Nathan Baugh

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

In light of Sanderson’s Apple TV deal I’d like to remind you one of the best selling authors in the world has 17+ hours of free lectures on writing and storytelling on youtube:

-> Brandon Sanderson
-> Playlists
-> Writing Lectures (2025)

An insane amount of value.

I’ll share my notes on the class this weekend: https://lnkd.in/gXaqKe2u

Ghostwriter. Exploring the art and science of storytelling. Debut fantasy novel sometime ~soon.

Turned 30, hiked the Inca Trail, went to two great friends’ wedding in Lima, and finalized the cover of my debut novel. What a month.

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After my freshman year, I did freelance writing to the tune of $0.04 per word. I'm a horrendously slow writer -- I like to take my time with each sentence, it's a habit I've tried to break for years -- and the clients were the sketchiest sites you can imagine.

The experience taught me you can't make good money as a writer, that writing is a commodity paid for by the word. A dream killer.

I could not have been more wrong.

When we moved to Madrid, someone liked my tweets and asked how much I charged for writing. Without a clue, I told him $2k per month. I made up this number. It felt like a loonshot.

He said sure sounds good, and I worked for his agency for the next year. Eventually, I went out on my own, and his advice was basically charge a lot more.

So I did, and today ghostwriting makes up about 60% of my revenue -- the rest comes from newsletter ads and info product sales.

Are there ups and downs? Absolutely. But I'm more convinced than ever now's the best time in history to be a writer. There's demand for the work, and there's non-gate kept access to distribution and knowledge.

***

My friend Nicolas Cole taught me more about this world than just about anybody. His ship30 program changed my life, and his PGA is incredible for anybody thinking about ghostwriting as a business or side gig.

They're doing a free masterclass tomorrow on nailing your client's voice. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eKQ-E67v

It's my favorite part of ghostwriting because it's the most like fiction writing. Essentially, I create a character for each client and part of my editing process is, "Would this character actually write / say this?"

If yes, it's good to go. If not, then back to the chopping block.

A friend asked me what metric his company isn’t measuring about their linkedin activity but should be.

I could tell he expected me to pull out some obscure metric but instead I simply told him number of posts per month.

Everyone tracks impressions, followers, leads, etc etc

But those are all outputs. The only input is the post, of which volume and quality are the only things that matter.

Quality is an intuition thing, but volume is a number. 

More volume, almost always good.

Decided I’m taking my own advice. Gonna post here more often, even off the cuff like this.

Aiming for 5x per week.

Here’s a collection of the 10 best books I read in 2025 — probably the most eclectic mix you’ll see:

In no particular order.

1. The Inner Compass by Lawrence Yeo
2. The entire Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio
3. The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
4. Mists of Avalon by Marion Bradley
5. You Can Just Do Things by Jay Yang
6. Persians by Lloyd Jones
7. Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk
8. The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang
9. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
10. East of Eden by Steinbeck

Tried to read very little business books given I consume that content all day. What’d you read? What’d you enjoy?

The fact Randall Wallace is casually on linkedin teaching screenwriting and storytelling with examples from his incredible career is the most underappreciated wonder of this site.

This morning I got to read the novel Tommy Clark’s working on and I regret to inform you he’s as good a fiction writer as he is on the internet.

CONNECT to COMPEL

CONNECT to COMPEL™ helps you learn to captivate viewers when presenting online or in-person.

President

TalkXpertise

TalkXpertise is a weekly-ish newsletter about all things related to "short talk" messaging.

** DISCLAIMER: 𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝐸𝐷𝑥 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝐿𝐿𝐶. 𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ, 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦.

BETTER Speaking

A biweekly-ish newsletter that dives into "short talk" presentations, storytelling, and something more.

Click to the latest edition (and sign up) here: 
https://betterspeaking.substack.com/subscribe

Contributing Editor

Thinker Thursdays™

Thinker Thursdays™ — a weekly discipline of blocking out time each Thursday for reading (a real book), connecting (with a thinker), and reflecting (pen on page). 

THINKER THURSDAYS™ | Read. Connect. Reflect.

Join newsletter here:
https://thinkerthursdays.substack.com/

The THINKER THURSDAYS tribe invites you to pursue margin — in the company of others. Whether in Boston (where this all began) or beyond, consider adopting the discipline of blocking out a regular block of time each week for page-turning, conversation, and scribbling.

Convener, "Grateful Host"

LEXINGTON ROWING COMMUNITY CLUB (#LexRowClub)

Co-Founded #LexRowClub (with Natalie Chambers), fall of 2023, after a move from New England with a pre-teen daughter interested in crew!

Fun coverage on Lex18 News launched the adventure:
https://www.lex18.com/community/positively-lex-18/introducing-kentuckys-newest-rowing-club

Co-Founder (Chief Volunteer & Oar Carrier)

HUTCHINSON, MARKS + COMPANY (Speaker Messaging and Story Training)

HUTCHINSON, MARKS + COMPANY offered comprehensive speaker messaging and story training services to U.S. and European markets.

Atlanta || Boston || D.C. || Kansas City || Paris || Ottawa 

Insights Catalyzed™

Founder, Sr. PartnerFounder, Sr. Partner

Millwheel Creative

MILLWHEEL CREATIVE (MWC) offered event design consulting; event production services; post-event promotion; and catalytic brand counsel to corporations, nonprofits, and thought leaders nationwide. 

