Matt Ragland

Sunday, September 08, 2024

WRAP #137: Developing Intuition & Expertise

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Hey Reader, a quick heads up that my latest YouTube video is now up! I sent you the preview last week, thanks for the notes and encouragement on it. I also appreciate the editor's eye that I included the Father Fire mention twice.

I also want to say thanks to Pitch DB as the sponsor of this newsletter. If you're a topical expert or content creator, Pitch DB is your key to unlocking exclusive paid speaking opportunities, podcast features, and outstanding press coverage. I'm using Pitch DB to start finding and booking events to speak at this fall, and find more podcasts to promote HeyCreator and FatherFire.

Learn more about Pitch DB at the end of this newsletter, but now let's get to the big idea 💡

💡 The Big Idea

Developing Intuition

One of the most interesting books I've read the past year is Rick Rubin's The Creative Act. You have have heard or seen Rubin on his podcast tour last year promoting the book, he hit all the big shows — my favorite was on Dan Carlin's podcast (he of Hardcore History fame).

I find Rubin interesting not only because of his success but also because of his (perceived) pace of life and diversity of musicians he works with (Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Slayer, Johnny Cash, Adele, System of a Down, and one of my favorites — The Avett Brothers).

What comes out in his book is a way of calibrating intuition, problem solving, and creative process that sits above genre — it’s about getting the best ideas and work out of people.

Another book that's made me think about this a lot is How to Take Smart Notes. In the book, Ahrens discusses the path to expertise through practice and decision-making (chapter 9.4).

The most reliable way to build this confidence is by actually doing the work, rather than just studying concepts. Concepts are effective because they are applied with a purpose.

Consistently practicing this approach over time changes everything. You will be able to look back and confidently say, "I've done this before, I can do it again".

Rubin makes an intentional effort to orient his life around creativity. That may not sound like a big deal — lots of authors, musicians, and artists do this. But Rubin’s commitment to his process, perspective, and inner belief is inspiring.

That inner belief is something I’ve been cultivating and leaning into the past couple years. One of the most important components is my reaction to when I get something “wrong.”

Instead of believing that I was wrong, or the decision was bad, or worse — that I can’t trust myself… the change in belief is that I didn’t know what I needed yet, or can improve the process, or the timing wasn’t right. It’s a paradox: I can trust myself to make the right decision while knowing not every decision is going to be correct or work out.

Note: if you're a dad looking for ideas and encouragement about your own intuition and decision making process — you should hang out with us in Father Fire. Reply for an invite or read more at the end.

📰 Article to Read

Different is Better than Better

I really liked this essay from Sally Hogshead. It flips the whole "be better than the competition" idea around. Instead of just being better, it's about being different and using your unique strengths to stand out. I found it to be really thought-provoking for how I measure success and content.

This syncs with my opinion that AI content only strengthens unique personal content, i.e. what makes you different. Because only I can do the thing, say the words, and share the experience that is unique to me. Uniqueness is becoming more valuable as generalized content is getting more accessible and easier to produce.

Everything you need to get booked for speaking gigs, podcasts, and more

When I started as a content creator 8 years ago, finding events, conferences, podcasts, and media outlets to work with was a HUGE pain.

It was all through personal outreach, cold emails, tons of research, all for little benefit — especially compared to the time I was spending on it.

Honestly, I kinda gave up on speaking and outreach. Then I found Pitch DB.

With PitchDB, I was able to make my outreach way more effective and efficient. It also allows me to monitor the effectiveness of each pitch I send and track my progress. Their network includes over 3 million podcasts, 37,000 media outlets, and 17,000 speaking opportunities — all for $97!

I wish I had Pitch DB when I started 8 years ago, and it's been a game-changer for helping my business take a big leap forward. Click here or the button to learn more about how Pitch DB can help you, too!

👀 A Video to Watch

Consistent Habits

This short clip from the HeyCreator show talks about content, like writing or recording videos and podcasts. But I want you to listen less to the what and more to the how. ​ Because I know everyone reading this wants to be a little more consistent with a specific habit. Right now, mine is meditating and journaling. I have to remember these steps to become consistent, without over-thinking it and trying to do too much early on.

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The WRAP is (ALSO) sponsored by Mighty Networks

You've heard me talk about Mighty Networks on my YouTube videos the last few months — it's the community platform I've been running Father Fire on and I really like it. I talk about why I love it at this part of the video.

It has all the features you would expect from a community platform, like spaces for posts, chats, and the ability to go live. Mighty also is using AI to help you better understand what your community needs and talks about the most, then develops questions to keep the conversation going!

If you're a person building community with others over a common vision or goal (like being a great dad) — then check out Mighty Networks and see what they can do to support your mission.