What You’re Called to Build Will Never Compete With Who You’re Becoming…
10 thoughts, ideas & creative finds on building with intention, scaling with simplicity, and letting your life lead your business.
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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 building from identity, not at the cost of it— “What you’re called to build will never compete with who you’re becoming.” (—Matt Gottesman) — A God-given vision won’t ask you to abandon yourself — it’ll ask you to become more of who you truly are. In a world that glamorizes hustle and identity-for-sale success, this is your reminder: alignment over applause. If the work you’re doing forces you to shrink, compromise your values, or perform a version of yourself that feels off… it’s not the vision. The right vision won’t just stretch you — it’ll reveal you. Not overnight. But over time. The more you honor your soul in the building process, the more the work reflects your truth — not just your talent. Stay rooted in who you are… because that’s exactly who the vision was given to.
On saying what only you can say — “If someone else can publish it, it doesn’t belong on your page." (—Tom Noske) — Most people aren’t struggling with visibility… they’re struggling with originality. In this clip, Tom reminds us that your voice isn’t found in trends, templates, or value lists recycled from someone else’s feed — it’s found in the stories only you can tell. The quirks, the pain, the nuance, the insight that’s uniquely yours. Your audience isn’t searching for more of what’s already out there. They’re looking for you. So if the content you’re posting could’ve come from someone else, it’s time to go deeper. Strip it back. Say what only you can say — and you’ll stop blending in with the noise. You’ll start resonating with your true people.
On longevity and building for eternity — “The best businesses solve problems that never go away” (— Aziz Nishanov) — Before brands had logos, before marketing funnels, before modern capitalism… there was craftsmanship. Kongo Gumi is the oldest continuously operating company in the world — a Japanese family business that’s been building temples for over 1,400 years. They’ve survived samurai wars, natural disasters, world wars, and economic collapse. Why? Because they never lost sight of their purpose. While the world optimized for speed, they optimized for soul. Their legacy wasn’t built through trends — it was built through timeless relevance and generational stewardship. The lesson? You don’t need to chase the new. You need to solve something ancient. Build with eternity in mind… and let consistency become your compound interest.
On stepping out of the “game” entirely — "The real winners are the ones who step out of the game entirely… who rise above it. (—Naval Ravikant) — Naval speaks to a kind of peace most people never reach: needing nothing from anyone. Not recognition. Not comparison. Not even progress by the world’s standards. Just presence. He references people who’ve stopped chasing altogether—not out of apathy, but because they’ve transcended the scoreboard. They’ve cultivated internal freedom… success isn’t about how well you play the game, but whether the game owns you at all. This isn’t about quitting. It’s about evolving. And sometimes, the highest path is learning to sit quietly in a room with yourself—and feel full. Stepping out of the game didn’t make me less ambitious — it made me more aligned. It gave me permission to rewrite the rules, rebuild from peace, and architect a life that feels truly my own.
On creating what you needed — not what you think will sell — “Create what you wish you had… not what you think will sell” — In a recent podcast, I broke down why your most powerful work doesn’t start with strategy — it starts with service. The work that resonates most isn’t built from trend forecasts or viral formulas… it’s built from truth. When you create for your past self — the version of you that was searching, struggling, or stuck — you stop guessing what the market wants and start delivering what someone actually needs. That’s when your work becomes magnetic. Because you’re not just selling — you’re serving. You’re not chasing the algorithm — you’re offering answers. Forget perfect positioning. Start with personal resonance. That’s what scales.— My latest podcast on this can be found here (APPLE, SPOTIFY)
On holding the vision while honoring the process — "It’s okay to hunt buffalo… just make sure you’re eating rabbit in the interim.” (—Phillip Akhzar founder of Arka Packaging) — This advice hits deep, especially for visionaries chasing moonshots. You were wired to go for it — to think big, move fast, and believe beyond reason. But there’s wisdom in the pause. In not skipping the small, steady steps that sustain you. Too many founders ignore the foundational wins because they don’t feel like breakthroughs… but it’s the accumulation of those rabbit-sized victories that gives you the stamina to bag the buffalo later. I’ve always carried a vision too big to explain — but the small moves I make daily are what give it breath. I don’t see them as compromises anymore. I see them as agreements with the future. You don’t have to sacrifice your calling to stay resourced. You just have to move wisely… and remember that even the seemingly small is sacred when it's aligned.
On the human imperative to make — “Invention is a human imperative… It doesn’t have to be on a gigantic scale. It could be an individual.” (—Founders Podcast) — The spirit of innovation doesn’t belong to institutions — it belongs to individuals. From the printing press to the web, every breakthrough started with one person deciding to make something. Not for scale. Not for validation. But because they felt compelled to contribute. Creation is part of our divine design. You don’t need a factory or a following — just a willingness to bring something new into the world. Whether it helps one person or a billion, the act of creating itself is a form of service.
On the shift from social media to interest media — “We are now in the interest media era. Not social media… but interest media.” (—Gary Vee) — The feed isn’t about who you follow anymore — it’s about what you care about. Algorithms have evolved to surface content based on attention, not association. Which means influence is no longer about legacy audiences… it’s about resonance in real time. As Gary points out, someone with zero followers can now outperform a global influencer — if their content hits the mark. We’re entering an era where intention matters more than popularity. Where creators rise not by being everywhere, but by being exactly where they’re needed — in alignment with the interests, values, and communities they serve.
On having the proof you need — “Your discipline is proof that you believe the vision.” (—Matt Gottesman) — Discipline isn’t about hype. It’s about devotion. It’s the quiet commitment to what you know is real — even if the results aren’t visible yet. In this post, I break down how discipline is less about performance and more about presence. It’s not about showing off — it’s about showing up. Every rep, every decision, every “yes” in private is you saying, “I believe in this, even if no one else sees it yet.” Discipline isn’t about chasing outcomes — it’s about honoring the path. Not for applause, but for alignment. The future belongs to those who stay consistent, not just inspired.
Playlist — Chill Jazz House for a Perfect Brunch | VIENE | Stovelab 040 — A great playlist from StoveLab on YouTube @stovelab of Chill House to work to… great for creating, designing, writing, computer work.
What You’re Called to Build Will Never Compete With Who You’re Becoming…
You were never meant to build a life, business, or platform that forces you to abandon yourself.
Everything we create should reflect who we’re becoming — not mask it.
Whether it’s:
Sharing what only you can say
Building a vision without losing your voice
Moving from survival mode to stewardship
Shifting from content that performs to content that transforms...
It all comes back to this: real success doesn’t cost you your identity — it confirms it.
The world doesn’t need more polished personas or repurposed playbooks.
It needs people building with presence… creating with conviction… and showing up from a place of clarity, not compromise.
So here’s the question to sit with:
Is what I’m building revealing the truth of who I am… or distracting me from it?
Let that guide the next move.
The niche is you.
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. ↙️
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This is exactly what I needed to see today. I'm in the first stages of building a new creative business for the first time after exiting corporate America due to a lack of value alignment. The vision I was called and inspired to launch is being muddied by capitalistic fears. Now I know I need to stick to the original heart-led design. Thank you!
Love this.
I think the building is part of the process of becoming who I am becoming.