SPECIALTIES INCLUDED speaker training; legacy conference adaptation; video production; and idea propulsion in the TED style. The company serviced conferences, summits, executive gatherings, and VIP speakers via a portfolio of brands and entities: mySHORTtalk™, THINKER THURSDAYS™, CONNECT to COMPEL™, etc.

AWARD WINNING, the firm's reputation (or the principal’s insights) were publicly acclaimed in venues as diverse as The Boston Globe; The Massachusetts State House; The S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University; the broadcasts of NPR; the main stage of the inaugural Faith@Work Summit; The N.E. Historic Genealogical Society’s events; the rebrand of the world’s first internet-specific mutual fund; the virtual-screens of Huffington Post; and the old-fashioned print pages of The Washington Post and the (now defunct) Tampa Tribune. 

MWC CLIENTS garnered recognition in virtually every print, broadcast, and web media outlet in the Western world. Alumni speakers include 100s of thought leaders, theologians, academics, technologists, pastors, business leaders, authors, and innovators. Collectively, MWC clients enjoyed talk views in the tens-of-millions; and 100s-of-millions of media impressions were realized on other platforms.

Anne Marbury Hutchinson Foundation

The mission of the AMHF was to honor the vision and example of Founding Mother Anne Marbury Hutchinson (b.1591, d.1643) and celebrate her life — and the lives of our nation’s other courageous founding mothers — as a role model and mentor from our past™ for future generations of Americans.

INAUGURAL EVENT: In 2016, the Anne Marbury Hutchinson Foundation commemorated its namesake's 425th birthday with a 14-event, 5-day, 3-state celebration (July 20-24, 2016). The "FOUNDING MOTHERS CELEBRATION" event-series began in Boston, MA (July 20-21) and continued to Portsmouth, RI (July 22); Bronx-Eastchester, NY (July 23); and returned to Boston for closing events (July 24). The celebration's mission was to both raise awareness about Founding Mother Anne Hutchinson's" nation-shaping contributions and serve to springboard enthusiasm for celebrating the lives of other "founding mothers" — role models and mentors from our past.™

The 2016 Founding Mothers Celebration — a collaborative organized by a number of similarly-aligned, history-loving nonprofits — focused its inaugural year of programming on the life and example of Anne Marbury Hutchinson (b.1591, d.1643). In coming years the foundation will turn to honor the memory of other remarkable women in our nation's early history.

Founding Trustee, 425th CELEBRATION Director

Leadership Loop

Leadership Loop was the nation’s first alumni circle of community leadership program graduates.

Board Member, Co-Founder

Reclaiming Our Heritage

Funded and ran nonprofit celebrating Florida’s boomtown history and heritage.

#TheTEDTalkWhisperer Helping niche experts authors, and leaders master the TED-Style and "short talks." (TEDx clients enjoying millions of views.) 𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘!™

Want to next-level the reach of your message — and even build a growing speaking career?

Here's my #1 suggestion for you: 

Give my (no fee) 2-day workshop** a try!

𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘐𝘎 𝘛𝘈𝘓𝘒 𝘍𝘈𝘚𝘛 𝘛𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘒 ™

** Drop me a DM for the application link.

My best strategies are shared there LIVE every few weeks or so.

And since you're here, reading...

𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡-𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡?

I can help with that. I guide coaches, authors, and experts how to spread BIG ideas.

Look, I believe your insights can catalyze change for the better — the world should begin to LIVE your message.

But sorting and clarifying your ideas for a big stage isn’t easy. 

I'm here for you. 

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗗𝗢: I help folks (just like you) catalyze their ideas into singular, memorable, and spreadable messages.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜'𝗩𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘: I’ve trained hundreds of speakers with many, many 100s of millions of views. 

For example, my training directly contributed to:

→ A 50M view TEDx by Harvard’s Dr. Robert Waldinger
(“What Makes a Good Life” is a TOP 10 TALK on TED.)

→ A breakaway TEDx by Food Revolution Network’s Ocean Robbins
(Garnered 1M views in under 6 months.)

→ A talk elevated to the TED website by 4x TEDxer Dorie Clark 
(Garnered 2M views after being featured.)

Those are just a few examples on the extremes of million-view talks. 

And on the *paying* keynote and storytelling fronts:

→ SWA Capt. Tammie Jo Shults prepped her 1st talk in 6 days.
(Her 2x-ovation message launched her 6-figure speaking career.)

→ A VC Series B funding raise for Hydrow CEO Bruce Smith.
(His storytelling was key to that $200M success.)

And the list continues... Former Director of the U.S. Mint, MacArthur “Genius Award” recipients, 100M+ CEOs, leadership coaches, bestselling authors, inventors — and yes, small business owners — have all benefited.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗢 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨: Want that catalytic reach on a live conference stage or virtual screen and know it is more than an online speaker application and a countdown clock?

I am at your disposal. (Drop me a DM.)

𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 LIVE 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘™


DISCLAIMER: 𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝐸𝐷𝑥 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝐿𝐿𝐶. 𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ, 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑇𝐸𝐷 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑦.

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The Battle

Nathan Baugh

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taplio

The Battle

Nathan Baugh

DEVIN M.

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

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNathan Baugh's LinkedIn Performance