Penguin Random House

Author of the instant New York Times Bestseller, The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

Author

The Curiosity Chronicle

The Curiosity Chronicle is a 4x weekly newsletter where I provide actionable ideas to help build a high-performing, healthy, wealthy life to a global community of 800,000+.

Writer

SRB Holdings

SRB Holdings is a personal holding company currently comprised of ten cash flowing business assets.

Current portfolio holdings include:

• SBloom Media Holdings
• The Inflection
• Paperboy Studios
• SBloom Advisory

Owner

SRB Ventures

SRB Ventures is an investment firm committed to investing in and accelerating the most compelling startups in the world. Fund I is a $10 million stage and sector-agnostic vehicle writing $100-250K checks into high-growth technology companies around the world.

Managing Partner

NYT Bestselling Author of The 5 Types of Wealth

Sahil Bloom is the New York Times Bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

Sahil is an inspirational writer and entrepreneur, captivating millions of people every week through his book, social insights, and bi-weekly newsletter, The Curiosity Chronicle.

His debut non-fiction book, The 5 Types of Wealth, was an instant New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times Bestseller. Apple CEO Tim Cook called it "a powerful call to action to think deeply about what lights you up—and a guide for how to build a life of meaning and purpose around those things." The book is a unique blend of strategies, tactics, and actionable insights, enabling readers to make real, positive changes and lead healthier, wealthier lives.

Sahil is also an entrepreneur and owner of SRB Holdings, a personal holding company, and the Managing Partner of SRB Ventures, a $10 million venture investment firm committed to investing in and accelerating the most compelling startups in the world. Prior to launching SRB Ventures in January 2022, Sahil was an early-stage investor in 40+ startups across the technology landscape, including multiple unicorns.

Previously, Sahil spent seven years as a private equity investor and served on the board of several middle market companies during that period.

Sahil graduated from Stanford University with an M.A. in Public Policy (2014) and a B.A. in Economics & Sociology (2013). While at Stanford, he was a four-year member on the Stanford Baseball Team (2009-2013), twice helping to guide the team to NCAA Super Regional appearances (top-16 finishes). Additionally, Sahil earned two PAC-12 All-Academic Team awards and twice received the Bruce R. Cameron Memorial Award, given annually to a student-athlete exhibiting excellence in athletics, academics, and leadership. Academically, Sahil was advised in his pursuits by former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

Sahil Bloom

This letter stopped me in my tracks…

Every single person you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

Your one tiny action can create ripples that extend far beyond yourself.

Create more ripples.

For anyone out there battling in silence, you’re not alone.

We’re all in it together.

Lift someone up this week for no reason at all.

“I hope you win the war you tell no one about.”

Enjoy this? Share it with your network and follow me Sahil Bloom for more.

P.S. I write about these topics in my 4x weekly newsletter. Join 800,000+ other readers (completely free): https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q

This poem changed my life

(and may change yours):

“It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that's where the river will know
it's not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.”

– Khalil Gibran

Reading (and re-reading) the poem sparked four powerful thoughts:

1. Fear is natural before transformation. That fear you feel as you approach a significant change is completely natural. It’s a cost of entry for the transformation you wanted.

2. There is no going back. On your growth journey, there is no turning back. A few weeks ago, ​I wrote​, “I believe that the worst mistakes in life are made when we try to cling to a prior season that has already passed.” We cannot undo experiences or retreat into old versions of ourselves. Always forward.

3. Surrender is necessary for growth. The attachment to a present identity (“the river”) holds you back from your true potential. To become the new, you have to unbecome the old. You have to let go of your old habits, mindsets, beliefs, and identity. That requires a leap of faith. That requires a surrender.

4. It’s not a loss, it’s an expansion. What feels like a loss or disappearance of the old is often just an expansion into the richness of the new. The river does not disappear into the ocean, it becomes the ocean.

The river’s story is our story.

So, what ocean are you afraid to enter?

Maybe it’s time you surrendered to it.

And when you do, remember this:

You are not disappearing, you are becoming.

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The highest form of intelligence isn’t IQ.

(this realization changed my life)...

It’s adaptability.

Knowledge matters, but the ability to learn, unlearn, and change course matters more. The rigid cling to what was. The adaptable adjust to what is and what will be.

The future belongs to them.

♻️ Enjoy this? Repost to share with your network!

And follow Sahil Bloom for more!

The brutal truth about confident people?

(they fail more than you do)...

Confidence is less about knowing you’ll win and more about knowing you’ll bounce back even if you don’t.

Real confidence is built on resilience. Adaptability. Tolerance for uncertainty.

Fear loses when you embrace that failure is never final.

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The most attractive trait…

(it’s not looks, wealth or status).

It’s energy.

