I’m 55 days into this 𝕏 game.
It’s been fun! Connected with great people, learned a ton, and changed for the better.
More than 700 posts in total of which >90% are replies as I average one original post per day.
Yes, I'm a reply guy.
Let me reintroduce myself:
Anonymous W2
I hired a coach.
There’s no way I can make this journey alone.
I need allies on my team. Allies who’ve been there & done that.
Found one of the best & brought him on to be in my corner.
If you know him, you agree. If you don’t, get to know him & I bet you’ll agree too.
At the end of the day, everyone wants to matter and everyone wants to belong.
@BrentBeshore
With this kind of vision, it’s no wonder
@MainStSummit
is such a welcoming place.
Grateful to be here!
She’s here!
Eliza Grace
06.30.24 @ 12:47pm
9lbs & 12oz & 22.5in
All the love for this sweet princess.
She and mom are doing well.
Life is a miracle! Blessed.
Some of my W2 friends don’t understand what I’m doing this week.
“Why would you take PTO to go to an SMB conference in Missouri?”
Trust me. I understand their blank stares and wuts. I’ve been there, but I’m somewhere else now.
This is not my first time in Missouri. I traveled
Perfect timing!
Sometimes that’s what it takes.
But you never know with the algo.
Chance is always at play. 🎲
You control content & consistency.
Keep putting in reps.
Some months will be better than others.
Keep going! You'll grow.
See this 28D view of 𝕏 distribution.
I took the first step this week. And then another. Now I’m moving.
No stalling. No waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect plan.
“Just go man.”
Where am I going? IDK exactly. That's okay.
What am I doing? That's not the point.
I'm writing about action today. You ready?
Here’s how I made money off a hurricane:
It was 2018. My wife and I were living downtown in a 1BR apartment.
Electric scooters were all the rage. They were on every street corner.
I had the perfect setup for this gig economy and got lucky with the timing of a perfect storm.
Do you even tow, bro?
Regardless, you’ll want to connect with this guy. Full of energy and kindness
@Mikethelummox
breathes SMB and bought 2 businesses within 30 days of each other.
From a stable career in tech, coping with layoffs, and pursuing ETA, Mike dropped wisdom bombs
Grateful for the connections I’ve made on 𝕏.
Yall are awesome. Watching how you navigate the highs and lows of building inspires me.
Also, the support in this community is unreal. Not sure what drives the SMB culture of giving back, but I’m here for it!
Later this week 𝕏 will be in person.
I’m driving to the coast for an SMB meetup event in Wilmington, NC.
Look forward to shaking hands with others I’ve met here and the ripple effects from this growing community.
HMU if you want details.
What’s got you excited this week?
Dads, what traditions have you built with the kids to help make Mother’s Day special?
Help me out here! Four days left.
My family is young (4 & under), but want to create something early so we can repeat over the years.
Any ideas?
100,000 YT subscribers!
I see many of you building over there. You’ll want to get to know this week’s guest.
Meet
@bradsmithcoach
Founder of Automation Links and creator of the Famous Follow-up™ blueprint. He knows the follow-up game too.
Brad’s story took a turn after a
Wrap your arms around your why and the how will come.
This is my approach to fatherhood.
Lead with love - kindness, gratitude, and faithfulness.
There’s no playbook on navigating all the ins and outs of this responsibility.
It’s a day to day journey full of sacrifice and joy.
What’s your monthly food budget?
We’re spending $1500 (or more) on groceries and eating out.
Trying to cut back on this with lifestyle changes. Pro tips welcome!
My dream stared back at me this morning.
On the drive to school drop-off, my little passengers smiled back at me as I looked in the rearview mirror.
Moments like this renew the dad feelings for me. Wait, I'm a dad?? How?!!
Reflection hits. Gratitude follows.
A short-list:
I married my high school sweetheart 12 years ago today. We’ve spent more of our lives together than apart.
Hands down she’s my greatest blessing in this life. Our relationship with all its highs and lows points me to something greater.
Marriage is a mystery after all. Two can
My kind of coffee shop right here. Local and no line. It’s been a life-line and a little escape for me each morning this week.
It’s two houses down from our rental. I’m loving the walkable community setup. We’ve got the beach, pier, putt-putt, park, and restaurants steps away.
Thank you
@RandBusiness
@TRUmav
@msaskin
for hosting Raleigh's SMB meetup last night. 👊
Great to hang with local entrepreneurs for a bit. Some I already knew and some I met for the first time. All inspire me to keep going.
There's power in community. Let's meet up again soon!
Challenge accepted.🤝
I love the idea of meaningful engagement and building real connections so I'm in on the
@AlexFinnX
$2.00 challenge this week.
It's 100 replies of my 2 cents daily. This is way above my average, but why not go for a sprint?
Let’s go! See you around.
Seems like the days and weeks blur together more in the early stage and then you come up for air to realize two months passed already. Love our littlest baby girl! 💜
PG? SDE? CIM?
