College teacher turned ghostwriter | Scaling founders, coaches, and consultants to $100K+ /mo | Writing to build wealth and better self | 98,000 on Twitter (X)

Taylin John Simmonds

3 years ago, a friend lent me $40K to pay off my debt. So I could focus on business.

2 years ago, I offered to pay it back. He said no. Reinvest. Pay me later. 1 year ago, first payment. 

Yesterday, I paid him back!

Find the people who bet on you before it makes sense. Then spend your life proving them right.

College teacher turned Substack ghostwriter | Thoughts about craft, ideas, and AI as a creative partner (not a replacement) | 2B impressions | $4M+ revenue generated | All in on Substack

One pattern I’ve noticed in all the people that inspire me: They live a diverse life.

They layer unrelated skills. 
Read widely. 
And have friends you'd rarely see together. 

A rich life isn't only about money. It's about the range of experiences that made you who you are.

Stop calling yourself a content creator. Content creators chase algorithms. You're cultivating a body of work.

You're not in the content game. You're in the depth game.

And depth doesn't scale. It compounds.

I'm noticing a quiet rebellion against balance. 

People who disappear into their craft. 12, 15 hours a day for weeks. Then step back completely. No guilt. No routine. No splitting the difference. Full immersion, then full recovery. 

Seasons, not schedules.

You don't actually want to stop working. You just haven't found work worth your devotion.

The goal isn't to do less. It's to care so deeply about one thing that everything else becomes noise.

Find that thing. Then you'll never need convincing to start.

Everyone's trying to escape work. Fewer hours. Passive income. Early retirement. That's not freedom. That's avoidance.

You don't want to do less. You want something worth pouring everything into. Work that's worthy of your full attention, your full energy, your full devotion.

Find that first.

If AI is speeding up your writing process, you're using it wrong.

AI should slow you down. Stress-test your ideas. Pressure-test your arguments. Find the angle that actually matters before you write a word.

The bottleneck was never your writing speed. It was your thinking clarity.

You don't need 100 clients. You need a handful of the right ones and the devotion to serve them so well they never want to leave.

No empire. No team of 30. No "scaling to seven figures."

Just craft you're proud of and a livelihood that lets you live well.

A book you highlighted but never practiced is a book you never read.

Understanding doesn't live in the notes you took.

It lives in the choices you made differently afterward.

A life-changing habit I picked up recently: Fifteen minutes of breath work before work.

The breath brings me out of my head and into stillness. A stillness that makes creative work feel effortless.

Your best work is hiding behind the ritual you're skipping.

The real value in the AI age isn't what you know. It's who you can inspire.

Give them an aim, a compelling reason, and the next small step when everything feels overwhelming.

If you want to matter in the AI age, don't just share knowledge. 
Lend direction.

You're behind because you've never given 100% of yourself to the thing you care about.

Subtract everything that isn't it. Give it everything you have. Not 40%. Not most days. Everything.

You've never seen what happens when you actually commit. Find out.

Lucas Bean

CEO @ Social Proof | Leader, Ai, Adtech, Analytics, AiO, Fintech, Games, Entertainment, Web3, Creator Economy | ex Atari, Sony, Experian, Deloitte | User Acquisition Expert | speaker, advisor, ENTP

I’m a seasoned tech executive with deep entrepreneurial experience ready to help you build, scale and win.

I'm top 3 globally in:
• User acquisition
• Retention
• Community building
• UX optimization

20+ years in marketing, data science and product leadership
Author of Community Market Fit - Published April 2025 
Ex-Atari, Sony Pictures, Experian, Deloitte
Founder, CEO, GM, CMO, COO, SVP of Marketing & Ops

I specialize in scaling businesses fast through:
• User acquisition & retention strategy
• Data-driven marketing
• Product development
• P&L management
• Advanced automation
• Consumer experience design
• Growth operations

Proven wins:
✔️ Helped raise over $50M in venture capital
✔️ Built & exited a solo venture at $500K+/year
✔️ Took an adtech company public (founded in 2008, IPO in 2017)
✔️ Executive roles at 3 companies that exited for $1.4B+ combined

Marketing expertise:
• Copywriting
• SEO
• Email marketing
• Content creation
• Influencer strategy
• Video & display ads
• Marketing automation
• Flywheel effects
• Full-stack paid media (desktop/mobile)

Industry experience:
Fintech, Adtech, Gaming, Entertainment, Dating, Web3, Creator Economy, Social E-commerce

Leadership style:
I’ve built scrappy teams from scratch and turned underperforming teams into high-output machines.