Walk into rooms with genuine enthusiasm, curiosity, and interest. You’ll become a magnet for the highest quality people.

Energy is contagious. Spread the kind you’d want to catch.

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The #1 predictor of success isn't talent.

(most people never figure this out)...

It’s reliability. 

You’ll achieve much more by being consistently reliable than by being occasionally extraordinary. Show up, do the work, repeat. 

The recipe for success in any area of life.

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The smartest people I know aren't the most knowledgeable.

(they have something else entirely)...

They adapt faster than everyone else.

I spent my 20s collecting credentials. MBA. Finance roles. The "right" path. I thought intelligence meant having all the answers.

Then markets crashed. Industries transformed. Everything I "knew" became obsolete overnight.

That's when I learned: The rigid cling to what was. The adaptable adjust to what is and what will be.

Your expertise? A liability if you're too attached to it.

Your identity? A prison if it prevents you from evolving.

The future belongs to those who rewrite the manual when the game changes.

Every time you say "that's not how we do things," you're choosing rigidity over intelligence.

Adaptability isn't just surviving change—it's thriving because of it.

📌 Ready to invest in yourself?

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This idea completely changed my life…

The Snake Chasing Effect:

A man is walking through the woods when he stumbles across a snake in the center of his path. The snake lashes out and bites him without warning, then turns and slithers away down the path. The man feels the sharp pain of the bite and the venom coursing through his leg. Fortunately, he's close to the village, so if he just walks back and gets the wound treated, he'll be fine. But he feels the anger and resentment building inside him: "Why did the snake do that to me? That's not right. I'm going to get revenge."

He starts chasing down the snake path, but as he pursues the snake, the venom takes hold and he collapses and dies. The story offers a powerful lesson, which you might call the Snake Chasing Effect: In life, you're going to get bitten by a snake every now and then. Someone betrays you. A partner lies. A family member mistreats you. A friend lets you down. A coworker takes credit for your work. The initial wound hurts—but it's survivable. If you take care of yourself, walk back to the village and treat the wound, you'll be fine.

But how often do you do the exact opposite? The internal voice starts a familiar refrain: How could they do this to me? I'm going to get them back. You start chasing the snake down the path, seeking your revenge. You obsess over the betrayal. The unfairness. The injustice. The real damage is not from the bite itself, but from your reaction to it. The real damage comes when you chase the snake.

The Snake Chasing Effect is a reminder that the wisest response to harm isn't retaliation or obsession, but restoration. Don't give the snake more power of you than it has. Focus on healing, not hunting. Tend your wound. Mend your garden. Your rebirth is the greatest revenge.

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The Snake Chasing Effect

One thing predicts where you'll be in 10 years…

(and it's completely in your control).

Your standards.

Every time you let something slide “just this once”, you train yourself to accept less.

That’s how goals erode. That’s how principles slip.

Set your standards. Hold the line. Especially when it’s hard.

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This poem stopped me cold.

(you need to read this):

"In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much - how little - is
Within our power"

- Emily Dickinson

Four lines. Still hitting harder than any productivity guru's 300-page book.

Here's what Dickinson understood that we miss: 

Life isn't just short—it's embarrassingly short. Even when you intellectually know this, you still waste Tuesday afternoons scrolling. You still put off the hard conversation. You still wait for "someday."

But hidden in those lines is the real wisdom: "How much - how little."

It's both. Always both.

You have more power than you think—to change careers, repair relationships, build something meaningful. But you have less power than you assume—over outcomes, other people's choices, the speed of change.

The magic happens when you accept both truths.

Stop trying to control what was never yours to control. Stop giving away power over what IS yours to command.

Your thoughts. Your effort. Your next decision. That's your kingdom. Everything else? Let it go.

Life is shorter and more fragile than you realize. But within your small sphere of control, you're more powerful than you've ever imagined.

The question isn't whether life is short. The question is: What are you doing with the power you actually have?

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The hardest lesson I learned about success…

(it came from a farmer):

A farmer doesn't dig up his seeds every day to make sure they're growing.

He plants, waters, and waits. You can't rush what needs time to take root. Growth hides beneath the surface long before it's visible above it.

Remember that.

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The #1 struggle nobody admits to…

(especially high performers):

Eliminating the guilt associated with free time and rest.

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How to win in life…

(without talent or luck):

Operate in Your Zone of Genius
Your Zone of Genius is where your interests, passions and skills align.

Adopt a Positive Sum Mentality
Want to get ahead in life? Start genuinely rooting for others to succeed.

Speak Up
A little push goes a long way. Don't sit back and wait for good things to happen.

Play Long-Term Games
In a world of people seeking instant gratification, this is a meaningful edge.

