[00:00:00] Rory: Hey, welcome back to the Influential Personal Brand Podcast. One of the things that [00:00:05] we talk about often is that building a social media following is not what [00:00:10] it means to have a personal brand. Personal branding is the digitization of your [00:00:15] reputation. [00:00:15] Yet social media is an important part of building a personal [00:00:20] brand, and it is something that is massively, uh, you can be a massive [00:00:25] indicator of your success. It can massively contribute to you reaching more people. And so today [00:00:30] is a very specific episode that’s dedicated to how to [00:00:35] grow on social media. [00:00:36] And the person that we’ve invited in for this is someone that I [00:00:40] consider a personal friend. I actually started following this guy online, and [00:00:45] I loved so much what he was doing and how he was doing it. That I [00:00:50] actually reached out to him and I just, I just let him know. I said, I admire you. I think you’re doing a great [00:00:55] job. [00:00:55] Uh, I don’t know what your business is, but keep it going. Uh, and so [00:01:00] I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Nick Nicholas. John. Now, he has been an [00:01:05] actor. He’s been a singer. He is been a model. There’s several different things that he has done, [00:01:10] but in the last couple years, he has grown to over 1 million followers on Instagram [00:01:15] and about a half a million or so on TikTok and few other places. [00:01:18] And he’s done [00:01:20] this without being an international celebrity, without being like a billionaire, [00:01:25] like just going out and buying a bunch of ads. He’s done this. By serving an [00:01:30] audience with intention and efficiency and effectiveness and just [00:01:35] care. And I really, really love following him. He’s one of my, my favorite people to follow. [00:01:39] [00:01:40] So he specializes. I think most of his content is sort of around just wisdom, uh, [00:01:45] mental health, uh, personal development, some spirituality. And so I was like, [00:01:50] Nicholas, do you think you would ever come on our show and just like, share some of your secrets? And he [00:01:55] graciously agreed. And so here he is, Nicholas John, welcome to the show. [00:01:58] Nick: Thank you. Thank you. That was such a [00:02:00] nice introduction. I appreciate that a lot. Seriously, I, [00:02:03] Rory: I wanna hear the story of how [00:02:05] you, how you got into this. Yeah. ’cause I feel like, I mean, you live here in Nashville. [00:02:10] Mm-hmm. Uh, right. And so I was super excited about that when I found out. ’cause I was like, oh, I could actually meet you in, in the real [00:02:15] person. [00:02:15] Um, and I feel like your background. There’s a lot of [00:02:20] people in the world who are like, I was gonna be an actor. I was gonna be a singer. Yeah. I was gonna be, I’m [00:02:25] just a creative. And then, you know, in the world of social media, you’ve kind of like [00:02:30] found a home, made a home mm-hmm. For yourself. So tell us that story, [00:02:33] Nick: man. [00:02:33] It’s, uh, [00:02:35] where to begin, but I, I think a lot of people especially that are listening to this [00:02:40] and follow you, um, will relate to this idea of feeling like very [00:02:45] creative, but not necessarily always knowing where to use it. Like what outlet is the best [00:02:50] suit for your creativity. Um, and for me, [00:02:55] man, it was a long, long journey, but I came here to pursue songwriting, so I [00:03:00] randomly started writing songs in, um. [00:03:03] In Wisconsin when [00:03:05] I was in college and my friends convinced me to put it online. It’s really cringey and embarrassing at [00:03:10] this point, but like the, the second show I ever did, I was opening for Mac [00:03:15] Miller. Like, it was crazy stuff. Like, it just like it worked, but it wasn’t, [00:03:20] um, it wasn’t me. Like I could feel that it wasn’t me in a way. [00:03:24] [00:03:25] And I was, I was doing it maybe for, I guess the wrong reasons, like [00:03:30] to glorify myself in a way. And so, uh, fast forward, moved to [00:03:35] Nashville to try and pursue songwriting in a different way. And throughout that journey [00:03:40] kind of was introduced to this idea of Jesus and uh, Christianity. [00:03:45] And that really shifted how I viewed what my purpose on [00:03:50] this planet was. [00:03:51] Interesting. Yeah. And so, you know, something [00:03:55] that. You say, or I’ve heard you say on a podcast that is like, truly one of my [00:04:00] favorite quotes is the, your most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were. And, [00:04:05] uh, that, just that concept in general. Uh, it rang true for me. [00:04:10] Reading to Reading The Go Giver was a great book that I love. [00:04:12] That book helped me. Um, and [00:04:15] then the Bible and just, you know, people like you kind of shifting this mindset [00:04:20] of like, okay, how can I use these talents that I’ve been given, not just to glorify [00:04:25] myself, but um, to help other people. And, uh, I guess just to get [00:04:30] real raw with it right away. I, when I first moved here, I’ve had some, [00:04:35] like, struggles with addiction in a way in my life and I was trying [00:04:40] to kind of overcome those and I became obsessed with like reading books and [00:04:45] listening to, um, people like Les Brown and like Tony Robbins, [00:04:50] everybody. [00:04:50] I’m, you know, ’em all and you are one of them. Um, but it’s. [00:04:55] It, it kind of just shifted my mindset and that was what helped me to kind of dig [00:05:00] out of this hole. And so I became just obsessed with trying [00:05:05] to make myself a better version of me, but also in a way that was like loving and giving [00:05:10] to others. It wasn’t just about me being great for me, for my purpose, you know? [00:05:14] [00:05:15] And, uh, and then I fell into social media a couple years [00:05:20] ago. Um, we can go there. When did you [00:05:22] Rory: start, when did you start really like [00:05:25] going, when did you start getting deliberate about creating content? [00:05:28] Nick: Uh, it [00:05:30] was two years in a month ago, so, yeah. Yeah. So it was like two years and [00:05:35] you’ve gone [00:05:35] Rory: to a million and I think when I first met you, even, you maybe had like 200,000 [00:05:40] followers on his Instagram. [00:05:40] Yeah. Instagram or something. Remember [00:05:41] 140, [00:05:42] Nick: I remember. 