Starting Matters More Than Being Ready...
10 thoughts, ideas & creative finds on micro actions macro results, building a mutli-million dollar community, and creating before consuming
🔥CHECK OUT THE APPAREL - CLICK HERE
New here? Click HERE for why I write weekly letters & essays.
Need to catch up?
The Rundown 12: It Doesn’t Happen All At Once… Until it Does
The Rundown 13: It Doesn’t Matter the Discipline, All of Us Are Artists on Some Level
The Rundown 14: The Market Isn’t Oversaturated, It Needs More Individuality
Hey Everyone,
Before I begin this week’s Rundown…
**I’m currently developing an All-in-One Notion Dashboard to help you streamline your creativity, productivity and income — so you can manage the technical, creative and financial aspect of your work easier. it's not just another project management tool or content calendar, but a complete operating system for the modern creative professional who needs to be both artistically fulfilled and commercially successful. You can join the waitlist here.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program…
The Rundown — Here’s what I found over the course of this week that has helped me, inspired me or gave me some creative pushes…
On why the ‘risky’ path might be the safer bet — “Success flows through us, not from us. We've been told what should be considered safe and what should be considered a risk, but what we failed to consider is the divine wisdom in following our gifts.” (—) — In a recent essay I did, I wrote about the benefits of following your hunches… both spiritually and financially. When we partner with our gifts instead of fighting them… When we build systems to support our genius instead of caging it… we usually discover that what looked like the riskiest path was actually our safest bet all along. Think about it - when we follow traditional paths purely for their promised security, we often find ourselves less secure than ever… but when we trust the gifts we've been given and follow where they lead, even when that path seems uncertain, we often discover that what looked like the riskier path actually offered deeper security. Ironic but not surprising.
On micro actions leading to macro results — “Well it happens small until it happens big. The reinvention happens in the micro actions that you’re taking every single day.” (—Rich Roll) — I recently spoke on my podcast how consistency is my therapy. I know people often compliment it and see the output but what they don’t see is that it’s helped me work through some of my toughest times, thoughts and seasons. Consistency is not just preparation for all the good that’s to come… it’s given me commitment and devotion to everything that matters while simultaneously reminding me of everything that doesn’t.
On learning to run a business — “In business, a lot of things are, I call it, are folklore. They’re done because they were done yesterday and the day before. So what that means is that if you’re willing to sort of ask a lot of questions and think about things and work really hard, you can learn business really fast. It’s not the hardest thing in the world” (—Steve Jobs) — I’m not saying there aren’t good businesses out there, but I will say I experienced a lot of what Steve Jobs said… “Well, that’s just the way it’s always been done.” I urge you to challenge the status quo. Business isn’t that hard. You solve a problem that means something to you. You realize others need it. You share your ideas with those people and then produce products and services that help them. The rest you’ll figure out.
On creating a multimillion dollar company from community and purpose — “If you want the world to know what you stand for, the niche is you. If you want the world to know what you’re passionate about solving, the niche is narrow” (—Matt Gottesman,) — I came across the clip below from Tatum Brandt talking about George Heaton’s 247… an adjacent brand to REPRESENT. What George has done so well is integrate his passion for exercise, mobility, running and relentless execution, but he’s encourage his community to run alongside with him. He’s even created pop-up run club get togethers in random cities around the world simply to connect and exercise. The future of brands is not what we’ve been force fed the past 50 years… it’s founder led, community backed, transparent missions that connect with the people. No amount of marketing can compete with authenticity.
On why “purpose driven” energy creates the most success — “Are you creating for the sake of proving yourself or for the sake of purpose. The former may get you the money, but it will also have you feeling unfulfilled. The latter will get you both, creative fulfillment and financial prosperity.” — On a recent podcast, I spoke about knowing the intention behind your pursuits. Prover energy will usually keep you chasing and in a hamster wheel. Purpose energy will have you ignoring the distractions and building an entire ecosystem for your life and work — My latest podcast on this can be found here (APPLE, SPOTIFY)
On having at least two things that make you stand out — “Everyone needs two shticks. And by “shtick,” I don’t really mean something trivial or gimmicky — I mean a trait, a skill or an interest that’s visible to people' and that’s distinctly yours. Something people associate with you, not just in passing, but in a lasting way.” (—Anu Atluru) — Since we all have something unique about us, I think it’s important that we expand it and create with it from a place that allows the world to say, “that’s definitely {fill in your name here} thing. I’d recognize that anywhere.” When I’ve partnered on projects that needed my creative output or branding, I would hear other people and brands say, “that definitely has Matt’s name on it.” I love that cause that means people know, understand and appreciate my work. In using your talents and gifts, make your mark with them.
