Boy oh boy!

*Takes a deep breath and lets it all out*

It's been one helluva year, hasn't it?

Wins, losses, trials, and triumphs...

And in honor of 2022 coming to a close, I'd like to share a little insight into how I'm building my little one-person creator business in 2023 and beyond.

Sound fair enough?

Sweet. Let's get straight to it. ↓

As a kid, I always knew I was different.

I’d see someone on TV doing something cool and would think:

“Why can’t I do that?”

“Why not me?”

But I soon realized - this wasn’t the case for everyone else.

In fact, to most, I was an outlier. A weirdo.

They just didn’t understand.

It seemed like I wanted more out of life than they did.

Do you feel the same way?

Do you feel “different” than those around you?

Do you feel destined for “big” things?

Do you feel like you have a ton of potential but don’t know where to direct it?

Yeah? Then this might be the most important letter of your life…

The Choice

The biggest mistake I see people make is they stop learning.

They become complacent.

They stop evolving and progressing.

But the reality is - humans are meant to evolve.

That’s what drives us to build buildings that touch the clouds.

That’s what drives us to explore space and land on the moon.

That’s what drives us to invent, experiment, and innovate.

Humans are creators.

And because of the internet - we’re able to get paid to follow our natural state of being.

We’re able to get paid to follow our curiosity.

We’re able to get paid to self-improve.

What am I talking about?

I’m talking about the one-person creator business model…

The 7-Step One-Person Business Blueprint

I’m convinced personal growth eventually leads to entrepreneurship.

Why?

Because personal growth and entrepreneurship are one and the same.

Solve your own problems = Personal growth

Turn your solutions into products = Entrepreneurship

In Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, he says that meaningful work requires 3 things:

• Autonomy

• Complexity

• And a connection between effort and reward

1. Are you responsible for your own decisions and directions?

2. Does your work engage your mind and imagination?

3. Is there a relationship between effort and reward?

THAT is why entrepreneurship is so appealing.

You have complete control over:

• Your decisions

• How hard you work

• And what you want your ideal life to look like

YOU get to create the life you want to live.

And that’s the essence of what being a creator means…

Creating the life you want to live.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Pick a Goal You’re Obsessed With

Humans need goals. They need something to progress towards.

Especially in the digital age - where most of our physiological and safety needs have been satisfied.

• “What do you want out of life?”• “Who do you want to become?”• “What are you willing to struggle for?”

Of course, it won’t be perfect starting out.

But you only gain clarity once you take action.

Bottom line: Pick something and start.

Ex: “I want to get in better shape.”

Step 2: Chase Your Goal & Encounter Problems

As you chase your goal - inevitably, you’ll run into problems.

• “How do I motivate myself to go to the gym?”• “What foods do I even eat to be healthy?”• “How much food should I be eating?”

This is natural. Solving these problems will allow you to separate yourself from those who can’t.

Document how you solve each problem and store your unique solution in your notes.

(I use Notion for this, and I'll get to why documenting your journey is important later in this letter).

Step 3: Build Skills to Solve Your Problems

Next? Solve your own problems by thinking systematically.

“How do I get in better shape?”

↓

Workout more consistently.

↓

“How do I become more consistent?”

↓

Learn how to build habits.

↓

“How do I learn how to build habits?”

↓

Learn how to learn.

This process goes on and on.

Do you see how we work backward to identify what we need to work on?

Good. Follow this way of thinking for each problem you encounter.

Then build the skills you need to solve your problems.

Onward.

Step 4: Outline & Build a Project

Nothing will accelerate your learning like outlining and building a project as you grow.

Wanna learn the guitar? Make a YouTube channel recording yourself practicing.

Wanna learn design? Grow your Instagram page with visuals.

Wanna learn storytelling? Start a podcast and tell stories.

As you learn skills and begin to “stack” them, build projects.

Here are a few ideas:

• Build a personal brand on Twitter• Write a weekly newsletter• Create an e-book

Or for my example: Start Project50.

(OGs know I did Project50 twice when I first started my self-improvement journey).

The bigger the project, the more skills needed.

It’s not about the followers you gain or the money you make…

It’s about the skills you refine while building your project.

Chase mastery, not status.And the greatest project you'll ever work on?You guessed it... You.

Step 5: Teach Others Your Solutions

As you build your project - you’ll need people to test it on.

The best way? Build an online audience.

(This is why I suggested building a personal brand)

How do you build an audience? By creating content.

Content creation serves as a two-way benefit:

1. You get feedback on your ideas

2. You build distribution for your future business

When you create content based on the solutions to your problems - you don’t need to “come up” with content ideas… you’re just sharing what you learn.

Don’t fall into the trap of creating content for the sake of content. Content creation isn’t the goal, it’s the means to building distribution and improving your skill.

In other words, curating the “top 10 chrome extensions” isn’t helping you progress.

For my example, Project50 recommends making video clips of your fitness journey.

This helps you stay accountable and inspire others to do the same.

Step 6: Productize Yourself by Creating Systems

Wealthy people don’t get paid based on how many hours they work.

They get paid based on:

1. The size of the problem (magnitude) 

2. The # of people the problem impacts (scale) 

Turn your process into a repeatable system.

How do you know what problems to solve?

Check your notes when you first started your journey.

See how this is all coming together?

Step 7: Iterate & Improve

Finally, work this process and continually improve your systems.

If you follow this process, you can turn yourself and your brand into a $1M solo business.

The second best part about this entire process? It’s permissionless.

Meaning, a 17-year-old kid (like me) can do this all while still full-time in school and sports.

Side note: One of my clients asked me how long it would take for him to grow. My answer: "Does it matter if you're 1) Enjoying the process and 2) Living in alignment with your true nature?"

The best part is YOU get to choose:

• WHAT to work on• WHO to work with• And HOW to work on it

Lastly...

The heart of this entire process is continual self-improvement.

Always be learning. Always be building. Always be evolving.

I’ll see you next week.

Jay "Pedal To The Metal" Yang

P.S. I can't talk about one-person businesses and not mention 3 people who've inspired me the most.

If you wanna follow the rabbit hole, these are the guys I recommend:

• Dan Koe• Justin Welsh• Kieran Drew

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." — Isaac Newton

LAST WEEK'S FEEDBACK

JAY'S PICKS: 🔥

🧵 Twitter Thread: 7 Simple Strategies to Become a World-Class Storyteller🎙 Podcast: Building a Portfolio of 1-Person Businesses to $5M in Revenue🎥 Video: The Art of Thinking (this was deep haha)📝 Article: 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You A Better Person

Lastly, if you made it all the way down here... kudos.

You're my kind of person. 🤝

I wanted to let you know that after this week (the first week of January).

I won't be doing any more consulting calls - because school starts back up.

So, this is your last chance to book a call with me.

If you were waiting for some odd reason, now's your chance.

Click that big button below and let's...

• Gain clarity on your niche• Strategize your overall brand vision• And Implement My 'Growth Triangle System' to attract high-quality followers (and dollars)