140. Yeah. ’cause I, [00:05:44] Rory: I was like, gosh, [00:05:45] this guy’s so cool. Uh, and, uh, you know, I’ve been doing this for 20 years and [00:05:50] I have like 70,000 followers, so I both admire you and hate you at the same [00:05:55] time. Yeah, but [00:05:55] Nick: you’re, you’re great at everything in this world. [00:06:00] I found my, like, you know, my one path that works for me. [00:06:03] Like, I can’t get on a [00:06:05] stage like you, that’s, wow, thank you for that. But I maybe one day, [00:06:07] Rory: you know what [00:06:10] part, part of why I love what you do, and if, if you’re not following Nicholas, you gotta go [00:06:15] follow. By the way, do you go by Nick? [00:06:16] Nick: Nick? You know me as Nick, but is my, you know, my, your handle [00:06:19] Rory: [00:06:20] is Nicholas John. [00:06:21] So I’m like, oh, okay. Um, but if you’re not following Nick, you need to, you [00:06:25] need to go check him out because it’s, it’s super inspiring and you’re, you don’t [00:06:30] create Christian content. Yeah. You’re a Christian who creates content. Same, same as me. Yeah, exactly. Um, I do create [00:06:35] a little bit of Christian content as, as do you. [00:06:36] I love that. But, um, it’s [00:06:40] so uplifting and I think. In, in the world of social media, the [00:06:45] fastest way to go viral is to say something that I think is [00:06:50] polarizing. Yep. That is, um, sensationalized something that is [00:06:55] controversial. Uh, you know, news topics, celebrity [00:07:00] gossip, uh, political commentary is actually anything that evokes [00:07:05] anger we know is most likely to go viral. [00:07:08] Mm-hmm. Then you [00:07:10] have the, like, you know, kind of pranks and, you know, funny [00:07:15] videos and memes and things like that, but you are truly in the space [00:07:20] of encouragement and insight, and yet [00:07:25] you have built a very viral following, uh, doing that. And, [00:07:30] and I just, I I love that. I, I, I think you showcase that this is the beautiful [00:07:35] part of social media [00:07:36] Nick: mm-hmm. [00:07:36] Rory: Where it’s like, I want to change lives. I want to help people, I wanna encourage people. It’s like [00:07:40] every one of your videos is. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of views, some [00:07:45] millions of views. And it’s not scantily clad people. It’s [00:07:50] not political stuff, it’s not celebrity stuff. It’s, it’s true insight and wisdom. [00:07:53] And I, I just, I [00:07:55] I I love that. And my question on that is, I think there’s a lot of people who [00:08:00] try to share encouragement or wisdom. I would put myself in that category. Mm-hmm. [00:08:05] But we haven’t figured out how to get it to take. Mm-hmm. Why do you think it’s, [00:08:10] you’ve been able to get that to so much traction, so, so quickly? [00:08:13] Nick: Yeah. I [00:08:15] don’t know exactly is the answer, but, um, you know, there are [00:08:20] some things that I think may add to it. I, [00:08:25] you know, I, one thing is I just am [00:08:30] trying to share things. I’m learning with people, you know, um, I’ve always [00:08:35] said. I don’t think I’m ever gonna be a guru. I, or like have the answers. ’cause I really [00:08:40] don’t, I don’t know if anyone knows why we’re here. [00:08:42] Um, like I, that’s just kind of my, [00:08:45] there’s some quotes that say sentiment, like, you know, the more you learn, the more you [00:08:50] know, the less you realize, you know, and, and that’s really how I feel. [00:08:55] And so, you know, I don’t claim to have any answers. I just kind of [00:09:00] try and share what really helps me. And that’s really the only metric that I use is [00:09:05] it’s similar. [00:09:05] It’s similar to what you do, it’s just things that have helped you along the way. [00:09:10] And, uh, just share ’em in a loving posture, um, [00:09:15] where we’re in it together. I think that that’s an important approach. [00:09:18] Rory: Yeah, I see that it’s very [00:09:20] enduring. It’s, it’s very humble. It’s very honest. And it does feel like that where, [00:09:25] you know, you don’t have to be the guru. [00:09:28] Yeah. You don’t even have to be the [00:09:30] guide. It’s more of like. It’s more of like, you’re the my partner. Mm-hmm. Like my buddy. Like, we’re going [00:09:35] on this journey together. Yep. Um, and that’s, I [00:09:40] think that in and of itself is an inspiring lesson for people. Yes. To be like, you don’t have to [00:09:45] be there on camera with all the answers. [00:09:46] Nick: Yes. [00:09:47] Rory: Uh, people can just like, follow your journey and they [00:09:50] go with you. And that’s what it’s like. There’s just like an army of people that are just kind of like going with you on the journey. [00:09:54] Nick: Yeah, that’s [00:09:55] exactly it, man. [00:09:56] Rory: It’s so how much do you read? Because one thing you do is you share a lot of [00:10:00] quotes. [00:10:01] Yeah. Mm-hmm. A lot of other people’s, um, I mean many videos. You’re [00:10:05] like holding a book. Yep. Reading something. Um. And then you’re sharing like a piece [00:10:10] of that book. Yeah. How much are you, how much are you reading? [00:10:12] Nick: Uh, I used to read a lot [00:10:15] more, like when I kind of first started this, you know, it’s, it’s similar to how [00:10:20] musicians like their first album is, like their whole life’s work, and then they have to make a second [00:10:25] album and it has to happen in like a year or whatever. [00:10:26] Mm-hmm. Like I feel like when I started, it was just all the books I’d ever [00:10:30] read in my life were all just at my fingertips and I have highlights all over the place. So [00:10:35] I would just sift through those. And just to kind of give a, I guess, the backstory [00:10:40] on that so people understand how it started for me. Um, I was doing [00:10:45] video like pro professionally for people, so I started shooting [00:10:50] video. [00:10:50] Interesting. And, um, I was also acting in commercials for the past like eight [00:10:55] years and, uh, mainly non-speaking commercials. So like, that was just kinda my [00:11:00] bread and butter. I just love ’em. They’re, they’re so fun. But I started doing video after [00:11:05] I did music because I felt like it was the same muscle. Like I just, I was very drawn to it and I [00:11:10] was just obsessed with, like, figuring out how to make it look good and. [00:11:14] Uh, that [00:11:15] was, it just pulled me in. And so I was hired by a lot of people to help [00:11:20] their brands or help their podcasts or whatever, shoot their podcast. And I was kind of in [00:11:25] charge of social media. And so I learned about this thing called TikTok. And [00:11:30] I read up on like how the algorithm worked. And I was just so fascinated. [00:11:33] I was like, this is the most genius idea [00:11:35] ever. Like, it’s gonna go to 200 people no matter what and how, based on how they [00:11:40] respond, based on if they like it or share it or save it, it’ll go to more and then it’ll go to more. And I was just like, [00:11:45] that is incredible. So I made a golf video, uh, about [00:11:50] how to hit out of the sand. [00:11:51] Golf is my first love. It’s still my first love. Interesting. Besides my [00:11:55] wife and God. But, uh, it, it went viral, like [00:12:00] overnight, like a million and a half views. And I was just like, and I had zero followers. I just made a random account, huh. And it, and it [00:12:05] went crazy. And so I was just like fascinated by this. [00:12:09] This [00:12:10] platform. And so I built a golf account for like three months just for fun. And it, like, every video [00:12:15] would go crazy. Wow. And I would, I would strip other people’s videos from YouTube, [00:12:20] chop ’em up, make ’em really digestible. Um, and then one day I [00:12:25] shared something. I learned about a book on another account account that I made personally. [00:12:29] [00:12:30] And it was about the dopamine reward system. And it just like blew my mind when I read it. [00:12:35] And so I just shared it. And that one also went viral, like immediately. [00:12:40] And I just, I, that’s the moment where it clicked for me. Like, maybe people are interested [00:12:45] in the things that I like and so maybe I’ll just keep trying. [00:12:48] And over the [00:12:50] course of that week, I kind of realized that I could share passages from other people’s books. [00:12:55] Um, ’cause I’ve never felt comfortable being the guy who has the answers. [00:13:00] Uh, I, I feel much more comfortable like sharing something and then talking [00:13:05] about why I agree with it. So, um, that. Was really [00:13:10] like it, it just started working like crazy on TikTok. [00:13:12] But honestly I was scared to go on [00:13:15] Instagram ’cause all my high school friends were there. All my whole, my music following, like, [00:13:20] uh, not that it was big or anything, but it was like everyone knew me as this guy. It’s like, where’s this [00:13:25] book guy gonna come out of like, only my close friends knew. I loved to read and so I [00:13:30] actually made another account and just started posting all the videos that [00:13:35] I had made on TikTok for the past six months that were working really well over there. [00:13:38] I started posting ’em on [00:13:40] Instagram and like nothing happened. I wanted to quit after like two weeks. Everything was getting [00:13:45] a hundred views, 200 views or whatever, but I did it every day for 30 [00:13:50] days and one just like randomly took off and uh, it never [00:13:55] stopped since then. But I’m kind of convinced that. [00:13:59] I’ve come [00:14:00] to this assumption on my own. I’m always thinking like, what is, what do the social media platforms want and how do they [00:14:05] work behind the scenes? And I’m just making all this up, Uhhuh, but I think they put you into a bucket of like [00:14:10] creator or consumer. And I really believe that like each person, you’re saying that [00:14:14] Rory: each [00:14:15] person, they, they kind of, the, the, the platform kind of tags you as like a creator or a [00:14:20] consumer. [00:14:20] Nick: That’s my thought. Interesting. And so, like my other account had been mainly a consumer for [00:14:25] 10 years. Like I’d post once a month or whatever. And then, um, [00:14:30] I started this account fresh and I never stopped from day one. [00:14:35] And I really believed that that had an impact on something because I did it with one other friend and [00:14:40] his account blew up as well. [00:14:41] So I really think there’s something to, you know, if [00:14:45] someone’s had no success on their social media or they wanna like rebrand themselves, I think it’s a [00:14:50] really liberating thing to just start fresh. Interesting. And everyone who [00:14:55] wants to be there. Or everyone who is there to follow you wants to be there. [00:14:59] So just [00:15:00] like start fresh. It’s daunting, it’s scary, but like, just start, [00:15:04] Rory: even today you [00:15:05] have a link to your like personal account. Yeah. This is, this is like my content and then [00:15:10] here’s like me personally. Yeah. You still have that. ’cause we get that question a lot of like, should I [00:15:15] start a new account? And you know, usually we tell people you can go either [00:15:20] way. [00:15:20] Um, but we say make a decision on [00:15:25] who you wanna be and just start being that person today. Like no explanation, no [00:15:30] announcement. You just wake up one day. You, yesterday I was this person. Mm-hmm. And today going forward, [00:15:35] I am now this person. And you can come along for the ride or you can unfollow. Yep. [00:15:40] And that’s totally fine. [00:15:41] But you don’t need to pander to all to try to serve [00:15:45] all the people who are following you. You decide this is who I want to be. And then you [00:15:50] plant, pivot and go. Now what’s interesting though is about the health of your actual account. [00:15:55] Yeah. Is to go, if I’ve been a consumer for years, maybe there is [00:16:00] power to just starting over and going, no, this is a new account. [00:16:02] This is a creator account. Yeah. I’ve never thought of [00:16:05] that. Yeah. And I think never thought of that before today. [00:16:07] Nick: And I think more importantly is that it’s [00:16:10] the psychological element because for you as a creator, yeah. For me, or for anyone who, [00:16:15] like if you’re gonna step into this version of yourself that you’ve wanted to do and you’ve held back for a [00:16:20] long time, like it’s really liberating to just start with a fresh [00:16:25] page and like. [00:16:26] No one know, I didn’t tell anyone until I had a hundred [00:16:30] thousand followers. I still, most, a lot of my friends, they all find it on their own, but I never [00:16:35] tell anyone. And I did that on purpose ’cause I didn’t want anyone to kill my dreams. You [00:16:40] know? Like I wanted to just go and just be myself. And [00:16:45] if people found it, they found it. [00:16:46] But [00:16:47] Rory: you know what I, I love what you said there [00:16:50] about not telling your friends mm-hmm. Because you didn’t want anyone, anyone, to kill your dreams. Yeah. [00:16:55] Like, so often we feel like we need our friends and family to sign [00:17:00] off on something. Yeah. Like, almost like we need their permission and it’s such a better [00:17:05] strategy to just don’t tell anyone. [00:17:07] Yeah. Just put your head down and [00:17:10] go like, go to work. Mm-hmm. Do the thing. Be the person you wanna be, create [00:17:15] the things that you wanna create, and then put your head down and don’t look up for a year and [00:17:20] then look up and like, oh, I. And now you go to people who say, look, this is who I am now. And they’re like, oh, [00:17:25] that’s amazing. [00:17:25] I knew you could do it. Yeah. Right. Seriously. Um, so I wanna get, I [00:17:30] wanna talk about the algorithm a bit Yeah. Because I, I know, I know you have a deep understanding of that. Before we get into that, I wanna talk about the shot, [00:17:35] actually, because the video production of this Yeah. Uh, I think a lot of people, this is [00:17:40] me included, right? [00:17:40] But