I believe complex systems can be distilled into simple, marketable messages that resonate deeply with customers, fans, and stakeholders.

Now? I’m focused on helping others build fast, scale smart and stand out.
Open to clients, partnerships, and strategic opportunities.

GM & Head of Product 

Strategic Consulting to startups, founders, executive management of fortune 1,000 companies. Providing expert advice and execution on Web3, NFT, Operations, General Management, digital marketing efforts, Web3 onboarding, core operational issues, Data Analysis, Strategy, P&L Management, Product Development, Product Innovation, User Experience, User Acquisition & Retention. 

I help turn new and existing businesses into finely tuned digital powerhouses by auditing current 
 internal processes. I then use analytics, acquisition, retention, mentoring & media management to determine KPI's and hyper improve performance metrics with precise strategic tactics. 

Channels Leveraged: Analytics, Influence Marketing, Community Building, Social, Display, Search Paid + Natural, email, mobile.

Current Business fields of expertise (no one is an expert, always learning):
NFTs
Web3 (P2E Gaming, Metaverse etc.)
Gaming and esports 
Mobile Gaming
Fintech
Influence Marketing
e-commerce (social selling)
Entertainment 
Mobile Apps
Digital Products
Digital & IRL Events

I’ve learned not to hold people hostage 
to who they used to be.

We all carry outdated versions of ourselves: 

mistakes we’ve made
ignorance we’ve acted on 
pain caused before we knew better 

I’ve seen how one bad chapters can become someone’s whole story in the eyes of others 

But people grow
They stumble
They learn 

They often try to make things right. 

We all have regrets
but that doesn’t mean we can’t begin again.
I’ve watched friends become softer,
more grounded. 

Change isn’t always dramatic
it’s often slow and quiet. 


But it’s real. 


When we dismiss someone for who they were
we miss who they’ve worked to become.

No one should be forever judged
by a version they’ve outgrown.

If we offer ourselves grace
we should offer it to others too.

♻️ Share this with someone who inspires you 
🔔 Follow me Lucas Bean for more

Lucas Bean 

20 years Marketing, Data Science & Product Executive | Author of Community Market Fit | ex Atari, Sony, Experian, Deloitte | User Acquisition & Retention Expert | consultant, speaker, advisor, Ai Automation Expert

10 Phrases High EQ Leaders Would NEVER say:
(and what they would never say)

You hear them in meetings.
 Stressful moments.
 Tough conversations.

Some words inflame.
 Others invite collaboration.

Here are the worst ones,
and how emotionally intelligent leaders flip them 👇

❌ "You need to calm down" 
✅ "Let’s take a 10-minute break and come back to this."

❌ "This is a nightmare"
✅ "Let’s figure out what we control and fix it."

❌ "I told you so" 
✅ "Let’s fix the problem, not the blame."

❌ "Why did you do that?"
✅ "I take full responsibility, where can we do better?"

❌ "You should have had this done by now" 
✅ "How can I help you accomplish this goal?"

❌ "I said that already"
✅ "Here’s a one-sheet with instructions."

❌ "Not my job, figure it out"
✅ "Let’s walk through this together." 

❌ "That’s your job, not mine"
✅ "Let me sit down with you and we can figure it out together."

❌ "This is how we’ve always done it"
✅ "Let’s find a new way and document it for others."

❌ "Calm down"
✅ "This seems important, let’s revisit when we’re in a better headspace." 

The real difference?
One erodes trust.
The other earns it.

