In partnership with

Howdy readers, how are we feeling as the holidays are fast approaching?

If you weren’t already questioning where 2024 went, let me just remind you that we only have one more issue of Cmd+Shift+Create before 2025 (yes, I’ll be taking off Christmas and New Year’s Day, sorry, my workaholic readers).

Much to my dismay, the fake tree is up ($200 for a real tree is wild… You tree salespeople are out of your mind), but alas, I’m feeling the holiday vibes.

And if you’re not feeling the holiday season just yet, consider checking out YouTuber JSchlatt’s Xmas album. It’s been a staple in my house this year, so needless to say, we’re feeling very Dean Martin-esq.

I’ll see you all next week, but until then, and as always, if you want to support this newsletter, you can help me earn just by clicking the link for PodPitch below. They’ll help you land features on podcasts so you can reach your target audience or customers more easily.

Thanks to all those who support me and click links when I have them, it means the world!

-Luke

Lost My Job, Met Colin & Samir!

A few times a year, I like to reintroduce myself to all of my new readers and share some stories from my journey as a creator & startup founder (if you’re new around here, check out our startup, CreatorPad!). I posted the below on LinkedIn this week, so if it sounds a bit different than my usual writing/voice, that’s why (I have to use my “professional” tone for LI 🥱). Regardless of the language switch-up, I thought that this piece would be a great story to share with you email readers as well (pssst, you’re my favorite, don’t tell anyone). In the piece below, I dive into how I met Colin & Samir and how this experience pretty much kicked started my entire creator journey.

If you’ve already read this on LI (first of all, thank you, king/queen, you’re a real one), please keep scrolling, after this story, I cover some awesome people and businesses in the creator space, and give you a chance to get featured in the final issue of 2024!

Most people don't know that I started my creator journey by interviewing every creator's favorite creators, Colin and Samir.

When I first leaped into content creation, my life was a whirlwind—freshly graduated, new job, and suddenly hit with a global pandemic.

I had just graduated from university and landed an awesome job as a managing editor at a massive NYC publication. Working at a big office on Fifth Ave, I felt like I had my finger on the pulse of the rest of my career

And then, the pandemic hit and I was laid off along with many of my coworkers...

I had no idea what to do. I was 21, freshly graduated, had just gotten my first job and insanely overpriced apartment, and just a few months later, I had nothing to keep my head above water financially.

But in this moment of chaos, I felt strangely relieved. Like I just avoided turmoil...

Now that I'm a few years removed from that situation, I finally realize that I did dodge a bullet. Although this job was a great opportunity, it was wearing away at me and my creativity. But now, with open horizons, I decided to jump into another niche of storytelling that would allow me to tell the stories of those who I found to be the most interesting: content creators.

So, my longtime creator friend and I started a podcast where we interviewed dynamic creators on their life journeys and trajectories, and we figured that there were no better creators to start with than Colin & Samir

This clip below is of Colin & Samir telling MKBHD the story of us grabbing their attention, but to me, it's so much more than that.

Every time this clip pops up, I'm reminded of the trajectory that my career could have taken, and I get a chance to reflect on where I am today.

Now I have an audience I get to share my thoughts with on a weekly basis (go check out my newsletter if you haven't already), and even more rewarding, I get to help creators of all sizes make massive differences in their local communities while getting paid to do it.

Starting that podcast and sending that Venmo might have seemed small at the time, but they opened doors to moments like this one. This clip reminds me that every creator’s journey starts with a bold first step, so if you're thinking of shooting your shot, don't overthink it, just shoot.

Community Shout Outs

As you all know, I love supporting people on their journeys. It sounds corny, I know, but seeing someone get a win from a connection, a shout-out, or beyond makes me feel so pumped up, and is the exact reason why I’ve been building CreatorPad for so long (fo’ free).

So, in the spirit of the holidays and wanting some good energy coming my way, I posted on LinkedIn yesterday, asking my LI community who was crushing things and deserved a shoutout.

To my surprise, I had a ton of folks respond, and I’m happy to share them with you all today. If any of these people or companies sound interesting, go ahead and click the link below. And if you’re really interested, reply to this email and I can make some warm intros. Let’s help each other out this holiday season, that’s what it’s all about.

Hey reader, do you want a shout out? Reply to this email and let me know what you got going on and I’ll feature you next week! Same rules apply, though: Drop a quick reply (2 sentences or less) sharing what you do; your business, side hustle, or passion project, I want to hear about it!!

Get Your Team Booked on 3.8 Million Podcasts Automatically

The best way to advertise isn't Meta or Google – it's appearing on podcasts your customers love.

PodPitch.com automates thousands of weekly emails for you, pitching your team as ideal guests.

Big brands like Feastables use PodPitch.com instead of expensive PR agencies.

Get your FREE personalized demo!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week ✌️