before Brand Builders Group was really growing and, um, before we had [00:17:45] Chris, my guy Chris over here in Preston, and like our team, it’s like, I was [00:17:50] just there by myself trying to fumble with a camera and I was like, I don’t know how to use a camera. I don’t know. Mm-hmm. What’s the [00:17:55] right cable, the right cord? [00:17:56] Like which microphone plugs into the camera? The [00:18:00] lighting, how much does that stuff matter? Or, or, or lemme ask you this way, [00:18:05] what matters and what doesn’t matter. Mm-hmm. Particularly when you’re kind of like [00:18:10] beginner or intermediate. Mm-hmm. Like what are the, the big things someone needs to know about [00:18:15] setting up the shot? [00:18:16] Or, or, or does it even really matter? [00:18:19] Nick: Yeah. [00:18:20] That’s, uh, my philosophy at least is to [00:18:25] keep it as simple as possible. And I think you would agree, but I, um, [00:18:30] I think, so I would do this with music. This is kind of a funny [00:18:35] example. Like, music sometimes is very hard for me to make. And, uh, it’s a [00:18:40] really challenging process and it’s, I would, I would think that in order to make a [00:18:45] song, I have to go buy something. [00:18:46] Like I need to go buy a new keyboard or something that’ll make me write a [00:18:50] song, like some dumb thing like that. And I, I do that with working out. I’m [00:18:55] like, [00:18:55] Rory: if I don’t feel like working out, I just go buy a water bottle or a new pair of shorts or new shoes. And I’m like, now I [00:19:00] wanna work out ’cause I wanna use my shoes. [00:19:03] Nick: But I think in this, in the [00:19:05] creative world, like you can just over complicate it. And I’ll, I’ll [00:19:10] say, I don’t believe you need anything I shot. Everything on just an [00:19:15] iPhone for, until I had maybe a, a million followers or like a, like [00:19:20] 750,000 or something. I never used anything else. It was just an iPhone. But you [00:19:25] can, uh, I was just talking about this, we were just talking about this, uh, [00:19:30] that video and photo are the study of light. [00:19:34] [00:19:35] And so it’s not the study of cameras. It’s like figuring out how does light [00:19:40] work and how does it react on your face and like what makes [00:19:45] your face pop? What, how do people light things in a profession? You can go on [00:19:50] YouTube and learn this stuff in like 30 minutes and uh, I just obsessed over [00:19:55] that when I was in video and so I just learned how to do it. [00:19:58] But I just, I just [00:20:00] use a, like, if you’re just starting and you wanna do this, just find a window and put a [00:20:05] sheet over it and you’re good. Like, okay, let’s talk [00:20:07] Rory: about that. ’cause I love that like natural [00:20:10] light. Why the sheet? Yeah, because why? The, why does the sheet matter? [00:20:13] Nick: Yeah. ’cause lights, [00:20:15] it’s very harsh. [00:20:16] And so if, if the sun is your source of light, it’s gonna be [00:20:20] very harsh. But if you diffuse it, like it’s come, it’s called diffusion. If it’s coming through [00:20:25] something else, it breaks up and the intensity doesn’t hit you as strong. So [00:20:30] like we have lights in the studio. If you just had the light blaring at me, my face would have all shadows. [00:20:34] [00:20:35] All crazy. But it’s very soft right now because we have diffusers over the lights. Ah. And [00:20:40] so you need to have some something like, um, I guess [00:20:45] ring lights, they have like the plastic thing over the front. If it was just the lights hitting you, it’d be a lot harsher. [00:20:50] But yeah, just diffusing the sunlight. [00:20:52] Like if you ever see a photo shoot when [00:20:55] you’re walking around Nashville, like a professional one. And I got lucky ’cause I got to see influencers in [00:21:00] the, influencers in the wild. Yeah. Yeah. All over Nashville. Um, and there’s someone [00:21:05] who’s holding what’s called like a scrim. Like it’s, it’s just. A big white [00:21:10] circle, and it’s, he’ll put it in between the sun and the subject so that it [00:21:15] just breaks the light and softens it on your skin, um, so that the shadows aren’t as [00:21:20] intense. [00:21:20] Interesting. And so it’s very, uh, yeah. So simple. [00:21:24] Rory: Sit in front of [00:21:25] a window. Put a sheet. Yeah. Put your iPhone up. Tripod. Yep. And just go. [00:21:29] Nick: [00:21:30] Yeah, just go. And then you can, you can dive into, I mean, I obviously have an [00:21:35] understanding of like, editing software and like a little bit of coloring stuff that you [00:21:40] could do on YouTube, figure it out. [00:21:41] But when you say [00:21:41] Rory: coloring, you’re talking about like, again, like the, the, [00:21:45] the, almost like the lighting, the color balance of the video. Uh, yeah. [00:21:48] Nick: So like, once I throw it into my computer, [00:21:50] how can I, um, just make some small tweaks on, on, uh, [00:21:55] video or on the video and the colors and stuff. And, um, [00:21:59] Rory: what are you [00:22:00] thinking about when you edit a video? [00:22:01] So like, you shoot the content. Well, first of all, tell, [00:22:05] tell me about your planning process. Like mm-hmm. What’s the, what’s the, so you get the [00:22:10] setup. Okay, so now we’ve got the setup, so now I gotta like, figure out what I’m gonna record. Yeah. And in your world, a lot of what you’re [00:22:15] doing is sharing your favorite quotes, so you’re just like, reading every day and going, mm-hmm. [00:22:18] That’s a great one. I’m [00:22:20] gonna share that one. [00:22:20] Nick: Yeah. [00:22:21] Rory: Uh, is that pretty much all there is to it? Or like, do you plan out, okay, [00:22:25] here’s how I’m gonna present that and roll that out, and like, what’s your, what’s your thought process [00:22:30] as you go into planning the content? [00:22:32] Nick: Yeah. I think, um, I learned from like [00:22:35] being a songwriter that, um, and you probably have this similar process [00:22:40] with writing speeches or whatnot, that you kind of just have like a place in your [00:22:45] phone or something where when you hear something you just jot it down. [00:22:48] Yeah. Like in the same spot, inspiration, [00:22:50] whatever. Um, or like favorite quote or when I’m reading, write the quote there, put it in the [00:22:55] note app or whatever. Um, so that you’re kind of gathering at all times. You gotta [00:23:00] keep the gathering always going. Uh. But there’s not really [00:23:05] a lot of prep. I would say my, it’s, it’s changed a lot over time because at [00:23:10] first, you know, I, it wasn’t like [00:23:15] I was just doing this and it was working, and so it was like, that was whenever I had days off.