Have a High Tolerance for Failure
We fear failure, so most of us play it safe to avoid it.

Follow Your Curiosity
For the curious mind, anything is possible. Fortune favors the curious.

Adopt a Process Orientation
Prioritize process, not outcomes.

Prioritize People
Everything in life comes down to people and relationships.

Work Like a Lion
If your goal is to do inspired, creative work, you have to work as a lion works.

Become Antifragle
Don't be broken by the chaos—rather, adopt a mentality and build structure such that you will benefit from it.

Change Your Mind
It's great to have a strong view, but always open your mind to counterarguments.

Never Get Too Big to Do the Small
Whether you're in the mailroom or the corner office, never get too big to do the small things well.

Learn Storytelling
High-leverage storytelling is a supercharger for all human endeavors.

Develop a Bias for Motion
A body in motion tends to stay in motion—a body at rest tends to stay at rest.

Become Relentlessly Consistent
Many people are able to produce bursts of energy—few are able to produce consistent, steady flows of energy.

Simplify Where Others Complicate
Learn to convey the complex in simple, digestible ways.

Be Comfortable with Discomfort
Discomfort is a precursor to growth—it is an absolute necessity.

Have Strong Plans (Loosely Held)
Plans have to be dynamic (and punch-proof!).

Pay It Forward
Pay it forward. Be a mentor. Be a champion for others.

Well there you have it—How to Win (without talent or luck).

Use them to earn trust.
Use them to build leverage.
Use them to win your game.
Start small. Stay consistent.

And remember: You already have everything you need.

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How To Win (without talent or luck)

Amateur vs. Pro

(11 signs you're still an amateur):

1. Amateurs let the day come to them, Professionals have a routine
The greatest performers in any craft share one trait in common: They have a routine—and they stick to it with intense discipline.

2. Amateurs love the prize, Professionals love the process
You’ll never make it if the view at the summit is the only thing motivating you to keep climbing.

3. Amateurs make it look effortful, Professionals make it look effortless
The Paradox of Effort: You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.

4. Amateurs blame others, Professionals are accountable
In the wake of a failure, there are two types of responses:
The Amateur looks outward—bad luck, unfair circumstances, a cheating opponent.
The Professional looks inward—lack of preparation, gaps in routine, uneven intensity.

5. Amateurs are flashy, Professionals are relentless
Many people are able to produce bursts of energy—few are able to produce consistent, steady flows, day in, day out.

6. Amateurs enter with 100 mediocre moves, Professionals enter with 1 perfect move
Professionals identify their unique edge—they play their game.

7. Amateurs fear failure, Professionals embrace it
The Paradox of Failure: The more you fail, the more you ultimately succeed.

8. Amateurs fear being wrong, Professionals enjoy it
When faced with their own incompetence:
The Amateur flails wildly in an attempt to distract from the obvious gap.
The Professional enlists support to cover the incompetence and repositions the board to avoid its exposure.

9. Amateurs are impatient, Professionals are patient
Amateurs are: Patient with actions and impatient with results.
Professionals are: Impatient with actions and patient with results.

10. Amateurs hope for good breaks, Professionals create them
Amateurs enter the arena with their fingers crossed.
Professionals enter the arena with a plan.

11. Amateurs press, Professionals wait
When pressure and stress levels elevate:
The Amateur is uncomfortable—they press in an effort to fast-forward to the finish.
The Professional is comfortable—they observe their opponent and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

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Amateur vs Pro - 11 Differences

This study blew my mind…

(you need to read this):

The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest running study on happiness.

Here are 3 powerful findings everyone should know:

1. Relationship satisfaction impacts health.

The researchers looked back at the lives of the 80-year-old participants to determine what factors were predictive of healthy aging.

What did they find?

Relationship satisfaction at age 50 was predictive of health at age 80.

Study director Robert Waldinger:

"It wasn't their cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old. It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80."

2. Loneliness kills.

Humans are social creatures. We thrive through connection to those around us.

Study participants who felt isolated were observably less happy and experienced notably earlier declines in health than those who felt connected.

The study observed the negative impacts of alcohol and smoking on the long-term health of the participants, but found that loneliness was just as negatively impactful.

Study director Robert Waldinger:

"Loneliness kills. It's as powerful as smoking or alcoholism."

3. Quality over quantity.

The researchers found that the quality of relationships was more impactful on health and happiness than the quantity of relationships.

A few deep bonds are worth far more than hundreds of weak or unhealthy ones.

Relationships are, quite literally, everything.

Hopefully the insights from my conversation with Dr. Robert Waldinger shine a light on their importance—and hopefully you take a few tiny actions that improve your Social Fitness in the days and weeks ahead.

Invest in your relationships—they will pay dividends in all areas of your life for many years to come.