You get to choose your words.
 Choose the ones that build connection.
—
♻️ Repost to help someone lead better 
🔔 Follow me (Lucas Bean) for more leadership

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10 Signs You're Emotionally Intelligent:
(and you might not know it)

First how do you define emotional intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, 
understand and manage emotions in yourself and others.


The pros: 
These powerful skills help you bring out the best
in both yourself and others.


The cons:
They can leave you feeling drained and exhausted
having to manage peoples emotional state to get the best out of them. 


10 signs you are an emotional intelligent powerhouse:

1. You sense what people need
↳ You can tell when someone needs to talk
 vent or just be left alone.

2. You read between the lines
↳ A short “okay” in Slack tells you everything you need to know.

3. You absorb emotional tension
↳ People naturally calm down when talking to you
 even if you don't say much.

4. You speak everyone’s language
↳ You know exactly who needs all the details 
 and who just wants the headlines.

5. You catch unsaid questions
↳ You notice when someone wants to speak but stays silent.

6. You feel others' stress
↳ Deadlines, tough meetings you feel nervous for your coworkers 
 even when you’re not involved.

7. You notice fake enthusiasm
↳ You can tell the difference between genuine excitement
 and polite agreement.

8. You're everyone’s reality check
↳ People often ask, "How did that really go?" 
 because they trust your judgment.

9. You sense when meetings go off track
↳ You recognize the moment people start checking
 their phones more.

10. You spot hidden burnout
↳ You notice when colleagues aren’t themselves
 even if they try to hide it.


♻️ Repost to inspire someone.
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What People Think Marketing Is:

→ Cold emails
→ Pop-up ads
→ PR headlines
→ Trendy logos
→ Funny TikToks
→ Clever taglines
→ TV or radio spots
→ Weekly newsletters

What Marketing Really Is:

 → Split testing
 → Earning trust
 → Crafting offers
 → Guiding prospects
 → Tracking data + ROI
 → Mapping experiences
 → Building communities
 → Knowing buyer behavior

And that’s just the start.
Most assume marketing is about being loud, catchy or viral.

But real marketing isn’t surface-level.

It’s about creating trust,
guiding decisions,
and building relationships that last.

♻ Repost if you agree 
🔔 Follow Lucas Bean more insights.

People won't remember how much money you made
but 

they will remember how you made them feel.

Anyone can show off their success.
Very few know how to get the best out of people.

This is how Emotionally Intelligent leaders lead:

✅ Make sure everyone feels safe to speak
❌ Don’t speak over people during meetings
➟ Let introverts shine here 

✅ Invest in building relationships that drive team results
❌ Don’t only focus on the core results
➟ build team confidence, everyone wins 

✅ Highlight the whole team and their wins
❌ Don’t take credit for other peoples work
➟ When they are shown winning, you win

✅ Listen to listen first, speak to understand
❌ Don’t push the company agenda at all costs
➟ Let people take ownership on execution 

To get the best out of your team:

1. Give real recognition, not just a pat on the back
 ➟ be specific with your praise
 ➟ Explain how they contributed 

2. Make 1:1's an employee first meeting
 ➟ Ask what you can do for them
 ➟ Don't make this a micro-management meeting 

3. Make an effort to get to know your people 
 ➟ Not all want the spotlight 
 ➟ Everyone does want to know they are doing well 

4. Don't fix the blame, fix the problem 
 ➟ People won't take risk if you react out of emotion 
 ➟ Go over what happened and mutually agree on next steps

Emotionally intelligent leaders get better results. 

When people are appreciated
they wake up with a purpose 
and motivation to do 
their best work

When the team is shown winning in public,
You are shown winning in private.

P.S: Which one is your favorite? 
Tell me in the comments below 👇 

 ♻️ Repost to help your network grow 
 🤝 Follow Lucas Bean for more

This is why most people quit.

When
it takes
more work
than we thought
it would.

It’s way easier to:

- quit
- make excuses
- get discouraged
- go watch Netflix
- grab a bottle of booze
- go and smoke weed and zone out 


Instead, set yourself up to win by:

- setting time blocks
- setting expectations
- setting up exact tactics
- setting up a realistic timeline


Our aspirations are always greater
then the reality of how much work it is.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 > 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Don’t let 2025 get away from you 


share this to help others in your community 
Follow me Lucas Bean for more
We miss you Mr. Obama

No alternative text description for this image

For much of my life, I measured myself
through the eyes of others.