[00:23:20] [00:23:20] Like I would just do that. So it was, it wasn’t, uh, like I wasn’t trying to add [00:23:25] on other things. Right. Like I am right now, like podcast and maybe write a book. Who knows? Like all these [00:23:30] things that I’m trying to start on top of it now. It’s kind of like [00:23:32] Rory: becoming a profession. Yes, exactly. It was just kind of a [00:23:35] hobby at It’s just a hobby. [00:23:35] Hobby. [00:23:36] Nick: Yes, exactly. [00:23:37] Rory: Which makes me feel even more like crap, by the way, because, [00:23:40] um, it’s been my profession for some time and I’ve struggl I struggle so [00:23:45] much with social media. I always have. Yeah. It’s tough. Like I’ve never, it’s just never been my jam. Mm-hmm. Like, put me on a stage, no [00:23:50] problem. Put me, you know, write a book. [00:23:52] No problem. Come up with framers. But like, there’s something about social media [00:23:55] and maybe it’s just like a mental block that I’ve had mm-hmm. Where it’s just like, I just not. [00:24:00] You know, I just don’t intuitively kind of, kind of create, and that’s part of why I’m fascinated by, by people [00:24:05] who, who do. But so, so anyways, you’re, you’re just kind of doing it on the fly, A hobby [00:24:10] you gather. [00:24:10] Nick: Mm-hmm. [00:24:11] Rory: Then you set up your thing, you hit record, and you’re just kinda like teaching from the [00:24:15] heart. Here’s something I learned today that was valuable. [00:24:17] Nick: Yeah. I just wing it and, uh, [00:24:20] sometimes I’ll do multiple takes or whatever. And is anybody with you or do No. [00:24:25] You do it by yourself? Yeah. I do it by myself. [00:24:26] I think that that’s important, honestly, I think it’s hard to do with, with [00:24:30] someone there. And I think, uh, I think especially when [00:24:31] Rory: you’re beginning Yeah, it is. You really have to get comfortable [00:24:35] with yourself and the camera before you’re Okay. Like having a bunch of people in the room. Yeah. Like [00:24:40] looking at you. [00:24:40] And I’ll [00:24:40] Nick: also say something that might be a benefit I [00:24:45] hadn’t really thought of until now is, you know, on an iPhone, you’re looking at yourself [00:24:50] versus a camera, you’re staring into the lens. Mm-hmm. Like, it’s kind of nice to like [00:24:55] see. Because I think, uh, you know, one of the superpowers of a lot of creative people, [00:25:00] and I’ve seen you do it with an audience, like you’re in empathetic, like you can feel what you’re [00:25:05] making them feel in a way. [00:25:06] Mm-hmm. I think I’m right about that. Mm-hmm. And like, [00:25:10] I can feel by watching myself deliver the line if it was a good or not. [00:25:15] Um, and I can see how it’s gonna be perceived like instantly instead of having to [00:25:20] throw it into an editor. And then it’s like, do I really wanna film it again? Not really. Um, [00:25:25] I can just go, I just go until I feel like I crushed it and then it’s like ne next one [00:25:30] if I’m, I used to never batch content. [00:25:33] I literally used to do one every [00:25:35] morning and that was like my rhythm. But, um, recently I’ve, I’ve found benefit in [00:25:40] batching stuff ’cause I’m just doing so much other stuff. Do you change your outfit when you batch? Uh, sometimes. Yeah. Yeah. [00:25:45] Yeah. [00:25:45] Rory: Every couple videos you do it? Yeah. Yeah. Is uh, okay, so you shoot it.[00:25:50] [00:25:50] Now tell me about the editing process. Mm-hmm. What. What, where, what are you using [00:25:55] to edit? Mm-hmm. When do you edit the videos? What are you [00:26:00] looking for in the video to edit? Like how do you, what’s your thought process there? [00:26:04] Nick: [00:26:05] Uh, yeah. Da Vinci Resolve is what I edit in. It’s free if anyone wants to use it. [00:26:09] It’s an [00:26:10] amazing editing software like Adobe Premiere, but it’s free. Uh, it’s taken over the [00:26:15] industry kind of. Um, and then the, the [00:26:20] thought is really, it’s that empathy thing again. Like I, I really just [00:26:25] try to use my own internal like compass of [00:26:30] do I feel something when I watch this? Or like, does this mean anything to me? [00:26:33] That’s all, [00:26:35] that’s the only metric I have to use. And so if it feels like I, there’s [00:26:40] plenty of videos that I shoot and I’m like, that’s, I’m not posting that. Like, that’s not good enough. Um, [00:26:45] because I just want to, I really believe that like. [00:26:50] You gotta be like a trusted source and like people can lose that trust [00:26:55] really quickly on social, I think. [00:26:57] And, uh, especially [00:27:00] with, you know, brand deals and whatnot, you gotta be very careful about that. But, uh, [00:27:05] yeah, it’s just the thought of like, is this valuable to someone else? And would this [00:27:10] hit home if I needed to hear it, you know, and did I say the right words? Could I have done it [00:27:15] better? Uh, but it’s, it’s pretty simple, you know, it’s, I just chop it up and, [00:27:20] you know, I’ll cut out some breaths if I want. [00:27:22] Like, I try to, I try to make it as [00:27:25] engageable as possible. Like, I know my view on things is like everyone is [00:27:30] very selfish when they’re scrolling. Like we all are naturally, we just wanna be [00:27:35] entertained and, um, it needs to be. To the point [00:27:40] very fast. It ne and that’s the annoying part about the algorithm, and that’s how it’s so much different than [00:27:45] like, public speaking, I would imagine. [00:27:46] But, um, it needs to, I need to know what [00:27:50] I’m gonna get out of this or what I’m diving into very quickly, like within the first three seconds. [00:27:55] So yeah. I want to come back. So I wanna [00:27:56] Rory: talk about the first three seconds, but, uh, I’m gonna share a quote with you. Yeah. [00:28:00] This is not one of mine, but this is one of my favorite quotes, and [00:28:05] I really think you’re spot on about this because this, this is in the, this is how we [00:28:10] teach public speaking. [00:28:10] Hmm. Right. It’s one of the, it’s the same kind of concept, but the, the [00:28:15] quote is from Robert Frost and he said, no tears in the writer, [00:28:20] no tears in the reader. [00:28:21] Nick: Hmm. [00:28:22] Rory: Right. That’s cool. Basically, like if [00:28:25] you are not feeling mm-hmm. The emotion when you are delivering [00:28:30] that piece of content, then the audience is not going to feel it [00:28:35] when they’re receiving. [00:28:36] That piece of content that’s real. Right? And so he’s talking about it as a [00:28:40] writer. I understand that as a speaker, and now I’m hearing you like, that’s clicking for me in my head [00:28:45] to kind of do the same thing where it’s like, oh, you’re the next generation of, like, it’s just [00:28:50] the, the next generation of that is doing it through the camera of, of, and then you’re [00:28:55] watching yourself back when you’re editing going, did I feel something? [00:28:58] Mm-hmm. That’s [00:29:00] powerful. [00:29:00] Nick: Yeah. [00:29:00] Rory: I love that. I love that. So talk to me about the first three seconds. What, what are the [00:29:05] mistakes? What needs to happen in the first three seconds and why is it [00:29:10] important and what do people do wrong mm-hmm. That they should stop [00:29:15] doing? Like in, in those first three seconds? What needs to happen? [00:29:18] Nick: Yeah. [00:29:20] You know, I don’t have the for sure answer on this. Obviously. I only know what works for me. I [00:29:25] think, um, you know, I think I kind of, I start mine off [00:29:30] very similar, very often, like it’s like. Either I really like this quote or this quote, [00:29:35] hit me, or, I really love this passage because I’m giving you a sense of, you know, [00:29:40] what I’m about to present to you in a way. [00:29:42] And, um, like I’ve, [00:29:45] I remember seeing one of your posts where it’s like, uh, I think it was like, I’ve been sober for [00:29:50] seven years, like right away. Mm-hmm. And that’s, that’s super engaging immediately. [00:29:55] Um, I think a lot of people, a lot of people like introduce themselves, which I don’t [00:30:00] think is necessary at all. [00:30:01] Like, you definitely don’t need to do that. Um, I would just [00:30:05] say get to the, like, if I’m only gonna hear 10 seconds, how can [00:30:10] I like learn part of or learn the lesson as quick as possible? Um, [00:30:15] and so, yeah, I think that it’s just like, bring the meat to the front and then [00:30:20] explain later. Uh, that’s what I do at least. [00:30:23] Rory: Yeah. That’s good. I that like, [00:30:25] I like that it’s basically like, deliver. The thing and then unpack it. Mm-hmm. [00:30:30] Sort of after, you know, I’ve struggled with this ’cause everyone’s like, you gotta have a hook. You gotta have a hook. But I’m like, well, what is exactly [00:30:35] is a hook. Yeah. No one seems to be able to define it. [00:30:38] So I’m gonna share with you what my [00:30:40] premise is. Yeah. After, like, I love it. Years of struggling this, and you tell me, I [00:30:45] think what a hook is, is telling the audience what you’re about to tell them. [00:30:50] [00:30:50] Nick: Mm-hmm. [00:30:50] Rory: Right? So like, you’re doing that, you’re like, yeah, here’s a quote that really hit me true. Or like, [00:30:55] you know, if you’re feeling lonely, you gotta listen to this. [00:30:57] Yep. Right. It’s like you’re telling them [00:31:00] what you’re about to tell them. Yeah. And then you, and then you tell them what, [00:31:05] what it is like, to your point about, then you kind of like un unpack it. But the, the other thing I think that [00:31:10] really works so well with your videos in particular. That also lines up with the algorithm [00:31:15] is the reveal. [00:31:16] There’s a, there’s a formula for going viral that [00:31:20] is like, you hook ’em with something and then I want to, I, I wanna like sort of [00:31:25] see the finish thing, or I want to know a glimpse of where we’re going. But then what keeps me [00:31:30] watching is like slowly revealing it. Mm-hmm. And there’s a, there’s a natural sense of [00:31:35] that, uh, with what you do. [00:31:37] And, uh, you, you kind of are [00:31:40] like, okay, here’s what we’re gonna talk about. And then it, and it, it’s like unwrapping. It’s almost like [00:31:45] you, you’re almost like the, the kids, the, like the Ryan’s toy review who like unwrap a [00:31:50] thing. Mm-hmm. That’s almost like what your videos are. It’s like you’re, you’re unwrapping an [00:31:55] idea, like one nugget of wisdom. [00:31:56] Wow. I like that. That’s, that’s what it, that’s what it feels like. Yeah. That’s what it [00:32:00] feels like. [00:32:00] Nick: That’s cool. I, while you were talking, another thing that hit me is I think a [00:32:05] hook. Can also just be enthusiasm. Like it can be an emotion. [00:32:10] So like, you know, if someone’s crying at the start of a video, you wanna know why. [00:32:14] [00:32:15] Or if someone’s really excited, like I, I try to, the reason I try to remove all the [00:32:20] barriers that I have from filming is ’cause I want to capture it when it’s happening. So, like, [00:32:25] if I, if I read, am reading a book and like something hits [00:32:30] me, I want to go film that immediately. Mm. Because I want the enthusiasm of like, me [00:32:35] finding it captured. [00:32:36] I don’t wanna be faking it. And so, you know, so sometimes [00:32:40] I, you know, have to kind of refine that when I’m reading it again. But, [00:32:45] uh, capture enthusiasm whenever you can or like capture an emotion whenever you can. ’cause I [00:32:50] think that’s just as much of a hook. [00:32:51] Rory: Gosh, that’s so good, dude. But, and, and, and I [00:32:55] always use the thing of like documenting, like, uh, I forget what you call cataloging or [00:33:00] capturing or, okay. [00:33:00] Yeah. You know, of like, oh, I wanna, I wanna share that idea. But I think I’m gonna [00:33:05] walk out of this interview and do something different as a result of hearing you. Mm-hmm. [00:33:10] That I’ve never done before. And what that is, is the moment I have the [00:33:15] inspiration Yeah. I’m gonna freaking record it. Do it. I’m not gonna edit it ’cause I don’t have time to edit it.[00:33:20] [00:33:20] Right. You don’t have time to edit it and post the caption and push the stupid hashtag and like, [00:33:25] uh, schedule it and what’s the title and put on the cap. Like, I don’t have 20 minutes, but [00:33:30] I am going to do that as a result of what you just said because it is about that emotion. Yep. It’s [00:33:35] about, I mean this is, you know, if I had to boil the key to the, the secret to [00:33:40] professional speaking is to move the audience emotionally. [00:33:44] Nick: Hmm. [00:33:44] Rory: [00:33:45] That’s what you gotta do. You stand on that stage and you go, what’s the difference between those seven boring presenters? [00:33:50] And the one person that comes out and gets the standing ovation and lights the room up, they created an [00:33:55] emotional experience for the audience. But that it has to happen in that moment. [00:33:59] [00:34:00] Dude, that’s gonna be huge. I love that. That’s gonna be huge for me to just go. Record it in the [00:34:05] moment. Yes. You feel [00:34:06] Nick: it? Yes. That’s good. Dude, that’s, uh, thank you. I, I, [00:34:10] I just have to say like, you’re incredible at doing that on stages. [00:34:15] Like it is when I saw you at Lewis Howell’s event, like I was mind blown [00:34:20] and I was just like, I want to be that guy. [00:34:23] I wanna be Rory [00:34:25] Vaden, and so I just gotta get your flowers in that way. Thank you. But I think that if you can capture that, [00:34:30] like, um, and I love that you said just capture it. Don’t worry about the rest. [00:34:35] Like, that’s what I do as well. I, I make it separate moments. Like if I’m [00:34:40] filming, that’s