Welcome to the Niche is You!
I’m Matt Gottesman…
At the end of the day, I’m a writer.
I’ve spent more than two decades building brands, creating across disciplines and publishing online… often at the intersection of art, commerce, faith and entrepreneurship.
For most of my life, I never fit neatly into one box.
I was strategic and creative. Spiritual and practical. A builder and an artist. I’ve always been fascinated by how ideas move through people, how businesses become bodies of work and how the things we create ultimately shape the lives we live.
For years, I thought those parts of me were competing. Eventually, I realized they were serving one another.
The writing sharpened the strategy. The strategy deepened the craft. The faith gave everything a foundation.
And that’s really where The Niche Is You began.
Not as a newsletter.
As a place to explore what happens when people stop trying to shrink themselves into categories and start building from the full range of who they are.
Why This Exists?
The internet is loud.
Most of us are trying to think, create, build and hear ourselves inside systems that reward speed, performance and constant visibility… so I wanted to build something slower…
An algorithm-free space for essays, ideas and conversations about creativity, publishing, wealth, faith and intentional living.
And a place to rethink our relationship with work, money, creativity, energy and time… not as separate pursuits, but as different expressions of the same life we’re trying to build…
Instead of more noise… more room… a place to think, to breathe, to return to the work, the gifts and the parts of ourselves that may have gotten buried underneath everything we were told to become.
I’ve come to believe that most of what we’re building isn’t actually external. We’re learning to have a healthier relationship with our work, our time, our money, our creativity and, ultimately, ourselves.
The real flex isn’t playing the game better… it’s showing people there’s a whole different game to be played.
This isn’t about fitting into what already exists. It’s about answering what was assigned to you to build.
Don’t just create your own lane... show what’s possible outside what the system sold you.
What You’ll Find Here…
Every week, I publish essays and The Rundown… a curated letter of the ideas, creators, books, conversations and observations shaping how we think, work, create and live.
The other main conversations here live in four places.
On Craft… Who are you as a maker?
Reflections from more than two decades of building, writing and creating on the internet. Essays on developing your voice, honoring your gifts and creating work that only you can make. The goal was never to make more content; it’s to become unmistakably yourself.
On Publishing… how does your work move through the world?
Publishing is changing, and the power is moving back to the creator. This is where I write about ownership… of your work, your rights, your distribution and the body of work you’re building over a lifetime. Less waiting to be chosen, more building on your own terms before anyone gives you permission.
On Money… how do you build a life around your work?
Money was never the enemy of the work… neglect is. This is where I write about the business of art and the art of business: owning what you create, building sustainable wealth and treating your work as a lifelong asset instead of a one-time transaction. The goal isn’t simply to earn more… it’s to create a life where your work can keep working for you.
On Becoming… who are you becoming in the process?
Everything we build eventually becomes a mirror. This is where I write about faith, philosophy, relationships, health and the quieter work of becoming more fully yourself. Because our work rarely outgrows the person creating it.
Do You Need a Community…
In a world saturated with content and information, I thought the best thing I could do is create a space to exhale…
a place to think, create, reflect and reconnect, as well as be surrounded by people who understand what it feels like to build something that matters… especially your life.
So I created a membership which has quietly turned into an incredible community of 350+ creators, writers, founders, maker and thinkers from more than 25 countries…
It’s called In Residence because that’s what it feels like… less of a membership… more of a place to keep showing up. To me, real status is a pace that aligns with you, work you’re proud of and a community of individuals that make you want to keep becoming.
Inside the membership you’ll find:
Exclusive Writing — deeper ideas and reflections I don't publish anywhere else.
Quarterly Challenges — focused 14-day experiences to help you reset, gain clarity and build momentum, 4x a year, with LIVE calls.
Third Space — a weekly live accountability hour (virtual co-working space) to think, work, reflect and create alongside the community.
Monthly live workshops and conversations — practical ideas for building your body of work, growing your visibility and creating a business that supports the life you're trying to build.
Private Substack community chat — thoughtful conversations with fellow creators, founders, writers and lifelong learners from around the world.
Member Library — frameworks, practical tools, live workshops (and recordings), resources and a growing archive designed to support both your craft and your life to return to whenever you need clarity, momentum or your next step.
I often describe it like a run club. Nobody asks if you’re fast enough, you just show up. We may all move at different speeds, but we keep moving together.
»Upgrade to In Residence Paid Membership Here« ($8/mo or $80/year)
If You’re Actively Building….
Creator Founder is a deeper tier for people actively building a business, a book, a platform, an offer or a body of work they’d like to devote their lives to.
It includes everything inside In Residence, plus more direct access to me through…
Personalized strategy sessions
Direct mentorship around what you're building
Priority access to projects and events, and
Private Founder gatherings as they roll out
»Upgrade to Creator Founder Paid Membership Here« ($550/year)
*Perfect if you’re already creating, but ready to build a in a way that’s aligned, profitable, and sustainable for your life.
The Heart of It…
I don’t think people need more content…
just more resonance, truth, ownership, permission to trust what God placed within them… and more spaces where they can remember who they are… and build from that place.
I’ve never believed we’re given meaningful work simply to spend our lives second-guessing it.
And the work usually asks something much simpler… to show up, to keep making, to keep publishing and to keep becoming.
Around here, we have a simple philosophy: Just publish.
That’s because the work is never finished... but because it’s often through making that we discover what we were trying to say all along.
That’s what this is… a publication, a community, a body of work…
and a place to return whenever the world gets loud and you need to hear yourself again.
The niche is you…. I’m just reminding you.
With gratitude,
Matt
Want to find me elsewhere + join OUR crew?
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