Nathan Baugh

World Builders

Founder / Writer

Senior Consultant

Clemson University

Tutor

Teach For America

Accelerate Fellow

Consultant → writer. I study the best storytellers ever and share with you what I learn. Writing fiction and writing to 77K storytellers every Saturday. Join us 👇

Founder

Roast my potential book covers. 

What do you like? What don't you like? Which would get you to pick it up off the shelf?

Ghostwriter. Exploring the art and science of storytelling. Debut fantasy novel this fall. Building something new.

A few years ago, I went to a $15 open mic in Austin. First comedy show I’d seen.

Dude gets on stage. The crowd goes nuts. It’s Shane Gillis, one of the most popular comedians in the world.

He pulls out a notebook and a pen, grabs the mic, and starts telling jokes.

When the crowd gives one of those loud, genuine laughs, he jots down a note. When the crowd looks at each other, confused, he jots down a note. When the crowd stares at him, expecting more, he jots down a note.

You get the idea. He’s testing jokes. Making a note of what’s connecting and, even more importantly, what’s not.

Then, I imagine, he cuts or changes the parts that don’t connect. Tests them again another night. And repeats the process until the joke, his story, is tight and compelling throughout.

He made me realize:

This is how you can treat Storytelling, too.

Your story is flexible. You can constantly test, get feedback, improve, repeat. Like Shane, what you’re looking for is moments of connection:

- Your boss starts nodding along.
- Someone leans forward in their chair.
- Your beta reader leaves a great comment.
- There’s a spark of interest in your partner’s eye.

You get the idea. You’re searching for that visceral reaction in your audience. When you see it, you double down.

Stories are iterative.

I've created 2 new landing pages over the last 6 months. One converts horribly while the other converts incredibly well. Some weird stats:

- The horrible converting one is priced at $99.
- The incredibly well converting one is priced at $499.

The obvious answer is an audience mismatch -- people expect story related stuff from me, not 'grow your writing business.'

Sure that matters but let's be real not a <1% to 18%+ jump.

So what's the difference?

Very simply -- I ran the second LP through 🇺🇦 Eddie Shleyner's entire Transformational Landing Pages training... and haven't put that effort into the first.

One idea that -- in my opinion -- made the biggest difference:

Fascinations

Eddie says a fascination is "any sentence designed to conjure intense curiosity and compel action, in that order."

Capture the attention, then direct it.

I loved the idea. Loved the entire course.

Eddie's running a crazy BFCM sale. From $999 to $249.

This is my affiliate code, which I'm proud to share: https://lnkd.in/gbKDPAqr

Hands down the most effective course I've taken all year. If you'd like your landing pages to convert more people, it is a no brainer.

PS. Here's the LP that actually converts: https://lnkd.in/gZwScNBr

LinkedIn constantly shocks me how helpful people are. So many people took time to share great feedback on the covers for my novel.

Thank you thank you thank you.

To keep up w the project - just monthly notes - plop your email here for the waitlist: https://lnkd.in/gTeaFfwE

LinkedIn

My role is two-fold: develop new approaches to creating world-class training and mentor the team that creates that content. 

As a senior director, I take on the most complex and high-profile projects and push through traditional expectations to create engaging and memorable learning experiences.

Senior Live Action Director - LinkedIn Learning

I'm proud to be the creator, producer, and director of #WorkInProgress, a 6-part film series that was the first original documentary series for LinkedIn's editorial team

A counterpart to the celebrity driven, news cycle oriented videos in LinkedIn's feed, this series looked at ordinary people overcoming struggle and adapting to the changing nature of the American Dream.

Producer, Director - Editorial team

During the acquisition, I served as a free floating radical, taking on special projects for the PR and marketing teams. As a one man band, I was in charge of developing the content, shooting, and editing, and posting videos to help publicize brand efforts for the two merging companies.

As part of the acquisition, I was honored to lead the transition of the Pulse editorial video team to the lynda.com content production team. As a ground up reboot, I temporarily relocated to New York to re-outfit their studio in the Empire State Building, build new systems and workflows and recruit new talent. 

I'm grateful to have worked with some of the top talent within lynda.com and LinkedIn Pulse and shoot with inspiring people like Daymond John and Lena Dunham during my tenure.

Sr. Director, Documentaries - lynda.com at LinkedIn

One and One Films

When the IOC formed the Olympic Channel, they asked us to create a series focusing on the people who make the Olympic's Olympic, the graphic designers. 

I co-produced and directed this 10 part web series and feature length broadcast documentary and the experience renewed my faith in the power of both sport and design.

Founder, Director

Brine Collective

The Brine Collective seeks to tell stories about the sea.  As a co-founder, this passion project was born out of the desire to merge two worlds, film production and surfing, while focusing on the craft of story. 

Our first initiative, the #ThatVanAgain project, focused on the desire for freedom that underlies both surf and VW van culture. It was picked up and featured on OutsideTV, The Inertia, Save the Waves and ReelHouse.

Creative Producer, Co-Director

lynda.com

Learning something new is hard and it takes inspiration to persevere. That's what I provided to the lynda.com training library. Inspiration in the form of documentaries with photographers, musicians, designers, developers and artists and how they got to where they were.

Honestly, it was an extended internship with creatives at the top of their game all around the world. It was a beautiful experience and I'm incredibly grateful for this time in my life.

Senior Live Action Director, Documentaries

Current TV

– One of the first editors for the Los Angeles based stages, turning around daily content

– Worked primarily on Current Question/Quiz, featuring celebrity guest hosts and composited visuals

– Edited 3 internally produced "pod" features for Current UK launch

– Helped launched the Current Daily Fix, their video music blog. Cut green-screen studio content that was integrated into virtual set with extensive use of After Effects.

– Helped edit internally produced documentary on Death Cab for Cutie, "Narrow Stairs"

Contract Video Editor

City of Calabasas

Media Production Specialist

I'm here to make things that people love, solve problems together and tell stories that matter. I prefer to be at the beach with my family.

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The Battle

Nathan Baugh

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The Battle

Nathan Baugh

Scott Erickson

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nathan Baugh's LinkedIn Performance

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