like a day, like I’m not gonna go do the whole process, um, [00:34:45] if I’m doing multiple videos or whatever, but I separate the capturing and the editing, you know, and you [00:34:50] have some guys that can help you with editing as well. [00:34:51] So that. Makes it even better. But you know, the, the [00:34:55] thing I would say when you capture is just personally, I [00:35:00] do cinematic mode. And then just find like a place where your light just [00:35:05] spin in circles until your light on your face looks the best. It’s so easy. Like you do [00:35:09] Rory: [00:35:10] cinematic mode on your phone. [00:35:10] Nick: Yeah. [00:35:11] Rory: Just that little setting at the bottom. [00:35:13] Nick: Yeah. [00:35:14] Rory: And that, oh [00:35:15] dude, I’m like, what, what a, what a simple tip. How am I not doing this? [00:35:20] So you just like put it in selfie mode. Yeah. And put on cinematic. [00:35:23] Nick: Yeah. [00:35:25] [00:35:25] Rory: That’s Why am I not doing this? That’s such a great little, now you are. That’s such a great little tip. [00:35:30] I mean, ’cause the iPhones are like, they’re incredible. [00:35:32] Amazing, amazing. So you just, just use that. [00:35:35] But I, but I even above all of that, it’s like [00:35:40] ultimately, and I think as AI takes over, yeah. More and more people are going to be [00:35:45] seeking the human experience, the human connection. Yeah. Like the [00:35:50] human authenticity. Uh, I told you this is the first ever in person interview.[00:35:55] [00:35:55] Mm-hmm. And it’s like totally different. This is totally different than doing it over zoom. Like it’s, it’s [00:36:00] so special and wonderful and to go, how can I decrease the amount [00:36:05] of time between when I experience the feeling or [00:36:10] have the idea and I hit record? Mm-hmm. Like that. If we can [00:36:15] shorten that, that time between those two, you capture the, [00:36:20] the human essence. [00:36:21] Mm-hmm. Where it’s just like, you can’t act it out. You can’t recreate [00:36:25] it quite in quite the way that like, when you just, you experience it. Yeah. So I [00:36:30] love that. I love that cinematic mode. Duh. Like that’s super helpful. I think it’s just, it [00:36:35] gives a lot me a lot. It gives people like me and I think people watching like a lot of [00:36:40] confidence to have somebody like you go Yeah. [00:36:41] Just like use cinematic mode. Yes. Like just use the free video [00:36:45] editor. Like, just use your iPhone, just use a window. Um, because there is something [00:36:50] about. We overcomplicate it thinking that because your results are so much different than [00:36:55] ours online mm-hmm. That like, your process must be [00:37:00] so much different, or the equipment is so much different. [00:37:03] And in some ways it is, but [00:37:05] in a lot of ways it’s not. It’s very simple. It sounds, it’s like a lot of very simple things. [00:37:08] Nick: Yeah, it is. And I, [00:37:10] I really believed you just need to be excited about what you’re sharing. Like that’s the main, [00:37:15] whatever it is. If you’re gonna share about cooking or just follow your, as far as social media creators [00:37:20] go, like, you just gotta follow your inspiration. [00:37:23] It’s so simple, but it’s like, you [00:37:25] gotta be excited about it. You gotta be the, the reason, if you unpack [00:37:30] everybody in the social media space, like they are curators of [00:37:35] whatever knowledge they’re obsessed with, like Dr. Huberman is. Mm-hmm. He’s just the [00:37:40] most obsessed with science of all of us. So he brings us the best stuff from science. [00:37:44] Like [00:37:45] I am one of the most obsessed with books, so I bring you the best stuff from books. Everyone’s [00:37:50] just a, like, you gotta go follow your obsession. ’cause if you’re not obsessed with it, you’re not gonna have enough [00:37:55] content to post. Like I could read or whatever all day. Um, and so it’s never [00:38:00] gonna stop for me. [00:38:00] Like I feel like there’s no, I never worry about it stopping because [00:38:05] I just have endless ideas. ’cause it’s, it’s what I’m fascinated by. Um, so [00:38:10] that’s another tip. [00:38:10] Rory: We, I love that because again, everybody wants to know like, how do you use [00:38:15] ai? Like, what do you use in ai? And I’m going, there’s a lot of the process stuff you can do. [00:38:19] [00:38:20] Mm-hmm. But even the AI of like, have AI write your script and plan your [00:38:25] content, it’s like, okay, sure that can fill the thing, but [00:38:30] that will never perform in the way of when you have a human experience and something [00:38:35] lights you up. And you go, I have to just capture this. Yeah. And I think that [00:38:40] will, with the proliferation of AI and, you know, video avatars taking [00:38:45] over, it’s just like, I don’t even have to record. [00:38:46] I can just type a prompt into a thing and like it’ll spit it out. [00:38:50] But that won’t replace like, the thing. I think that this [00:38:55] will separate people even more. Mm-hmm. As, as AI takes off is, is the human part. Um, [00:39:00] real quick, how, how much time are you spending on [00:39:05] this? So you talked a little bit about this early, like when you first started out, you were kind of like shooting a [00:39:10] video every day. [00:39:11] Now you’re batching. Can you just give us an idea [00:39:15] of, ’cause you, you kind of post, like, you only post like a couple times a day or once a [00:39:20] day. [00:39:20] Nick: Once a day, yeah. Or you [00:39:21] Rory: post once a day. Yep. So that flies in the face of the whole like, [00:39:25] post five times every hour. And like, like you really don’t do that. Mm-hmm. [00:39:29] Um, [00:39:30] so what’s the time? Commitment that you’ve made, like when you started compared to [00:39:35] like where you’re at now? [00:39:36] Nick: Uh, it’s, it’s changed. I, I would say when I first [00:39:40] started, it was probably eight to 10 every day [00:39:45] I was doing one, but that’s it. But I mean, [00:39:47] Rory: so like two hours Yeah. To do the whole thing. To [00:39:50] ideate, set up the camera. [00:39:51] Yeah. Do a few takes, edit it. And [00:39:53] Nick: that’s a, that’s a long [00:39:55] suggestion. I would say an hour and a half max. But yeah, to edit it as well. So, [00:40:00] but you know, like I said, the, the inspiration and the, [00:40:05] the reading and that stuff, like, that’s just my natural obsession. So you could count that as work, you [00:40:10] know, the, the searching for answers and whatnot. [00:40:12] So I don’t know how much of that [00:40:15] is considered working on it, but these days, like. I have to [00:40:20] go on, I’m going on a friend’s trip tomorrow and uh, I’m gonna be gone for like five [00:40:25] days. So what I did is I took like two days of filming from eight to [00:40:30] 10:00 AM eight to 10:00 AM and