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The Longest Running Study on Happiness

How to get your dream life…

(the truth nobody wants to hear):

I used to stare at closed doors. The dream job. The meaningful relationship. The healthy body.

I'd tell myself they were "locked" for people like me.

Then I learned the truth: Every door has a key. You just have to pay the cost of entry.

Freedom requires focus. You can't have it all, so you must choose what matters.

Deep bonds demand vulnerability. No armor allowed. Just your real, messy self.

Health needs discipline. Every single day. Especially when you don't feel like it.

Here's what nobody tells you: 

The cost is always higher than you think. But the reward? It's always worth more than you imagined.

Most people window shop their dreams. They want the outcome without the entry fee.

That promotion? It costs uncomfortable conversations.

That relationship? It costs emotional risk.

That transformation? It costs your old identity.

Pay the price or stay outside. There's no third option.

That's why 800,000+ readers trust my newsletter to help them unlock what matters.

Four times a week, I share:

• Frameworks to identify what's worth the cost
• Systems to pay the price consistently
• Tools to unlock doors faster
• Insights that make the journey worthwhile

Because every lesson I wish I knew earlier starts the same way: Embrace the cost of entry with pride.

The doors you want are waiting. Time to pay up.

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Justin Welsh

The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ burned-out corporate professionals build six-figure, one-person online businesses.

Over the last decade, I helped build two companies past a $1B valuation and raise over $300M in venture capital. 

Then, in 2019, I burned out.

So, I decided to walk away from my high-paying executive job.

But, before I could, I had a hypothesis.

I believed building an audience online would be an incredible asset. That attention was the new currency and would play a major part in my success as an entrepreneur.

So, I started building my brand on LinkedIn in early 2019. 

And the results were pretty phenomenal.

In just 6 months, I grew from zero followers to over 20,000.

And on August 1st of 2019, I walked away from my executive role at a fast-growing startup.

Since that day, I've spent my time building a number of one-person Internet businesses.

My results:

→ $10.3M+ in business revenue at a ~86% profit margin.
→ 750K+ people following my journey on LinkedIn
→ 535K+ people following my journey on Twitter
→ 175K+ people read my weekly newsletter
→ 900M+ impressions in the last 6 years

If you want to learn more about how I did this, you can take one of my self-guided courses.

THE CREATOR MBA DIGITAL COURSE

The Creator MBA teaches you frameworks for turning your knowledge and expertise into a quality product that people will buy. Come learn to build a lean, focused, and profitable Internet business.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/creator-mba

THE OPERATING SYSTEM DIGITAL COURSE

In this 120-minute course, you will learn the complete LinkedIn operating system that I used to grow from 0 to 750K followers and earn $10M+ in income with zero advertisements. Join 40,000+ students and 70+ LinkedIn Top Voices in my LinkedIn course rated 4.98/5 stars.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/linkedin

THE CONTENT OS DIGITAL COURSE

In this 85-minute course, you will learn the 8-part content creation machine behind 600M+ impressions on LinkedIn and Twitter, and building a 175,000+ subscriber newsletter. If you're looking for systems to produce 10-15 pieces of high-quality written content every single day, this is the course for you.

→ Start watching here: learn.justinwelsh.me/content

Email: support@justinwelsh.me
X: @thejustinwelsh

Founder

Join 75k+ subscribers to the Saturday Solopreneur. Every Saturday morning, you'll get 1 actionable tip on audience and revenue growth for your online business.

You can lose the job. 
Lose the business. 
Lose the money.

But you *cannot* afford to lose yourself.

So why do so many people ignore the one thing they'll live with forever?

Themselves.

I see people do it all the time:

They'll spend 10 hours grinding at work.
Zero minutes asking, "Who am I becoming?"

Plan their weeks down to the minute.
Haven't thought about their life in years.

That was 2018 me.

I thought "winning" meant optimizing everything around me:

- The ideal productivity system
- The perfect morning routine
- Bigger title, more money
- Crazy company growth

Meanwhile, I wasn't living my life mission.

That's when it hit me:

The only asset that matters is the person you become.

So I started treating myself like the #1 project that matters.

My whole life changed after that.

Most people invest in everything except themselves.

They'll drop $5k on a watch but won't spend $50 for self-improvement.

That's backward.

Start with you.
Everything else follows.

Interested in following a similar path?

I documented everything I learned quitting my job in 2019, then going from $0 to eight-figures in 6 years.

(without losing myself in the process)

It's a 100% free read.
↓
https://buff.ly/taCFAUc 

Is today the day you go all in on yourself?

Energy doesn't lie.

Listen to it.

When something is right for you, it will give you energy.

That's how you know.

Not because it's easy.
Not because it's comfortable.

But because it lights you up!