“They’re judging me.”
“They don't like me.”
“I look foolish.”

It was exhausting.

But I learned something powerful:
The moment you stop seeking validation
is the moment you begin to feel free.

Perspective shapes reality.

“They’re judging me” becomes
“I'm proud to be trying.”

“They’ll hate it” becomes
“I’m proud of what I’ve created.”

“I look foolish” becomes
“I'm OK with being seen trying in public.”

Life isn’t defined by how others see us.
It’s defined by the story we tell ourselves.

When that story is built on respect,
purpose, and authenticity,
everything changes.

The loudest voices aren’t always the wisest.
The most important approval is your own.


❔What story will you tell yourself today? 


♻ Share if someone needs this reminder.
🔔 Follow me Lucas Bean for growth + purpose.

Be brave enough to suck at something new 


Scared to:

→ write that article 
→ publish that video
→ post that comment 
→ send that DM to someone
→ Just do it and figure it out later


Your goals should be that of action:

→ have a sense of urgency
→ take action instead of overthinking
→ Focus on the future, not on the past 
→ plan 20% and execute 80% of the time

A ship does not sail on yesterday's wind. 

________________________________

♻️ share to help others take the leap

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Who you spend time with matters more than you think.

If you surround yourself with people who:

→ Aim higher than you do
→ Push beyond what feels “comfortable”
→ Dream so big it feels almost unrealistic

Something powerful happens:
 
- Your own vision expands
- Your own standards rise
- Your own belief grows

It’s not magic, it’s proximity.

 We absorb the energy, habits and mindset of those people.

📊 Research backs this up too.
Sit near a high performer → your output rises.
Sit near a low performer → your results drop.

The same principle applies in life:

 • In the gym → Train next to disciplined lifters.
 • In work → Work with people who challenge you.
 • In life → live with those who live with purpose.

But the opposite is also true.

 Stay too long in small rooms with small dreams…
 your ambition shrinks to fit those rooms.

So ask yourself:

Who’s in your circle?
 Do they lift your vision higher or lower it?

Choose people who fuel your drive, not drain it.
Because ambition spreads.

And the right company can change your trajectory.

♻️ Repost this if it resonated.
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The average person sits for 12 hours a day 
(Moving will increase your EQ)


Research shows that people who engage in regular physical activity 
will have higher levels of emotional intelligence


So here are 15 habits to increase your emotional intelligence:

1. Dedicate at least 30 mins to physical activity daily.
2. Use a fitness tracker to monitor your daily steps.
3. Participate in group fitness classes for motivation.
4. Use a standing desk while working.
5. Hold meetings while walking instead of sitting.
6. Go outside during lunch when the weather is nice.
7. Challenge yourself by setting achievable fitness goals.
8. Choose stairs over elevators whenever possible.
9. Walk or bike to work if feasible.
10. Incorporate stretching exercises into your daily routine.
11. Stand up and stretch every hour.
12. Use apps or alarms to remind you to move every hour.
13. Engage in active family outings like hiking or biking.
14. Dance to your favorite music as a fun way to get moving.
15. Do simple exercises like leg lifts or seated marches at your desk.

A sedentary lifestyle is also a silent killer,
that takes away our health every day we don't move.

The less time you spend sitting during the day,
the better your chances of living a healthy life. 🙏

♻️ Repost this to spread the message
Follow me Lucas Bean

0 quotes to make quick work of Mondays:
(# 10 is my favorite) 

1: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
↳ Passion fuels consistency and quality.
↳ Without love, work becomes a grind.


2. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
↳ Don’t wait—build what you envision.
↳ Ownership beats guessing.


3. “The difference between ordinary & extraordinary is that 
little extra.” – Jimmy Johnson
↳ Going 10% further sets you apart.
↳ Details separate leaders from the crowd.


