Everyday Empires: Weekend Reads - No. 3
Reflections on doing the most, re-thinking how you answer "what do you do?," how to find your next big idea, and a newsletter making $20M/yr with one employee
Hey friends,
It’s been a while, but I’m back with another edition of Weekend Reads. If you’re wondering why I haven’t posted one of these recently it’s because, well, it’s because I have two toddlers.
Below you’ll find a handful of reads that caught my attention this week, and that I thought you’d enjoy as you wind down from your week and gear up for the weekend ahead. And if you find yourself with a case of the Sunday Scaries, maybe these will amp you up and get your wheels turning.
Now let’s get into this weekend’s reads…
The least they could do is carve it into a bear 🐻
Courtney Waters, mom of two littles and a fellow writer on Substack, wrote about always doing the most and how to balance that ambition with, well, doing less.
Claim your enthusiasm.
Anna Mack writes about “portfolio careers” where you’re generating revenue from several disparate sources. The concept resonates with me, and I think it’s going to make its way into everyday conversation as more folks start side hustles, and build multiple income streams. In this post, Anna reflects on how she often answers the question “what do you do?” with hesitation, and makes the case that whatever it is, and however early you are on that path, you should claim it, own it.
Give them what they need
Guy Raz spoke about what a business is in simple terms, and offered a straightforward suggestion to find your next big idea:
There's a powerful lesson here: Your personal frustrations, the daily annoyances you face, they might not be as unique as you think. In fact, they could be the foundation of your next big idea.
So here's a thought to consider: If you're struggling to find your next big idea, start by looking inward. What problems do you face that no one seems to be solving? What solutions have you cobbled together for yourself that might benefit others?
That thing that's been bothering you might just be your next big idea in disguise.
Catch the full post:
The Simple Newsletter Making $20M+ A Year With 1 Employee
This week I learned about a newsletter making ~$20m/yr, with 35k subscribers each paying $600 yearly. The author has been writing it for about 20 years with 100% organic growth (no paid ads, just word of mouth).
The website for it is nothing special, and you’d probably have no idea it’s such a profitable business.
It’s called The Van Trump Report, by Kevin Van Trump. He writes about agricultural commodities and trading, and started it because he realized his farmer buddies back home in Missouri were always picking his brain about the wall st side of agriculture, while his finance peers were asking him about the agriculture side of wall st.
It works because he’s providing tremendous value in a unique way. His background and experience enables him to provide a unique perspective that people trust, and that perspective is clearly worth quite a bit to his subscribers.
I find this fascinating and wildly inspiring. This is a newsletter that this man is writing from his home office. It’s making $20M per year! Let that sink in.
Here’s a great interview with him where he shares the backstory and gives some insight into how he thinks. I started watching earlier this week and couldn’t put it down:
That’s a wrap for this issue of Weekend Reads. I’d love to know if you enjoyed this post and want to see more like it (or not).
Reply or comment below and share your feedback 🫶🏼
Btw, I have a new founder interview coming to your inbox soon. They’ve built a great service business helping early stage founders shape the initial version of their brand and product, and I think you’re really going to enjoy it.
Until then,
Ken
Thank you for the mention! Been seeing a ton of Anna Mack on my feed -- checking out her post ASAP!