Most people ignore this.

They chase things that drain them.

The job that pays well but kills their soul...
The project that looks good but feels heavy...

And they wonder why they're exhausted.

Energy is the signal.

When I started writing online, it gave me energy.

Not because it was easy. It wasn't.
Not because I was good at it. I wasn't.

But it felt right.

Every piece of content, even the bad ones, made me want to write the next one.

That's how I knew.

Compare that to corporate.

Every email felt heavy.
Every meeting drained me.
Every project took more than it gave.

Same effort. 
Different energy.

One was right for me. One wasn't.

If you're doing work that drains you, maybe it's not your work.

If you're ready to build something that gives you energy instead of taking it, 45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) used the LinkedIn Operating System to find work that feels right, talk about it, and grow an audience that cares about it.

You can watch it here: https://buff.ly/soidgrf

Energy doesn't lie.

Follow it.

the-saturday-solopreneur

audience-income

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Talks about #branding, #business, #socialmedia, #entrepreneurship, and #personalbranding

Talks about hashtag branding, hashtag business, hashtag socialmedia, hashtag entrepreneurship, and hashtag personalbranding

Manage notifications from Justin

Building a portfolio of one-person businesses to $5M+ in revenue.

Your words build a prison or a palace.

It's your choice.

People spend years telling themselves:

"I'm stuck."
"I'm exhausted."
"I can't figure it out."

Guess what happens?

They stay stuck, exhausted, and confused.

Words aren't just words.
They're blueprints.

Every "I'm tired" reinforces fatigue.
Every "I can't figure it out" keeps you stuck.
Every "I'm not good enough" proves itself right.

Change your vocabulary and you'll change your life.

Start saying:

"I'm learning."
"I'm building."
"I'm growing."

It might feel fake at first.

But your brain will start looking for evidence to support your new story.

You'll find opportunities instead of obstacles.
Lessons instead of losses.
Progress instead of problems.

Your reality follows your words.

Change your words.
Change your world.

If you want to change your story from "stuck employee" to "successful entrepreneur," consider watching my masterclass.

The Creator MBA will teach you everything you need to know about building your first online business.

- Choosing a profitable niche
- Standing out amongst competitors
- Marketing that brings in attention
- The right offer to make
- How to convert lookers to buyers
- And how to scale up when ready...

From "I can't" to "I'm an entrepreneur."

Start your new story here: https://buff.ly/GwdMMLj

Nobody's going to give you permission to change your life.

Stop asking for it.

Your family will tell you no.
Your friends will tell you no.
The corporate machine will tell you no.

Go build it anyway.

They're not protecting you.
They're protecting *their* worldview.

Your freedom questions their choices.
Your success challenges their lifestyle.
Your happiness threatens their excuses.

I asked for permission for years.

Got answers like:

"Too risky."
"Be realistic."
"What about security?"

I finally stopped asking and started building.

Now those same people are asking me for advice.

Funny how that works.

The life you want is waiting.
But it requires disappointing some people.

Starting with the version of you that needs approval.

Build first.
And don't apologize for trying.

The fastest way to stop asking for permission is to grow your own valuable audience online.

There's no better way to start.

Here's my playbook from 2,000 to 800,000 here on LinkedIn: https://buff.ly/BhszdAa

Permission is for employees.

Creators...we just build.

The most successful people I know are a bit nutty.

They believe they can build anything.
They know their weird idea will work.
They think they'll compete with $1B+ companies...

Everyone else calls them crazy.

"That market is already too crowded."
"You need experience in that industry first."
"You can't start a business without funding."

But here's the thing about "crazy" people:

They don't listen to the noise.

They start anyway.
They build anyway.
They work anyway.

While rational people are making spreadsheets and conducting market research, crazy people are already selling their first product.

The business world needs more delusional optimists.

People who know they can win.
Who believe their voice matters.
Who are willing to look silly while building.

Every major company started with someone who was "crazy enough" to think they could do it better.

It all started with people who ignored the experts telling them it wouldn't work.

Your "crazy" idea might be exactly what the world needs.

Stop listening to reasonable people giving you reasonable advice.

Start building something unreasonable.

Ready to turn your "crazy" idea into a profitable business?

I've helped 45,000+ people start talking about and marketing their ideas right here on LinkedIn.

(inlcuding 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices)

Here's the entire playbook: https://buff.ly/ALO2j0P

Once you watch it, go promote that new idea and see what happens.

Your dream doesn't die all at once.

It dies slowly.

One day, you'll realize that your dream died because you chose comfort over effort.

Don't let that regret haunt you forever.

Most dreams don't die from failure.

They die from inaction.

From "I'll start next year."
From "I'm not ready yet."
From "Maybe when things settle down."

