You haven't heard from me in about 2 months, since my father died. I sent an email on Oct 17 letting everyone know that I would be taking a break.
The first thing I'd like to say is that I'm shocked. I received hundreds of supportive responses from you. It was one of those moments that restored my belief in humanity! And I needed it. Because my faith in humanity this year has otherwise been rapidly declining...
Why Do Scumbags get Rewarded?
- Sam Bankman-Fried was practically worshipped until he was caught for misappropriating customer funds when FTX collapsed. He was the youngest ever billionaire as a reward for, uh... gross negligence and fraud.
- The Liver King is a fitness influencer who just got exposed for being on steroids, but only after he made many millions pretending his unreal physique was from his primal methodology. Sorry for lying, but thanks for the millions, suckas!
- I've written out a timeline of how James Clear has ripped off my work for the last decade and used it for his personal gain.
- There is a rapidly-growing number of "Influencers" who cheat, fake, and lie their way to the top. It goes from mild stuff, like enhancing images, to bigger stuff, like faking your entire lifestyle or photoshopping yourself into a different person. People keep doing it because it works.
The scummier the person, the more they succeed. It sure seems that way sometimes. It aligns with the adage that "all press is good press." It certainly seems to be the case in today's attention economy.
It makes me sad for humanity that we're so easily duped and accidentally reward the most charming/convincing people over, well, honest people. Bankman-Fried fooled the entire world, including some of the most powerful people/companies in Finance, and his company didn't even have an accounting department! If that can happen, then I'd say there is no limit to our gullibility as humans.
But the flip side of that coin might explain why I received so many supportive messages when I said I was taking a break to process my father's death. There are a lot of good, trusting people in the world. Perhaps it's just that we're too trusting at times, and unsavory people who understand human psychology know precisely how to take advantage of it.
I watched the video that exposed The Liver King's lie. I learned that several people in the fitness industry found it hard to believe the Liver King was natural, but took him at his word because he told them he didn't use steroids in private, face-to-face conversations. It makes you wonder if he told the lie so much that he started to believe it.
All that being said, it was amazing to see how many good people read my newsletter. Most of you don't know me personally, but you responded with genuine care and it surprised me. It reminded me that while evil people are out there making headlines, there are many more good people quietly making the world a better place. For that, I thank you! You sure made my world a lot brighter after I sent that email.
In this two months, I've done a lot of thinking...
My Future: What I'm Doing Next
I'm debating about focusing on different income streams besides my books. I have immensely enjoyed writing books and do have another one in the pipeline. But as the market dynamics have changed, I think it has become too risky for me to spend 1-2 years writing each book, hoping that it sells well enough to support me another 1-2 years. Very few authors can make ends meet by selling books alone.
It would be nice to have eggs in other baskets. Since this is the type of stuff I like to read about, I'll share four other baskets I'm considering. Here are the strategic options I'm considering moving forward:
Write more, shorter books
This appeals to me a lot. I can explore more topics, and each book would be significantly less risky in terms of time spent. I was only able to write one book every year or two previously because all of my books were hits. That was probably an unrealistic trend!
This is still writing books, of course, but it's a very different business model, and one I've seen others have success with.
Writing for... T Shirts?
I've always been very good at captioning. I know, it's a weird skill that nobody claims or cares about. But I remember in elementary school, our class had a caption contest, and I won it. And Rifftrax, a company that makes funny commentary overlayed during movies, held a caption contest that I got second place in out of hundreds of entries. It is a gift!
So... one area I want to explore with this "skill" is making funny T-shirts to sell. It seems like a fun side project, if nothing else.
Video content
One difficult thing about being an author is that books are soooo 1990s. Books will never die, of course, but they will certainly cede some of their dominance to video (as they already have). From a young age, I made funny videos with my cousins. And speaking of my dad, he's famous for taking one of those massive shoulder cameras down splash mountain (how he was allowed to try, I don't know).
I could make video content for personal development/habits. I might also go for comedy or some other interest. There are a lot of options here, but it would probably be done via YouTube.
Video courses
I've made two video courses. One on Mini Habits and one on Mini Habits for Weight Loss. Those were a lot of work, a lot of fun, and people like them. I could see myself making more of these for personal development or even other topics.
Fork in the Road?
When my dad died, it amplified an already pressing need for me to figure out my next steps. (Entrepreneurship is not known for being easy or smooth!) Experimentation is likely, and I'll keep you informed of any major shifts.
As for this blog and newsletter, consider it resumed. Regardless of what I do next, I wrote blogs/articles long before it had anything to do with my career. Writing grounds me in a way that not much else can. I highly recommend writing privately or publicly as a way to clarify your thinking.
I love you all. Thank you so much for reading my articles, newsletters, and books over the years (or today if you're new!). Until next time...
Cheers,
Stephen Guise
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