I blame Matt D'Avella for everything

Motivation Monday from the king of minimalism.

Author

Angela Hollowell
July 28, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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Hey honeys and hustlers,

While I appreciate the occasional minimalist aesthetic, I am not a minimalist. Life is too short not to have more than one ridiculous coffee mug or graphic tee from your favorite band. Yet and still, I am constantly inspired by the king of minimalism, Matt D’Avella. I started a podcast in part because of him. I embrace slow growth in part because of him. I changed my YouTube strategy in part because of him. He's the reason my podcast is on my main channel. He's the reason I kind of don't care about having a “niche” or set style on YouTube. I feel motivated to create my best work, in part, because of him.

While I found him on YouTube, lately, I’ve been reading his newsletter more than I’ve been watching his videos. In case you needed a little Monday pick-me-up to complement your caffeinated beverage of choice this morning, these snippets of his writing are for you (and for me).

Matt D’Avella

P.S. I’ll be on Substack live later today at noon with Seth Werkheiser, the writer of the Social Media Escape Club newsletter. We’ll discuss leveraging LinkedIn as a funnel for your business, newsletter, and website. Bring your lunch and join us in the chat!

But first, a word from our sponsor

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On making money as a creator:

Money is a tool. Not a scoreboard. It doesn’t reflect your worth. It doesn’t capture the full value of what you give to the world. And it definitely doesn’t measure what matters most....So if you’re in a season where you’re earning less because you’re growing in other ways—don’t panic. This chapter might not be a step back. It might be the moment everything starts to change.

Effort over everything:

What would it take to look back on my life and be happy with the short amount of time I had here. I realized it had nothing to do with how successful I was, how much money I made, or how much my former high school classmates respected me… it was all about effort.

On creating for yourself with joy:

Forget about your audience. Forget about outcomes. Forget about your peers. Try to turn down all the noise and pursue the joy in your work again.

On what to do:

We always have a choice. But we often convince ourselves we don’t. You don’t have to do anything.

On how to create:

Whether you’re just starting or you’ve already "made it", the truth is the same: it’s all about the effort you put in. If you have zero subscribers, create like you have a million. And if you have a million subscribers, create like you have zero.

On enjoying the small wins:

Hitting your goals won’t make you much happier. Most of us love chase after big goals—hitting a certain number, growing an audience, or mastering a skill. Many assume that bigger milestones bring exponentially greater happiness, but that’s not the case. Enjoy your wins in the moment.

On accountability:

We often defend our worst traits without realizing it. Blame is easy. Ownership is hard.

Create a space for you to thrive:

Creating an intentional space is about curating an environment that supports and inspires you. It doesn’t have to happen overnight, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it’s the imperfections that make it yours.

What you do > what happened:

Something may not be your fault—like getting hit by a car—but it’s always your responsibility to decide how you react.

I hope these words are helpful. Be kind to yourself. I hope you have a great week. I’m rooting for you.

💡Whenever you’re ready, here are a few ways I can help you get the most out of this community.

  • Book a 1:1 consultation. Get personalized feedback on your creative projects and business.

  • Purchase a digital product. The waitlist for my newest paid product, CommunityOS, is available now.

  • Buy me a book. Not literally, but figuratively. The tip jar is open on BuyMeACoffee.

  • Join the creator database (it’s free). It’s the easiest way to meet other folks in this community and get hired for projects.

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