But things never settle down.

And one day you wake up and realize the dream is gone.

Not because you tried and failed.
But because you never tried at all.

That's the regret that stays with you.

I almost let it happen.

I spent years in corporate telling myself "someday."

Someday I'll start that business.
Someday I'll build something mine.
Someday I'll take the risk.

But someday never comes unless you make it today.

So I started posting on LinkedIn.

Scared. 
Uncertain.
Unprepared. 

But I started.

And that decision changed everything.

If you're tired of choosing comfort over your dream, 45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) used the LinkedIn Operating System to finally start.

Grab it here: https://buff.ly/soidgrf

Your dream is waiting.

Stop choosing comfort.

I used to spend 3-4 hours in meetings.

Now I write for 3-4 hours per day.

And I reach an audience of 1.4M.

Same time investment. 
Completely different outcome.

Most people think the problem is "too much work."

It's not. It's the wrong kind of work.

Corporate work scales linearly:

→ More clients = more meetings
→ More revenue = more reports  
→ More success = more pointless calls

LinkedIn work compounds:

→ One post reaches thousands
→ One framework sells for years
→ One system runs while you sleep

When I quit my corporate job, I didn't work less.

I just stopped doing work that meant less.

After helping 45,000+ people (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) make this same shift (use the playbook → https://buff.ly/8weY0jL), here's what I've learned:

The people who complain about "hustle culture" are usually grinding the hardest.

They're just grinding on work that doesn't compound.

If your work disappears when you stop doing it, you're renting your results.

The goal isn't to work less. It's to build assets instead of completing tasks.

You can be rich and miserable.

Or rich and present.

Choose wisely.

I know people making seven figures who are absolutely miserable.

Always working.
Always stressed.
Always chasing the next milestone.

They got the money.

But they lost everything else in the process.

Here's what nobody tells you about success:

More money doesn't automatically mean more freedom.

In fact, it usually means the opposite.

More clients.
More complexity.
More problems to solve.

Unless you build it differently from the start.

I spent years grinding before I figured this out.

Working weekends.
Saying yes to everything.
Constantly "on."

And you know what I realized?

The hustle culture BS is just that. BS.

You don't need to work more.
You need to work smarter.

So I rebuilt everything around systems, not hustle.

Now I work 4-6 hours a day.
Take weekends off.
Actually enjoy what I've built.

And the business? Still grows.

Because I stopped confusing activity with progress.

Don't sacrifice your life for your business.

Build your business around your life instead.

Want to build a business that runs without running you into the ground?

I documented the 111 exact systems that let me work half the hours while growing to $10M+.

7,000+ entrepreneurs are already using it: https://buff.ly/G7e899d

Slow progress beats no progress.

Every time.

Most people quit right before it works.

They post for 30 days. No traction.
They build for 90 days. No revenue.
They show up for 6 months. Nothing.

So they stop.

And they never know how close they were.

Because results don't show up on schedule.

They show up after consistency.

I posted on LinkedIn for 8 months before anything happened.

8 months of doubt.
8 months of crickets.
8 months of "will this work?"

Then it clicked.

Not overnight. Not all at once.

But it happened.

And it only happened because I didn't quit.

The people who succeed aren't the most talented.

They're the ones who stayed in the game long enough to win.

If you're ready to understand how to use data and analytics to grow on LinkedIn, join 45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) inside of the LinkedIn Operating System to shortcut the game and (finally) grow.

Start here: https://buff.ly/8weY0jL

It won't happen overnight.

But it will happen if you follow this plan.

85% of what you're doing is pointless.

I know because I was doing it too.

All the meetings.
All the networking.
All the "opportunities."

I was busy as hell, going nowhere fast.

Then I realized something:

Most of my effort was producing zero results.

So I cut everything that didn't directly build my business.

No more meetings.
No more "quick calls."
No more chasing shiny objects.

Just four things:

1. Writing daily
2. Publishing on LinkedIn
3. Building products people wanted
4. Spending one hour a day helping people

Every single day.

For six years.

That's when this business changed.

Not because I worked harder. I didn't

Because I stopped wasting time on stuff that didn't matter.

The truth is that being busy feels productive.

But only focus creates results.

Do what I did.

Write and publish content, listen to your audience, build products and help people.

Here's the system I use to write and publish: https://buff.ly/8weY0jL

45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) use it too.

So, cut the 85%...

And double down on what works.

The myth of overnight success:

It doesn't exist.

What looks like luck is usually:

• Years of unseen effort
• Relentless persistence
• Countless failures and lessons

Most people:

• See the highlight reel
• Chalk success up to "luck"
• Ignore the behind-the-scenes work

Success is an iceberg.

The visible part is tiny compared to what's beneath.

