How to Build a Creator-First Business (That Actually Lasts) with Jay Clouse
Episode 955: Show Notes
Being a creator-first business sounds great in theory, but it can be slow to grow! Today, I’m talking with Jay Clouse, who has been there, built that, and now runs one of the most respected businesses in the creator economy. But, it didn’t happen overnight! In this episode, we talk about creating content, building an audience instead of attracting a crowd, and how to create sustainability in an evolving industry.
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Being a creator-first business sounds great in theory, but it can be slow to grow! Today, I’m talking with Jay Clouse, who has been there, built that, and now runs one of the most respected businesses in the creator economy. But, it didn’t happen overnight! In this episode, we talk about creating content, building an audience instead of attracting a crowd, and how to create sustainability in an evolving industry.
How Jay Started to Create About Creating
After leaving a job he didn’t love in 2017, Jay fell down a rabbit hole of people who were writing newsletters as their business model. He started to write about what he knew: creating! That’s how Creator Science was born. Eight years later, he’s still doing exactly that. His advice to others is this: you don’t start a newsletter because you are an expert; you become the expert by writing the newsletter.
Consistency: The Key to Creator Science’s Success
When he first started writing it, Creator Science had no audience. So Jay shared about it on Facebook and talked about it wherever he went. For a long time, it was just small incremental growth that drove his business. He attributes his success to dogmatic consistency and passing the regret test: every time you post, the goal is to make somebody more likely to engage with the next thing you publish.
Earning Influence Over an Audience Through Trust
Jay doesn’t care about being flashy. He doesn’t believe in the phenomenon of getting huge spikes of attention. What happens once you’ve gone viral? Does it actually improve your baseline reach? Instead, Jay asks himself what would happen if he couldn’t reach anybody new. What if you had enough people invested enough in you that your business could persist without anyone else? There’s a difference between having an audience and attracting a crowd.
Where You Can Actually Create Real Value Online
A newsletter is a direct line of communication. When you’re primarily reaching people on social media, you’re learning to interrupt somebody’s mindless habit. Jay sees every piece of content he puts out into the world as a product. It’s free, but it serves a need. What is somebody “hiring” your newsletter to do? If nothing, then it’s not going to persist as part of anyone’s life.[Text
The Steady Drumbeat That Will Bring the Right People to You
Are Jay’s calls to action better than other people’s? He doesn’t think so. But he’s been posting them more frequently, and he’s been doing it for years. It stacks up and it makes a difference. There’s no single post that’s going to save you. Instead, Jay believes in a steady stream of content that eventually brings in the people who really get it. What can you do on repeat that is sustainable for you to keep on doing consistently?
Jay’s Funding Journey Before Monetizing His Newsletter
Since 2021, Jay’s content has been paying for his business. But it wasn’t always like this! When he was first monetizing, he ran mastermind programs to make his newsletter viable. He built his community experience via Slack, which was unusual for the time. It took off! That’s when Pat Flynn reached out to ask for Jay’s support in building Circle’s community platform, and bought the community he was building to make that possible. That’s how he started to fund his newsletter.
Predictions for the Next Chapter
Courses are in trouble! We are getting better and better tools for learning through AI. Jay sees an increasing interest and hunger for verifiable human experiences, things that we know were made by, for, and experienced with other people. Community-based experiences will continue to increase in value, and quality will stand out.
Advice for Success in a Changing World
Jay’s advice for the future: if you can’t be an innovator, be fast to follow! Search for patterns and signals that something is working. Ask yourself: how can you proceed in a way that there are wins along the way, even if you don’t succeed? Do things you enjoy the process of, because the only way to win the game is if you stay in it.
Quote This
You don’t earn influence through attention. You earn it through trust.
-@jayclouse
Highlights
How Jay Started to Create About Creating [0:02:08]
Consistency: The Key to Creator Science’s Success [0:05:55]
Earning Influence Over an Audience Through Trust [0:09:15]
Where You Can Actually Create Real Value Online [0:12:41]
The Steady Drumbeat That Will Bring the Right People to You [0:17:50]
Jay’s Funding Journey Before Monetizing His Newsletter [0:24:24]
Predictions for the Next Chapter [0:31:57]
Advice for Success in a Changing World [0:37:21]
OUR GUEST:
Jay Clouse
Jay Clouse is the mind behind Creator Science, one of the most trusted voices in the creator economy and the 2022 winner of the 2022 Signal Award. He is a startup investor and has built and sold multiple businesses, including his community, Unreal Collective, to Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income.
OUR HOST:
Abagail Pumphrey
Boss Project on Instagram | Facebook
Abagail hosts the twice-weekly podcast, The Strategy Hour, which is recognized by INC and Forbes as one of the best podcasts for entrepreneurs.
Key Topics:
Newsletters, Content Creation, Writing, Knowledge
