Niche Twins - Nobody who wins, is afraid of losing.
I first started blogging when I was 30 years old.
I had no prior experience or knowledge of SEO.
It was my first time building a website.
I still remember the anxiety I felt after I started.
"How embarrassing is it that I have a blog."
Not long before I started this journey, even I thought blogging was lame.
In my mind, blogs were just public journals where people shared what they ate for dinner the night before.
If that was my impression of blogging, what would my friends and family think of it?
The topic I chose to write about was also kind of lame.
"Why hadn't I picked something cooler to write about?"
"What if my writing sucks?"
"How will I explain to everyone what I'm even doing, or why I'm doing it?"...
"No you see, I'm not writing this article because I want to necessarily, I'm writing it because this particular keyword gets searched a lot in Google each month and if I can rank for it people will come to this page and then I can monetize the page in the future with display ads that earn about 40-50 dollars per 1000 visitors."
"What if I do all this work and spend all this time and still fail?"
All of these thoughts/fears/worries, while silly in hindsight, where very real to me back then.
I actually believed that friends and family might find and read my blog, and then judge me for it.
Turns out, I didn't have to worry about anyone in the world reading any of my content for the first 180 days.
But worries aside, I got hooked on learning something new.
Even the little things were challenging early on.
Hell, connecting my domain name to my host felt like an adventure.
I loved going from one day to the next, solving problems.
Continuously moving the ball forward - even if it was only a little bit.
Now, 3 years later, that blog has been one of the most successful, and professionally fulfilling things I've done to date.
It's opened up lots of different doors and opportunities for me.
I see a future that never would have existed had I not started that blog.
And I owe all of it to being open, and willing to try something new - other people's judgement and opinions be damned.
-Sponsored by-
I'm excited to share that Semrush will be sponsoring the next month of Niche Twins newsletters!
Semrush is one of the few keyword research tools Keith and I gladly pay for each month.
It has directly contributed to my blog generating over 9 million pageviews, and 7 figures in profit over the past 3 years. With just 320 total posts!
Finding the right keywords is everything.
If you're going to sit down and spend 5 hours researching a topic, writing an article, adding photos, editing it, etc. you better be targeting the right keyword.
Otherwise, you're just wasting your time.
Stop wasting your time, and invest a little bit into a great keyword research tool.
NicheTwins partnered with Semrush to get you an exclusive 14-day FREE PRO Trial.
(P.S. After you sign-up, use this tip to find some hidden gems)
Get FREE Trial |
-End Sponsor-
So now, when I see people giving someone sh*t who is trying something new and in the process of learning, I have a visceral reaction to it.
Even if that somebody is a Billionaire.
Even if that somebody is Mark Zuckerberg.
I think it's fair to say Zuck is pretty universally unpopular at this point.
He's borderline hated.
And obviously Mark doesn't need me sticking up for him. Or anyone else for that matter.
He's worth 85 Billion dollars.
He'll be just fine.
But for a moment, put aside how you might feel about him, and his business.
This isn't really about Mark.
Or Meta.
This is about being willing to try new things.
Being vulnerable.
Putting yourself out there, not knowing what the outcome will be.
Sill learning and growing, even as you get older.
Even after you've already made say, 85 Billion dollars.
In the interaction above, an account posted a video of Mark "winning gold" at a Jiu Jitsu tournament.
And an anonymous commenter replied he's sure Mark tried hiding the video, and that he should be embarrassed.
Mark started learning and practicing Jiu Jitsu for the first time during the pandemic, just a few years ago.
He's still new to the sport.
Yes, the video is a bit awkward.
And ya, it's pretty clear that he's a white belt novice.
But that's not something to be "embarrassed" about.
And I'm certain Mark isn't.
Because Mark knows what all winners know.
Growth happens outside of comfort.
Nobody who wins big, does so comfortably.
Winners force themselves into the uncomfortable situations.
They push themselves to learn and try new things.
And they're perfectly OK risking looking "silly", or even "stupid" in the process.
In many ways, they don't actually give a sh*t what other people think at all.
Ultimately their goal is to become comfortable, in these uncomfortable situations.
That's something I really admire about Mark.
Even if there's a lot of other stuff I don't.
Selfishly, I wrote this as a reminder to myself.
A reminder to keep learning.
To keep pushing.
And to care what other people think just a little bit less.
Rant over.
Enjoy the weekend.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.
-Mike
Niche Twins newsletter sent weekly on Fridays at 8:30 AM ET
PS: If you are interested in sponsoring these newsletters, you can check availability here.
Newsletter Stats
Key phrases
Older messages
Authenticity is your moat.
Friday, May 12, 2023
In a world flooded with AI content...
I just revealed my niche site 👀
Friday, May 5, 2023
Here's the URL...
Things That Make You Go Hmmm...
Friday, April 28, 2023
The frame is rusted.
5 words saved me $156,000 (Selling Part 3).
Friday, April 21, 2023
Don't forget about Uncle Sam!
Deal killer 🪦 (Selling Part 2).
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Sh*t happens.
You Might Also Like
This A.I. demo blew their minds !
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Why spend hours learning the different AI tools out there while you try to copy and paste your struggles away? View in browser ClickBank Did you see it last night ClickBanker? If you've been toying
Is long-form content dead?
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
I keep hearing this: “Nobody reads long-form content anymore.” It's true that the human attention span keeps dropping. 20 years ago, it was around 2.5 minutes. Today, it's 45 seconds. And the
Stay sharp on 2024 social media trends
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Sip on our freshly-squeezed research (for free) 🍋 Trends logo Insert “Spider Man-pointing meme” for the marketers who use socials for growth, and the everyday folks who just love dopamine. We're
The Best Fonts for Your Resume in 2024, According to HubSpot Recruiters
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Wondering which font is the best font for resumes? HubSpot recruiters share their insights and tips to help you choose the right one for you.
🕵️♂️ A new content framework
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
PLUS price hikes and personalized landings
Turnover on the rise at venture firms
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
What's driving crypto VC investment?; mega-rounds make a comeback in Europe; Exowatt picks up $20M from a16z, others Read online | Don't want to receive these emails? Manage your subscription.
💥 Making 6 Figures With Business Directories 💥 CreatorBoom
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
How a 19-year-old Built SE Asia's Go-To Tech Newsletter, 100+ Proven Growth Tactics and Playbooks, Paul Millerd on Writing The Pathless Path,
The Currency of Trust
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Building trust isn't a one-time transaction — it's an ongoing process.
Show Your Math 🤖
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
AI transparency converts.
ESPN Bet ‘can lay claim to No. 3’ in OSB
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
ESPN Bet's Tier 2 opportunity, Evolution's Asian success, Kindred's holding pattern, Kambi earnings review +More ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