Stop waiting for your lucky break and start creating it through your work.

Your "big break" is built daily, not discovered.

Want to create your own luck?

There's no better place than LinkedIn.

I put together the most comprehensive research in the market on LinkedIn and packaged it in 90 min. of video.

Here's the full playbook: https://buff.ly/Rp0XTBD

You don't owe your employer your loyalty.

Harsh? Maybe.

But every layoff is a reminder that loyalty often flows in one direction.

Up.

Not down.

Companies are built by people, but managed on spreadsheets.

It's not personal.
It's business.

So why do you keep treating your career like it's personal?

Your security doesn't come from your employer.

It comes from your ability to create value anywhere.

That's why I started building my own brand and business while I still had a job.

Not because I was unhappy. I loved the company!
But because I knew the company didn't owe me tomorrow.

So I built skills that made me valuable everywhere:

Writing.
Marketing.
Creating products.
Building an audience.

Skills nobody could take away.

When I finally left, I didn't need permission.
I didn't need a safety net.
I had options.

That's absolute security.

If you're ready to build skills that make you valuable anywhere, 45,000+ students (including 200+ LinkedIn Top Voices) used the LinkedIn Operating System to start building their own security: https://buff.ly/ALO2j0P

Remember:

Your security comes from your ability, not your employer.

Most people dream about an idea. 

Almost nobody executes.

It's easy to:

• Pitch your concept to anyone who'll listen
• Seek a bunch of feedback before starting
• Get stuck in perpetual preparation mode

The outcome?

Your idea becomes just another story.

The best entrepreneurs I've met:

• Guard their ideas carefully
• Take an immediate first action
• Build their knowledge through doing

Here's the truth:

Execution beats ideation every single time.

The world pays for what you deliver, not what you discuss.

More action. 
Less noise.

Ready to execute? 

I created a blueprint covering the 23 exact steps I used to scale from zero to 8-figures in revenue in 5.5 years. 

Read it free: https://buff.ly/HB22lcX

Nobody takes you seriously yet. 

That's your advantage.

Because tomorrow's multi-millionaires are today's one-person businesses that nobody's taking seriously yet.

The consultant at their kitchen table.
The creator with 2,500 followers.
The freelancer who "needs a real job."

I've seen this movie before:

2018: "Don't do business on LinkedIn."
2020: "That business isn't sustainable."
2022: "One-person businesses can't scale."

Meanwhile, these "fake" businesses are doing:

• $50K months with no team
• $1M years with no office
• $10M lifetimes with no investors

The pattern never changes:

Year 1: "That's cute."
Year 3: "That's lucky."
Year 5: "How did you do that?"

We're not building something they recognize.

No org charts.
No pitch decks.
Just ridiculous margins.

By the time they take you seriously, you'll be too expensive to hire.

I went from "mid-life crisis" to $10.5M.

While they laughed and doubted.

Your "little" business isn't little.
It's early.

Want to be tomorrow's success story here on LinkedIn?

Steal the playbook → https://buff.ly/cjolSEv 

Let them laugh.

You'll be too busy building to care.

People think they need a business plan.

They don't.

People think they need permission to pivot their career.

They don't.

People think they need approval to build something new.

They don't.

The biggest lie we tell ourselves?

"I need to wait for the right moment."
"I need someone to tell me it's okay."
"I need more experience first."

Here's the truth:

You already have everything you need to start.

The work isn't waiting for permission.
The work is doing the thing.

How many people do you know who spend months planning instead of building?

How many people ask everyone else what they should do instead of just trying?

The most successful business owners I know didn't wait.

They started messy.
They figured it out along the way.
They gave themselves permission to begin.

If you don't know how to start, watch my 111-lesson playbook for building a profitable online business.

It's a behind-the-scenes look at building an online business (and audience) from scratch: https://buff.ly/2PQ6znM

Watch it, execute the plan, and see what happens.

Image credit: tiffinikilgore (Instagram)

Money isn't the goal.

It's the exit strategy.

Exit from meetings that waste your time.
Exit from bosses who don't value you.
Exit from work that drains your soul.

Most people get this backwards.

They chase money for money's sake.

I'm not here to judge, but you can use it differently.

Money can be permission to say NO.

No to toxic clients.
No to Sunday scaries.
No to anything that doesn't align with your values.

I didn't build a business to buy things.

I built it to buy options.

The option to walk away.
The option to choose better.
The option to live on my terms.

When you can walk out of any room, any deal, any situation...

That's leverage.

Not the balance in your account.
But the freedom to use it as your escape route.

Make money.
Not to impress people.
But to never be impressed by the wrong opportunities again.

Want to build your own exit strategy?

I've shown 175,000+ people how to create income that gives them options.