4. “Never give up on your dreams, no matter how impossible
they may seem.” – Walt Disney
↳ Resilience turns vision into reality.
↳ Doubt kills more dreams than failure.


5. “The only person you are destined to become 
is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
↳ Identity is a daily choice.
↳ Intention creates direction.


6. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
↳ Start before you feel ready.
↳ Movement beats perfection.


7. “The only way to fail is to give up.” – Winston Churchill
↳ Keep going—progress is built through effort.
↳ Quitting is the only dead end.


8. “The best way to learn is by doing.” – Aristotle
↳ Action creates clarity.
↳ You can’t think your way to mastery.


9. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow 
will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
↳ Belief shapes outcomes.
↳ Doubt delays action.


10. “Show up where you don’t belong because 
one day, you will.” – Lucas Bean
↳ Confidence is built through showing up.
↳ Belonging starts with courage.


♻️ Share to help your community
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10 quotes to make quick work of Mondays

5 Stoic Principles to live a better life:
(And how to apply them daily)


Simple mindset shifts can create powerful changes in your life.


Marcus Aurelius, Rome’s most powerful man, used these principles to stay calm, clear, and in control. 

Now you can use them to: 


1. Control your thoughts
↳ Negative thoughts distort reality and fuel suffering.
↳ Say: “This is temporary. I’m in control of how I view it.”


2. Control your reactions
↳ You can’t control events, only your response.
↳ Say: “I choose how I react—calmly and with perspective.”


3. Appreciate beauty
↳ Overthinking blinds you to joy.
↳ Say: “This moment is enough. Look up, breathe, be here.”


4. Separate facts from meaning
↳ Most things are just opinions, not truth.
↳ Say: “Let me verify before I react or assume.”


5. Don’t seek revenge
↳ Wasting energy on payback keeps you stuck.
↳ Say: “Living well is the only revenge that matters.”


Mastering these five will help you stay unshaken in a chaotic world.


♻️ Repost to help someone in your community. 
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Five tips for a better life for Marcus Aurelius

The toughest truth about being a creator
(and all the future creators out there):

Not everyone will celebrate your growth.
Some will only remember the old version of you.
Others will feel uneasy when you outgrow their expectations.

Not everyone will want to collaborate with you. 
Some will see you as competition and ignore you. 


But being a creator is an evolution. 

You’ll be:
↳ Breaking free from old mindsets
↳ Replacing habits that no longer serve you
↳ Making calls others can’t see or won’t understand

And yes… it can get crazy lonely.
↳ Some will question your choices
↳ Some will try to hold you in the past
↳ A few might even resent your momentum

But you didn’t work this hard to stay the same.

5 ways to grow without losing clarity:

1. Release outdated expectations
➟ You don’t owe loyalty to your past self.
➟ You only owe loyalty to the person you’re becoming.

2. Audit your values regularly
➟ Growth means refining what matters most. 
➟ Stay anchored, but never stuck.

3. Explain the “why”
➟ When you pivot, bring people along. 
➟ Don’t just change connect the dots for them.

4. Choose your circle wisely
➟ Remove people who ask “Why change?”
➟ Surround yourself with people who ask, “What’s next?” 

5. Trust the long game
➟ Growth doesn’t always look like progress in the moment but it compounds.
➟ You’re not supposed to be the same creator you were last year.

 The right people will meet you where you are now not where you used to be.
So keep evolving. 

Keep pushing forward.
 Your next chapter is waiting.

Which version of you are you building next? Tell me below 👇 

♻ Repost to inspire a leader in your network
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Here is a list of things that are not doing the thing:

“Preparing to do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Scheduling time to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Making a to-do list for the thing isn't doing the thing.

Telling people you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Messaging friends who may or may not be doing the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Writing a banger tweet about how you're going to do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Hating on yourself for not doing the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Hating on other people who have done the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Hating on the obstacles in the way of doing the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Fantasizing about all of the adoration you'll receive once you do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how to do the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how other people did the thing 
isn't doing the thing.

Reading this essay isn't doing the thing.

The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.” 

— Strangest Loop

Now go do the thing

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