Frances Brown aka Gemma St. Claire & Claire Gem

On this day 2 years ago, I quit my job and moved to Madrid so my wife could get her MBA. I was 25 and terrified to go solo. But today, the little business I started brings in 5x more than I made in that job (which was a wonderful role), I write fiction ~3 hours per day, and get to shoot hoops on Tuesday afternoons. If I was starting over, here’s what I’d tell myself: 1. Get started, get consistent, then get good. Your early writing or business will probably suck. Mine did. They’ll improve but only if you give yourself permission to suck first. 2. Nobody thinks about you more than you do. Ask for what you want. I missed a few big opportunities because I didn’t ask. 99% of the time, the worst thing that happens is someone says no. The best thing that can happen is your life is forever changed. 3. Start your side hustle while you’re still a full-time employee. Set a target % of your salary you want to hit. Then, when you hit that, go all in. It’s less risky and gives you a specific goal. 4. Chase uncapped upside. Read “Finite & Infinite Games.” 5. Take your mental health seriously. I never gave it two thoughts. Then got seriously depressed for a few months. Think sleeping in until 11, laying around, super lazy, no energy, no reading, not hitting the gym. We moved, and overnight I became my normal, happy, creative self. Your environment matters a lot. 6. “Quality” is subjective. No matter what you do, some people will call your stuff trash. But others will love it. If you’re happy with your work, ship it. Embrace the cringe. Write what you’d wanna read. 7. The people you look up to are also winging it. 8. Be different. Name and Claim your category. Then when others follow your lead, their work bolsters you. 9. What’s obvious to you isn’t obvious to others. 10. The “starving artist” doesn’t need to be you. Creatives have more ways than ever to make money. – Productized agency – Educational products – Newsletter to drive demand Generate revenue from Day 1. Start an agency. Create a course. Sell something. 11. “You’re marketing to a moving parade, not a standing army.” – David Ogilvy Say one thing 1000 different ways. Repeat the messages you believe in most. Even post the exact same thing 3-4 months later. Put the work into building the flywheel. Then let it spin. *** Again, this is what I’d tell myself. Some come from painful mistakes. Others come from wins.