On getting paid what you’re worth & building leverage in today’s new paradigm — “The new generation’s fortunes are made through media. If you have specific knowledge, you have leverage. They have to pay you what you’re worth. If they do, you get your time back and you become more hyper-efficient.” — I was watching this video created by Monty Maginn on Instagram and he did a great job detailing much of what I often like to talk about online, or have read from Naval (and other great creators), or have simply practiced from being a creator using the Internet all these years… deep work for the things you find most meaningful and can spend endless hours on, media as an infinite way to reach people and audience as a way to build community and trust. The “creator economy” is not just about “creating” — it’s about enhancing each others’ lives while enriching our own playing an infinite sum game that that enables both value creation and capture in unprecedented ways. In this paradigm, your worth isn't determined by time spent or hierarchical position, but by the value you create and the community you cultivate.
On creating before consuming — “The world isn’t built by consumers. It’s shaped by creators ” (—STELLAR ) — With so many distractions, it’s easy to see why people “put the cart before the horse.” In the video by Stellar below, he puts it simply… “create before consuming, write before reading, sketch before scrolling, run before resting, sculpt before admiring, build before buying and dream before following.” Notice each of the former puts you into a state of action, while each of the latter puts you into a state of waiting. It’s okay to be inspired but don’t use the external to begin creating… doing so will likely put you into a state of consuming which is eating up your time from creating more.
On avoiding 4 of the biggest traps in life — “Don’t get caught up in ‘status’ games cause then you get caught up competing in things that aren’t worth competing over.” (—Naval Ravikant) — Another great video complete with notes from Naval Ravikant on avoiding 4 key traps in life to maintain your freedom and creative abilities… not to mention in order to create your own life.
Playlist — Soulful & Jazzy House Mix in Brooklyn — A great playlist from DJ plastiC on YouTube @djplastix of Chill House to work to… great for creating, designing, writing, computer work.
Starting Matters More Than Being Ready... It's Where We'll Find Our Commitment & Devotion
When we examine success patterns…
whether it's following our gifts despite perceived risks, building businesses that challenge folklore, creating community-driven brands, or leveraging media for modern fortune-building, one truth emerges…
The magic lies in beginning before we feel fully prepared.
Our commitment deepens not from waiting for the perfect moment, but from taking those first uncertain steps.
It's in these early moments, when we choose creation over consumption and purpose over proof, that we discover our true capacity for impact.
Every major achievement, every transformed life, and every built fortune began not with complete readiness, but with the courage to start and the devotion to continue.
What we devote our lives to… not just business, but our health, our relationships, our spirituality, our creativity and more… the world will receive in value.
Go create!
Until next week,
– Matt
P.S. If you found value in this week's insights, consider sharing this post with someone who might need this reminder about the power of individuality. ↙️
🔐 Consider becoming a paid subscriber…
My Substack is a “reader supported” publication. Please consider becoming a “paid subscriber” which will give you access to 1.) exclusive subscriber-only content, 2.) podcast episodes, 3.) membership in a creative community, 4.) access to our community chat feature, 5.) Q&A’s & LIVEs, 6.) Upcoming workshops, and 7.) early access & discounts to books, apparel, events, workshops & more.
I am truly grateful for you supporting my journey while I support yours.
Not a reader? Follow along below:
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign Up
Connect With Me…
☼ Podcast
☼ Apparel
☼ Text Me
☼ Instagram
☼ Twitter
In the meantime, tell your friends!
Found a gem. I resonate muchly
Incredible compilation of ideas Matt!
I really feel identified by Rich Roll’s idea of micro actions. I love his podcast and really admire him.
To be honest, small and consistent actions are the catalyst for change.
Imperfect action beats perfect planning.
E.L. Doctorow's once said: "Life is like driving at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
Normal people think you need to be confident to start. Successful people know they get confident once they start.
So take action. Even if it is small action, do it.
If you just read 30 mins a day in 10 years you would read 440 books (assuming 1 page per minute)
If you run 1 mile daily for 10 years you would cover 3,650 miles, which is equivalent distance of running 140 marathons.
Small and consistent actions + time = exceptional results.