Write of Passage Weekly - From McDonald's to Twitter Stardom

Below, you’ll hear the story of the Cultural Tutor. His life changed the moment he went from consumer to creator. You can learn from him at a free audience-building workshop this Wednesday, September 6.

Hey writers,

There once was a guy working the drive-thru at McDonald’s. His name was Sheehan, and he had no idea the Internet was about to change his life forever. 

Let’s face it. Sheehan had a tough day job. 

His work involved sweeping up ketchup packets in the parking lot and cleaning Oreo crumbs out of the McFlurry machine. Despite his lackluster duties, Sheehan was exceptionally creative and intelligent — not to mention, obsessed with learning. 

After work, Sheehan would kick off his shoes and launch into his nightly routine, consuming all things Western culture: art, architecture, history, literature, and music. 

This was a pattern for him. Before he was hired at McDonald’s, Sheehan worked the night shift as a security job, where the slow, late-night hours allowed him to do what he really wanted to do: read. 

For over a decade, Sheehan was a content connoisseur. He spent his spare time inhaling books and chasing countless Internet rabbit holes. Overflowing with inspiration, he couldn’t shut up about it to his friends. He was obsessed. Yet, he never wrote about it. 

Despite the rich ideas bouncing around in his head, Sheehan shared nothing. He was alive with the desire to create beautiful things, but he kept quiet. Like a shoe in wet cement, he stayed stuck where he was — punching in drive-thru orders and trying not to spill soda on his customers as he handed them their Pepsi. 

Until one day, a rousing talk with a friend shook him from his slumber. Sheehan crossed the chasm from consumer to creator with one clear goal: publish a Twitter thread every day and see what happens. 

1K. 10K. 30K. 90K. 100K followers in two months! And the follower count just kept climbing. 

That was last May. Now, we know Sheehan as The Cultural Tutor, one of the fastest growing accounts on Twitter. 

When I first heard the story of The Cultural Tutor, I was amazed. I couldn’t sit still. I had to get this guy on the phone. Through a mutual friend, I connected with Sheehan, and we brought him into Write of Passage as a Writer in Residence. (He also led an audience-growth workshop for our last cohort). 

No more job-hopping — all he had to do was write. 

And in just 15 months, The Cultural Tutor built an audience of over 1.5 million followers. 

Famous for threads covering topics like the importance of beauty and the origins of impressionism, The Cultural Tutor (or CT, as we affectionately call him) now freely shares his ideas with the world — the same ideas that were once stuck swirling in his head during monotonous shifts at McDonald’s. 

Let’s say you’re a content connoisseur like Sheehan used to be. Always consuming, never creating. Always the retweeter, never the tweeter. Let’s imagine that’s you for a moment. (I’m not saying it is, but let’s just pretend.) 

As you scroll Twitter, you alternate between, “I could totally write that,” and “I'm a complete imposter.” You want to write, show up, and be seen, but deep down, you’re conflicted.

When you imagine yourself as a creator — hitting publish and actually sharing your ideas — your inner voice of doubt pipes up. It hounds you with questions: “Who cares what I have to say? People will judge me, anyway. Who am I to share my ideas?

And so, here you are — a lurker who spends your life riding a see-saw of emotions. (Gosh, that came off wrong. We’re playing a game of pretend. You’re not actually that.)

Out of sheer curiosity, you may be wondering: How do you go from flipping burgers to snagging a follow from Elon? 

Well, you’re in luck. Wednesday, September 6, you’ll have the opportunity to learn directly from the Cultural Tutor himself. 

I’m hosting a Grow Your Audience workshop with The Cultural Tutor, where you’ll learn expert strategies and actionable advice from one of Twitter’s most elite. 

I recently chatted with The Cultural Tutor on the How I Write podcast. The interview was fun, introspective, and high-level. This workshop is not that. You’ll learn concrete steps to building an audience, like:

• How to write engaging hooks that make your writing stand out
• How to know when one of your ideas is worth publishing
• How to build a Personal Monopoly around your writing
• And how to grow your audience in “the early days.” 

In a nutshell, you’ll learn how CT has cultivated an audience of raving fans by simply being himself and uniquely expressing his ideas — and how you can, too. 

If you’re tired of lurking on the Internet (hypothetically, of course) then join us tomorrow at 2 pm New York time (7 pm London, 11:30 pm Mumbai). Register here. 

Once upon a time, The Cultural Tutor was taking orders at the McDonald’s drive-thru, having no idea the Internet was about to change his life forever. 

What will it do for you? 

See you at the workshop, 

David Perell

P.S. This cohort has a cap on new students, which allows us to deliver the best possible experience. It’s first come, first serve. But because you’re on this private email list, you can sign up for our pre-enrollment list. By doing so, you'll be able to enroll 24 hours before the general public and guarantee your spot.