startup or growing as a creator, the best opportunities often come from the things that shouldn’t work at scale. No one wants to do those hands-on, inefficient tasks that haven’t been automated yet, but in my experience, they’re exactly what leads to continued growth.

For creators, that might look like responding to every comment, personally reaching out to followers, or tailoring pitches to brands instead of blasting out a template. For founders, it might mean manually onboarding users, cold-emailing potential customers one by one, or offering an absurd level of personal support.

None of these things scale, yet they’re often what makes the difference.

Because algorithms change. Ads get expensive. Cold outreach loses effectiveness. But relationships, real relationships, built through effort and passion continue to pay off long after they should.

When I look at the wins I’ve had, whether in content, in my startup, or just in life, so many of them trace back to things I did that made no logical sense from a scalability standpoint.

The best partnerships? Came from reaching out personally.

The best opportunities? Came from saying yes to something that didn’t seem worth the time.

The best growth? Came from showing up, engaging, and trying every possible approach to make it work

Doing things that don’t scale won’t always lead to instant success, but it builds the type of foundation that makes scaling possible in the first place.

So if you’re hesitating to take that extra step, have that conversation, or put in the effort where others wouldn’t, do it anyway.

Sometimes, the best results come from the least efficient work.

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Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️

Hello creators, creator nerds, entrepreneurs, and mom and dad!

I love you… I mean, thanks for coming to another week of my ramblings. I appreciate all of you.

As we dive into another issue, I wanted to take a moment to pause and check the pulse of the community. We’ve gone through some transitions in the content over the last few months, and I wanted to see how you readers are enjoying the new approach.

Do we hate these deeper dives that can relate to entrepreneurs and creators alike?

Do we like to explore these thought pieces as creators and entrepreneurs?

If you feel strongly one way or the other, please do me a favor and let me know. Hearing your feedback only allows me to dive even deeper into our community and ensures that I’m exploring the right topics in this newsletter.

So if you feel passionate one way or the other, please reply to this email with your thoughts!

But in the meantime… how about that Beehiiv sponsorship this week? 😎 

If you’re considering starting a newsletter, you seriously need to check out Beehiiv. I’ve been using them as my main newsletter platform for years now, and there’s no better provider. So go click that link below and explore. Even their free options are stronger than the competition, seriously.

And if you’re not curious about starting up a newsletter, do me a favor and go click that link anyways. Beehiiv is offering me just over $3 per click, so if you’d like to support me and this newsletter, go check out the link below.

Thank you to everyone who clicks those links when I have ‘em. It makes a massive difference. ❤️

Now let’s get into it!

-Luke

Just Show Up

Source: Dall-E
I’ve been feeding my articles into GPT and asking it to generate imagery for me based on the content. This is my favorite interpretation of an article so far!

Ohhhhhh momentum.

Whether you’re running a start-up, or you’re creating content, the journey is nothing short of a roller coaster.

Some weeks, you are on the up and up; Ideas flowing, momentum building, everything just clicking.

And then there are the other weeks. Weeks where you’re tired, when you’re feeling uninspired, and wondering if any of it even matters.

I don’t have a grand insight today, just a reminder for all of you grinding to reach your goals: keep showing up.

More often than not, the people who succeed aren’t the ones with the perfect plan or the biggest spark of genius. They’re just the ones who didn’t stop.

That big creator that you look up to? That startup founder whose path you’re trying to follow? They didn’t get to where they are in a day, a month, a year. It likely took years of creating, continuous tweaking, and constant effort, even when it felt like no one was paying attention.

As I get deeper into both my startup and content creation journey, there have been so many moments where I wanted to pull back.

Moments when growth felt slow, when progress was invisible, when I questioned whether I was wasting my time and risking my future.

Looking back, the biggest wins didn’t come from sudden breakthroughs. They hardly ever do. These big moments all coalesced from the days I kept going when it would have been easier to stop.

So reader, if you’re feeling stuck right now, if you’re just having one of those weeks… just keep showing up.

Remember, you don’t have to break records or hit new milestones every day.

You just have to be here.

Morning Brew, Time Inc, LA Mag, and You

What’s the connection? beehiiv. 

Our founders engineered the growth machine behind Morning Brew. They're now bringing that expertise to media juggernauts like TIME and LA Mag, helping them build best-in-class newsletters.

And all of that support, all of those tools, and all of that expertise is available to you. In short: no gatekeeping here. 

When you work with us, just like Time and LA Mag, you’ll get:

• The industry’s most powerful no-code website builder

• Access to our ad network and sponsors like Nike and Netflix

• Growth tools that help you scale with ease

Stop limiting your growth potential. Let proven experts working with the world’s biggest brands help you scale your content.

Get started for free here.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️