Every Saturday, I share the exact strategies that took me from trapped employee to free entrepreneur.

Join us: justinwelsh.me

Your exit is waiting.

Nobody has it all figured out.

Not me. Not some guru. Not anyone.

We're all just making it up as we go.

I was 38 when I started writing online.

Zero followers.
Zero engagement.
Zero clue what I was doing.

I felt like an idiot hitting publish every day.

But here's what I learned:

Everyone feels like a fraud at first.

The difference between the people who make it and the people who don't?

The ones who make it just keep showing up anyway.

They post the awkward content.
They share the half-baked ideas.
They publish before they're ready.

And slowly, the embarrassment fades.

Because you realize that nobody's keeping score but you.

The audience doesn't expect perfection.
They expect consistency.

So if you've been holding back because you don't feel ready...

Good news: You never will.

Start anyway!

Post that first piece of content today.

It won't be perfect.

But it will be progress.

And progress beats perfection every single time.

Ready to stop overthinking and start building?

I turned daily posts into 800K followers and $10M+ in revenue.

Here's the exact system I use: https://buff.ly/BhszdAa

The fake American Dream: 

- Go to school 
- Go into debt 
- Get a job 
- Work 50-70 hours per week 
- Switch jobs 
- Buy 'stuff' 
- Pay loans (fail) 
- Save money (fail) 
- Try to retire (fail) 
- Finally retire at 66 
- Die at 78. 

All that hard work for 12 years of 'freedom'? 

No thank you. 

Here's the new path:
 
1. Keep your day job
2. Master one valuable skill.
3. Build a powerful audience on LinkedIn.
4. Share your expertise daily.
5. Attract inbound opportunities.
6. Launch a service to test demand.
7. Turn that service into products.
8. Scale with systems.
9. Replace your income.
10. Quit when ready.

But here's what most people miss:

None of this works without an audience.

No audience = No opportunities.
No audience = No customers.
No audience = No freedom.

The good news?

Building an audience on LinkedIn has never been easier.

The competition is still low.
Decision-makers are everywhere.
The algorithm rewards consistency.

I put together the most comprehensive research on growing to 800K followers on LinkedIn and packaged it in 90 min. of video.

Access it here: https://buff.ly/8weY0jL

Watch today...

Then spend 30 minutes a day for the next 12 months growing your audience, testing your ideas, and building your escape route.

Your future self will thank you.

I noticed something funny about decision-making. 

When I'm agitated? 

Every option seems important and urgent. 

I quickly jump between choices, convinced each one could be the best or worst decision of my life.

But when I deliberately slow down and take a walk, sit quietly, sleep on it...

The noise fades. 
The unimportant falls away.
The complicated becomes simple. 
The options reduce to two or three. 

That shift from complete chaos to clarity? 

It's exactly what happened when I started building my writing practice. 

Instead of frantically posting every idea, I learned to pause, reflect, and share only what truly mattered. 

That patience transformed scattered thoughts in my brain into content that resonated with 800K+ people and generated 84.7M+ monthly impressions. 

(You can see how I built this approach here: https://buff.ly/soidgrf)

The calmer I am, the more clearly I can see what matters and what doesn't.

This works for everything:

Business decisions, creative problems, and even relationship issues.

So, next time you're stuck or overwhelmed, try this experiment: Wait. 

Do nothing for a day. 
Let your mind settle. 
Then decide. 

Don't be fooled by the feeling that urgency equals importance. 

Often, it's the opposite. 

The best decisions come from a quiet mind.

Image credit: pathsofstoicism

Only foolish people dismiss hard work as "luck."

"They're lucky they can work from home."
"They're lucky their business took off."
"They're lucky they have that lifestyle."

Luck?

Behind every "overnight success" is years of work.

Pitching dozens of clients before landing the first one.

Failing at multiple business ideas before finding one that works.

Learning how to market, sell, and deliver value to people.

Reinvesting every dollar back into growing instead of buying stuff.

That's not luck. 
That's called persistence.

Most people see the result, not the process.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

And you create your own luck by showing up consistently, learning from failures, and pushing on when things get hard.

The only difference between people who "get lucky" and people who don't?

The lucky ones keep going when everyone else gives up.

I documented the exact 23 steps I took from failure to freedom.

No fluff. 
No theory. 
Just what actually worked.

Get the blueprint free: https://buff.ly/taCFAUc 

Persistence beats luck every single time.

Image credit: impossibleachievers

taplio

The Battle

Sahil Bloom

Justin Welsh

Followers

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Performance ScoreSahil Bloom's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJustin Welsh's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Sahil Bloom

Justin Welsh

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);}Sahil Bloom's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreJustin Welsh's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreSahil Bloom's LinkedIn Performance