then I edited for probably four hours. [00:40:34] So that’s like [00:40:35] eight hours and I have like eight posts or whatever. They’re all scheduled. I don’t have to like even [00:40:40] look at my phone for the next five days. [00:40:41] Rory: So you’re still editing everything yourself? [00:40:45] Yeah. Posting everything yourself. Yeah. Um, reply to all the comments yourself, [00:40:50] like, [00:40:50] Nick: yeah, I don’t really do that anymore. [00:40:51] I mean some, but it’s, I’ve definitely had [00:40:55] to decide what is more important, like being present or [00:41:00] engaging in that all the time. You know, at first it’s really, it’s obviously very exciting to, [00:41:05] exciting to be validated by other humans and like, you know, have videos go crazy or [00:41:10] whatever, but just like anything, like the excitement wears off of that feeling [00:41:15] and uh, so I kind of just try to really. [00:41:18] Separate myself [00:41:20] from my phone when I can, because I don’t want to get caught up in that. Like, you know, my wife’s really [00:41:25] good about, um, asking me to be present with her at times, and it’s really [00:41:30] helpful for me to have that. But, but yes, doing everything by myself. I think about [00:41:35] outsourcing it at this point, but I don’t know, I, it’s, it’s [00:41:40] hard for me to say. [00:41:41] Because I, I’m so specific on like, what makes me feel something, and that’s [00:41:45] the only metric I’m using. It’s like, would that person have the same metric of like when they’re editing [00:41:50] and then Right. Uh, you know, the caption and then the, the [00:41:55] song a lot of times is a big part for me too. [00:41:57] Rory: Oh, selecting the track that’s like underneath it. [00:41:59] Mm-hmm. [00:42:00] Yeah. That’s, so you spend time, so this is like a 90 minute process for one [00:42:05] 62nd clip that you post. Yep. Yeah. I mean, that’s, that’s valuable for people to know. Yeah. Like, you’re not [00:42:10] just like throwing it up there. No, no. I mean, you’re kind of winging it a little bit [00:42:15] on the recording. Yes. But you’re not winging, you’re not just winging this [00:42:18] Nick: Yes. [00:42:18] The recording. [00:42:20] You need to remove the barrier of needing it to be perfect and just keep going, keep going. [00:42:25] Like, do it a couple times. Do it three times. Do it four times and then you can chop it up [00:42:30] however you need to. But, um, yes. After the fact, you kind of, you [00:42:35] obviously gotta be intentional about it, but yeah. [00:42:37] Rory: Okay. So that becomes a lot of [00:42:40] time. Mm-hmm. Yeah. How do you make money? [00:42:42] Nick: Yeah, great question. I mean, because it’s like, I’m still trying to figure that [00:42:45] out. That’s why I’m here to hang out with you. I mean, yeah, like, well, [00:42:50] [00:42:50] Rory: I mean, to whatever extent you can share, because I think, yeah. There’s also a thing that people go, oh, [00:42:55] you have million, 2 million followers. [00:42:57] Like, yep. You must be flying private jets and [00:43:00] like do it doing the thing. So like give us a little insight into what actually [00:43:05] produces money and what doesn’t really make money and like mm-hmm. How do you find your way [00:43:10] there as a creator? Because it starts to, you know, you have an audience and now it’s kinda like you sort of [00:43:15] created an obligation to serve them. [00:43:16] Not that you have to, but it’s like you gotta hit the schedule every day. Mm-hmm. [00:43:20] Otherwise they forget about you. Mm-hmm. But like, no one’s paying you there to, paying you to be there and [00:43:25] do it, so you gotta do it, but then like, you gotta feed your family. [00:43:28] Nick: Yep. I still fly [00:43:30] Southwest, so we’re doing that. Um, but, uh, so yeah, so I’ve [00:43:35] taken a little bit of a different approach to it where. [00:43:37] Um, so I still have never taken a brand [00:43:40] deal, which is, uh, pretty cool. And I’m, you know, I’m, I’m proud of that in a way [00:43:45] because, you know, I heard an Alex Hormoze quote that was like, if you can just provide value for [00:43:50] two years without asking for anything in return, like you’ll never have to work again in your life. [00:43:54] And [00:43:55] so I just took that to heart and I just went for it. And, uh, [00:44:00] I, I created a couple different avenues of revenue. One, [00:44:05] my main one is actually this journal that I created to help people connect with [00:44:10] Jesus. It’s pretty cool. Hmm. Um, it’s, it’s basically like four [00:44:15] questions in the morning, three questions at night, just to kind of set an intention for the day. [00:44:19] How can you show [00:44:20] up more like Jesus? What are three things you, you’re praying for today? Three things you’re grateful for. [00:44:25] Um, and I’ve had a lot of success with that on, on Amazon and TikTok. And then [00:44:29] Rory: so [00:44:30] people, so your fan base, you let ’em know that every once in a while, Hey, I’ve got this, I’ve got a journal.[00:44:35] [00:44:35] People pop over, they buy it, and then you’re just making royalties or whatever. Now, when you sell it on [00:44:40] TikTok, you’re fulfilling it directly, so you’re Yep. You’re, whatever your wholesale, whatever the cost of [00:44:45] goods are, you keep the rest. Yeah. And then on Amazon, you get whatever the percentage is after they take their [00:44:50] cut. [00:44:50] Nick: Yep, exactly. So it’s like self-publishing essentially. Okay. Um, and so that’s, that’s [00:44:55] one source. And then, uh, I’ve got a card game coming out in like a month. [00:45:00] That’s been a wild, interesting. Uh, it’s awesome. But the man, first thing I’ve ever [00:45:05] bought from China, bad timing for me. Yeah. Um, but I think, I think we’ll be all right on the [00:45:10] terrace. [00:45:10] We’ll see. But, uh, and then I made a course actually [00:45:15] on social media for Impact. So like my, uh, you know, it was, it was the idea of how can [00:45:20] you use social media for good uhhuh? Um, and then it’s all the tips and tricks that, you know, [00:45:25] how I edit, how I, um, how I do everything basically, you know, it’s, it, [00:45:30] you can see it all. [00:45:30] So it’s about like three hours of content. And so, and [00:45:33] Rory: you just share that. So you [00:45:35] just kind of drop that in your captions? A video every once in a while. Yeah. In your stories maybe? [00:45:39] Nick: [00:45:40] Yeah, yeah. Uh, I have like a website maybe in my stories. I am very [00:45:45] like, what’s the website? Uh, Nicholas john.co. Yeah. [00:45:48] Rory: And then you just click on courses or whatever. [00:45:49] [00:45:50] Yep. Yeah. Interesting. [00:45:51] Nick: I’m very bad at asking for money or, [00:45:55] uh, at promoting something that involves money. Like it’s still something I have to over. I know. That’s, I [00:46:00] had to stop to