You Aren't Just a "Content Creator"

*This post is sponsored by Strut.

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Baltimore is one of my favorite cities as a creative entrepreneur. I recently spent the weekend in Baltimore learning about entrepreneurial ecosystem development where I saw their efforts to grow, develop, and sustain Black entrepreneurs - one of many models that people can look to for community-driven success. I was elated to hear that one of my favorite podcast festivals is returning to Baltimore in October to celebrate the diversity, creativity, and indie spirit of podcasters. I was a speaker at Afros & Audio last year, and I can’t say enough good things about my experience. Click the link below to get your early bird tickets for 15% off with code “AFAU24HNH.”

There are still a few days left to RSVP for the next Riverside Podcasters Roundtable! I’ll be a guest panelist sharing real-world advice on how to ace your next guest interview. Join us live with your questions on Tuesday or watch the recording at the link below!

This Week’s Podcast Guest

Taylor Adams is the founder of Scrapt Productions, a media production company based in Raleigh. Taylor shared his journey from working in the athletic department at North Carolina State University to establishing his own production company. Through that transition, he expanded from sports videography to broader documentary filmmaking projects - a journey that prompted him to think critically about the importance of maintaining creative integrity while pivoting his niche or purpose (is there a word for early-stage entrepreneur life crisis?).

You can watch or listen to the new episode featuring his not-yet-infamous rant on his discontent with the word “content.”

You can also check it out on Apple Podcasts.

During the pandemic, Taylor adapted by taking on editing gigs, which played to his strengths and allowed him to continue working despite the challenges faced by the industry. Sometimes being a freelancer means contributing your skill set to other projects and working with a team, rather than only focusing on solo projects like he’d probably prefer (original creative work is so appealing).

Taylor shared his aspirations to return to creating original work and the impact he hopes to have through his projects, which ultimately meant taking some inspiration from Anthony Bourdain and adjusting his original messaging for his company. Have you ever needed to pivot the message but not the mission? This likely translates to his perception of the word content as it relates to videos and filmmaking. He argues that using the term "consume" implies a passive and forgettable experience as if the content is quickly digested and then discarded. When you’re trying to make something that leaves an impression, this can also affect the format it’s presented in. If you’ve made it this far, you know that long-form isn’t dead - our attention spans for bad content is. There will always be competition in any space, but that shouldn’t deter you from your long-term mission.

It’s an honor to share Taylor’s perspective with you — may it help you along your creative and entrepreneurship journey.

Notion and Google Keep had a baby

*this post is sponsored by Strut.

I’ve never had trouble getting started with writing. I have, however, had issues keeping my writing organized. Notion works great for project-level planning and long-term thinking but isn’t so great for pure writing (like this) when you have as many ideas and creative scripts as I do. Google Keep works well for quick notes, but not so well when trying to organize those notes (so many ideas have gotten lost in the sauce). Now I’ve found an app that organizes my writing paired with a minimalist interface that keeps writing fun and focused.

This desktop app is now rivaling the Notion desktop app for screen time whenever my laptop is open. The writing inbox and dark mode are perfect for my late-night writing sessions. And guess what? It’s free! Check it out and let me know what you think. You can now write on the desktop app or the website (no mobile version yet).

I hope y’all enjoy the holiday weekend, and create your best work yet!

Please Hustle Responsibly,

🤙🏾✨

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