Hey Friend 👋

This week has been amazing.
Originally, I planned to make a video about my consistency system. But as the week filled up, I realized: if I push through, it’ll be a rush job. Creating a half-baked video that just adds stress? So instead, I focused on something that actually moves the needle.

A video packaging checklist designed to help every podcast hit 1,000 views in the first 72 hours.

After dropping Luc’s video with high hopes and watching it stall at 300 views, I faced a hard reality: This can’t happen again. Because it wasn’t the content, it was the packaging. So I spent the week refining the system of making and testing it. Now, I know exactly what needs to happen before a video goes live to give it the best shot at success.

But the real highlight? Our first community call.
Seeing so many familiar faces and finally getting a bigger picture of the people who’ve joined was awesome. One thing became really clear: We’re all in a season of reinvention. Everyone’s redefining what kind of creator they are and how they want to show up online.

Oh and founding member spots are now more than half way gone. If you need a group of people around you that helps you overcome overthinking. I invite you to join.

💛 Valentin

The Money-Making Power of Saying No

We all know saying no is important but let’s be real. It’s hard. And we all know there are plenty of ways to make money but that’s hard too.
But what if combining these two truths could be the foundation for financial and creative success?

What I Said No to This Week

This week, I said no to making a video. Instead of spending hours filming, editing, and optimizing, I focused on something bigger: Laying the foundation for sustainable success.

As creators, we know at least seven ways to make money: memberships, digital products, sponsorships, courses, events, coaching, ad revenue (In fact one of my earliest videos is about that). On paper, they all seem like golden opportunities. But chasing after every revenue stream can leave you more broke than focusing on just one.

I was reminded of this while watching Iz and Johnny Harris talk to Colin and Samir. Then it hit even harder when ChatGPT roasted me with this:

Chat called me out, and honestly? It was right. This really felt like a punch in the gut because I just made that mistake. While working on my last episode, I knew I had a brand integration but I also wanted people to join my newsletter, nudged them toward the community, and suggested they watch another video. The result? A conflicting message without impact.

Brand partnerships are an “obvious” way for creators to make money, but they come with extra pressure. Now, it’s not just about making great content. It becomes about delivering results for a brand. Doubling the emotional weight of a videos performance.

But then something interesting happened. I saw people joining the community beyond the waitlist and some started actively sharing it on social media.
Making me realize: focusing on one core thing pays off.

Introducing the 'No Journal'

To strengthen that muscle of saying no and seeing the impact of doing the reps I’m starting a No Journal. Just like writing down small moments of gratitude can shift your mindset, tracking what you say no to can clarify your focus.

For example: Today I’m saying no to overly researching a topic, so I can go on a Fridate with my wife.

Now my question to you is:

What do you say no to?

Look back at your week What’s one thing you said yes to that you should have rejected? Hit reply and let me know. Because sometimes, the biggest step toward success isn’t adding more it’s cutting what doesn’t serve you.

My favorite content this week

Blake Lefray’s video about Dua Lipa’s Interview skills had me hooked from start to finish. Seeing that it’s his second upload and about to hit 200K views got me even more interested in his backstory and the channels future.

What’s on your radar this week?

Cheat Code I discovered this week:

The roast I got from chat is based on this pompt:

Based on what you already know about me, play the role of a close friend who cares deeply about me but is comfortable being absolutely transparent and direct with me. Based on our interactions, tell me 10 things I need to hear that would help me in the long run.

Try it if you dare. 🌶️
As always the more you interact with chat the harder it hits.
You can see it’s full response to me on LinkedIn

In case you missed it:

⬅️ Last week we talked about my 0-Sub Monetization Blueprint

➡️ Next week you can learn about sliding into a Brands DMs

Thank you for reading 💛