You Need More Pain

I promise I’m not just another guy with a newsletter.

I’ve spent the last two years growing my tech YouTube channel to nearly 8,000 subscribers, and these letters will document my process of scaling it even further.

I’m in my third year studying Computer Science and currently intern as a front-end developer.

Finding a way to balance even just the former with the channel has proven to be a significant challenge.

I’ve failed at YouTube twice already, and this time around I’ve approached it with an entirely different mindset.

This channel is my business. Every dollar I make is re-invested to make the videos better.

New products, camera gear, editing software.

Treating it this way is the psychological trick that’s gotten me to upload over 80 times and improve so much in the process that 2.3 million people have watched my stuff.

I know that If I upload once a week, in a couple of years I can grow this channel big enough that the business could be my full-time gig.

I’ve known this for 2 years.

Yet if you look at my upload frequency over the life of my channel, it does not reflect this belief.

Why have I not put in the work?

Borrowing from Tony Robbins, “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change”

You know that side hustle you haven’t worked on in months?

You’re too comfortable to make it work.

I’m an entrepreneur. I want to work for myself.

That quote has forced me to self-reflect. What does my life look like if I continue on my current path?

I want the option to pursue my own business in two years. Not be forced to work a job I hate because I need to eat.

I think that the thought of a life like the latter is my pain.

Discipline and Consistency are the only two traits of a successful YouTuber, or any entrepreneur, that make a difference.

Focusing on strengthening these mental muscles is what I believe will take my channel to the next level, whatever that may look like.

Showing up every day, no matter how you feel, will put you above 99% of people.

“Whenever I get to a low point when I think ‘why do I even bother’ I just try to remind myself, this is where most people quit, and this is why they don’t win.” — Alex Hormozi

I enjoy making videos, but sometimes I just don’t fucking feel like it.

I’m starting to learn that motivation is irrelevant.

I was listening to a podcast last month (I think it was this one) and it inspired me to pose the following questions to myself:

• How badly do you want it to work?
• Are you afraid of the unknown?
• What if in 12 months everything works out because you overcame the challenges?
• What are 10 things you know to be true about you?
• In 12 months what do you want to be true?

I’ve now put these questions into one of my 3 pinned Apple Notes and set a daily reminder to myself to read it (at this point I can recite it perfectly in my head)

This newsletter is me building in public, holding myself accountable.

This is a selfish endeavor, real talk.

I do, however, hope it can be a source of inspiration to any of you who happen to read these words.

I’ll be sharing everything I’ve learned and haven’t yet about building a successful business.

I’m always open to chatting with like-minded people, so if you want to hold each other accountable, feel free to reach out.

Have a good week.

– Cole