Hey y'all,

This email is going to be a little more personal and quite a bit longer, but I hope that talking selfishly about myself for a few minutes will provide you with a little motivation and encouragement for where you are on your journey.

These kinds of emails are honestly my favorite, because I get to talk about the real stuff.

From the beginning that was always what was different about Create and Go to me. That realness, that authenticity, that transparency.

These emails allow me to take a step back from the world of being a "professional" creator (whatever that is) and thinking about blog posts, products, redesigns, and all the other stuff that comes with running your own content-based company and I just get to be real with y'all.

No stress about the title, or the length, or any other optimization factors, just me talking to you - creator to creator. I love it.

Procrastination and Doubt

Anyway, last week I told you about how we're working on more changes at Create and Go. For us, that has meant really rethinking our approach. This has required us to question how we can get more and more success for the audience we already have and the new people who come across our work.

With this, as I'm sure many of you creators already know, comes a certain level of frustration.

For example, the Notion template I have been working on for tracking content has been changed, and tweaked, and changed, and tweaked, and... you get the point, for what feels like a year. It's actually been about 6 months, but it starts to feel like it's NEVER going to be done.

It would have been easy for me to launch the Notion template three months ago when it was "okay" and usable, but I wanted to make something incredible. Something that GENUINELY helps our audience and something I use every day and put through months of testing.

But in taking that approach with our work, we start to wonder if we're just procrastinating... if the product is ever going to be good enough. Sometimes, if the frustration gets bad enough, we reach a point where it all just feels hopeless and we start questioning what we were thinking in the first place.

This feeling can arise in the beginning of new projects or even in the middle of updates of existing projects.

It's something every creator feels at one point or another, but it's important not to despair with you hit this block. It's actually a signal that you're going the right way. You're heading in the direction where most people give up.

I think I heard Lauren say it once in 2018 or so when I was just an employee at Create and Go, she said: "Most people give up on the one-yard line."

And damn is she right. Usually, whenever we get to the point where we feel we can't take it anymore or what we're doing just isn't working, THAT is when the breakthrough is about to come.

Most people never get a chance to see it because most people quit.

So, how do we stick with it when it sucks?

How do we keep going when it starts feeling hopeless and like it's never going to work for us?

I have found one foolproof method that works for me 100% of the time. Not to be confused with the Sex Panther Cologne from the movie Anchorman where "60 percent of the time, it works every time".

This ACTUALLY works for me 100% of the time, every time.

GRATITUDE

Or as we say in Louisiana "an attitude of gratitude".

Now, trust me, I know what you're thinking "that was the corniest thing Noah could have possibly said."

But bear with me. I'm going to tell you why this is the way and share a story about a stranger from Brazil I met this week named "Bruno" who helped remind me of this.

(Yes, I know we're not supposed to talk about Bruno, but here we are.)

Yes, I, a grown-ass man with no children just made a Disney reference. Stick around... next week it might be Moana.\

Why Gratitude is the Way

When I met Bruno, it was like "bros at first sight."

Bruno and I met where any two men who instantly become best friends meet -- in a Lowe's Parking lot. I was gluing my mirror back onto my car because I'm cheap and well, that's the kind of week I was having.

I found myself here after getting too wrapped up in a podcast to properly read the glue labels and ended up with the "normal drying" (20 minutes) glue rather than the quick dry.

I was leaning up against my car holding this stupid mirrow in place and sweating in the sun when I heard a friendly voice yell from his truck:
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​"Hey? Is there any tool you need?"

The man, who I could tell was an electrician based on his setup (the big bold letters that said electrician also helped, but I swear I knew before I saw that) got out of his truck, walked over to me, and asked if there was anything he could do to help.

Chivalry isn't dead, apparently.

I didn't want to bother him and said I was fine, but Bruno introduced himself and insisted "I have some tape that will hold it up I will help you because we are brothers."

First of all, last I counted I had 3 brothers, and none of them were named Bruno. Second of all, people are still nice like this????

I'm used to southern hospitality but this man Bruno took it up several notches... he was radiating good energy.

We taped up the mirror with an ungodly amount of electrical tape and understanably... that shit didn't hold up.

We laughed and he ran inside to buy the good tape as I realized by the time he came back, my glue would be dry anyway. But hey, I'm in this now.

Bruno and I sat there in the heat for another 15 minutes just talking because it was so nice to have such a human interaction. He told me about how in his country the police would often ride Bulls in the town, and that he and his friends had been known to race ostriches.

Um, cool!

He told me about how moving to America with his wife two years ago was such a shock for him and that he just tries to be the best he can be and let the rest work out but that it often can feel scary.

He told me about how he uses ChatGPT for help with his English and that he wants to be a pilot one day. I watched as he lit up and explained how he works hard and is proud to be an electrician but would love to fly commercial planes one day.

It was one of the most genuine interactions I've ever had with a stranger and I couldn't help but feel one thing after my time with Bruno.

Grateful.

There I was, after a tough day, stressed about Create and Go website redesigns, about getting the new video edited, about whether I was going to be ready for the call with Lauren that day, and it felt like nothing was going right.

But Bruno reminded me how lucky I am. He reminded me that no matter what's going on, what you do, what your job is, and what you're going through, you can still enjoy where you're at.

Most of you aren't where you want to be, and the real truth is, like me, you'll probably reach that place you think you want to be just to find out there is something else to chase.

The real key is to take a moment every once in a while, to stop and find something to be grateful for -- a reminder to appreciate the journey and remember why you're here.

Appreciate the Journey

I'm not going to tell you that whatever you're going through and whatever you're feeling doesn't suck, because trust me, I know this path can be stressful sometimes. I've been stressed AF lately.

But I do know there is always something to be grateful for.

I get to work on something I enjoy in an industry filled with people I care about and who want more for their lives.

I thought about how far I've come... how even though I might not have a Ferrari and a mansion on the water and all the other things the internet and influencers try to tell you that you need to be happy, I have still come so far.

When I got home, I took a second to look at my childhood home and reflect on it. It helped me feel deep gratitude for the comfort of my home now.

I thought about wins from some of the people in the Creator's Club lately (part of Six-Figure Blog Builder), like Katja growing her subscribers to her email list that she's been keeping us updated on.

I thought about some of the nice comments people have left on the updated course, in the YouTube comments, and all of the people who respond to the emails every week.

In fact, over the last FIVE emails, we have gotten an average open rate of 54%!!!! My highest EVER!

We often forget how lucky we are, at least I know I do, and I am truly so blessed that Bruno reminded me on a day when I was struggling.

So, with that being said, I want to challenge you.

How can you be grateful today?

Have you taken the time to look back and see how far you've come? How you've grown?

It might not be exactly where you want to be, but I bet there are some things you can be grateful for.

It might sound silly, but over the last few months whenever someone has purchased the course, I just take the time to close my eyes and express thanks to that person and send gratitude their way. It has helped me appreciate each and every one of them so much more.

I suggest you find your practice, maybe you thank the people who comment on your work or watch your content, but I guarantee you, when it feels like nothing working out, this practice can give you a second wind.

Give it a try... you might be surprised.

Quote of the Week

From Brene Brown, a shame researcher and author of one of my favorite books, Daring Greatly (a really great book if you haven't read it yet):
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​ “So often we think that joy makes us grateful when in reality it’s gratitude that brings joy.”

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