🤷♂️SMB, WDYM?!🤷♂️
If you're new to SMB Twitter, check out this glossary of 27 terms AND 1 bonus term in honor of
@SMB_Attorney
#SMB
#ETA
I love chocolate chip cookies. Easily my favorite treat.
I like to think of myself as a CCC connoisseur.
My rating for this one is 4.4 stars. The picture sucks, but excellent chocolate distribution and chewy cookie.
It's from a quick-serve spot. Can you guess the franchise? 🍪
WE'RE LIVE!
You’ll love our first guest. He wears his heart on his sleeve. And trust me when I say he's got the heart of a hero.
-Police officer in SoCal
-3X SMB owner: bookkeeping, self-storage, and global talent agency
-Self-funded searcher looking for more
More? Yes,
“I’m enjoying watching your metamorphosis.”
Someone told me that the other day. The words hit me.
Transformation is happening here. It's real.
If you’re following me, maybe you’ve caught glimpses. I hope you’re enjoying it too.
At the root of this change, there's an
𝕏 is a daily drama.
Are you an NPC or main character?
Level up with archetypes and grow your audience.
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 🧵 to find your archetype in 3 steps using AI as a guide & check out how 12 accounts play to their archetype.👇👇
$2 Fried Brain
That’s what I’m calling the $2 reply guy challenge now. The challenge beat me. Making 100 replies in 1 day is a beast. Trust me.
If you're tossing out quick "kewl" replies, maybe it wouldn’t be bad. But I aimed for meaningful engagement.
And here's what hit me:
Eight years ago I landed my dream job.
The offer more than doubled my pay & unlocked amazing benefits.
Still consider this event the biggest blessing in my career.
A blessing that keeps giving as I see this W2 as a launch pad for greater things.
The best is yet to come. 🙏🏻
Don’t let the avatar fool you guys!
I'm a real person, Scout's honor.
Leading with kindness.
Wanting to connect.
DMs open.
This week I spoke with:
1)
@Chris1Ryan
- SMB Wealth Advisor
2)
@financeholic
– Fintech Investor / VC
Look forward to more connections like this!
We were made to promote.
"It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is"
-C.S. Lewis
In other words, sharing our joy in something completes our enjoyment.
Don't be silent or fake, but do share.
You'll be happier.
I'm ditching the script.
In my first few podcast episodes, I used a script of questions to dictate my conversations with guests.
Not sure why I thought this was a good idea. Maybe it's the corporate culture way or maybe it's my perfectionist mindset at play.
No, it's fear. 😬
Thank you to
@trentjhughes
and
@mattrbowles
for hosting the great meetup last night.
Cool to finally meet connections on here and discover new ones too.
This community keeps pushing me to grow as I figure out my own path.
Appreciate all the support and encouragement! 👊
When you post, you never know what will happen. This keeps it fun, right?
Here’s a positive one:
Over a week ago
@gas_biz
shared about starting a couch to 5K program. His story pushed me to get going myself. So I searched these plans, picked the first one I saw, and ran
On my birthday yesterday, I took an uncommon step. At least, it wasn't a normal move for me.
I recorded my thoughts and turned it into a podcast episode. Didn't have this idea when I started the SMB Journey show a couple of months ago. My guests make the show great.
But it was
I’m working on myself.
Solving “me” problems so I can solve other problems too.
It's not always easy and feels heavy at times. Doubt can overwhelm and fear can paralyze.
But I’m learning it’s a day-by-day thing and 1% compounded adds up quickly.
Rite of passage as a parent this morning:
Daughter comes down the stairs dressed ready for school, but legs, arms, and face covered with black Sharpie marker.
At least she knows the season and nailed the black cat thing. 🐈⬛
Networking is better than not working.
Another great intro call this week. This time with
@JonathanShoff
Solid learnings from hearing his story. He's built a well-oiled machine in the form of an accounting practice.
Another great guy bringing value to SMB 𝕏! Check him out.
What beats family time at the local breakfast diner on Saturday morning?
Americana, bacon, & the friendliest people in town.
Diners are time capsules filled with guests enjoying a break from today’s timeline.
We escape to Pam’s weekly.
Do you like the diner experience too?
I’m going to Main Street this week.
Not sure what to expect as it’s a first for me, but pumped to connect with others, learn new things, and grow.
DM me if you’re going. I want to meet up and shake your hand. It’s been 6 months since I started hanging around SMB 𝕏. I’m still
Last week, I decided to go for it.
"WE’LL DO IT LIVE!!"—minus the expletives. Or at least less than Bill.
I interviewed SMB owners to get reps in for the podcast. It was messy.
Now real interviews are scheduled. More messes to come. Wish me luck!
One thing leads to another.
We moved our Saturday family tradition up by a day this week. No complaints!
If you’re ever in Raleigh and want the Carolina diner experience, look no further.
10/10 TBH
Know yourself.
Your true self.
Techniques:
1) Journaling ✍️
2) Meditation & mindfulness 🧘
3) Feedback from close friends & mentors ♻️
These don’t come naturally to me except maybe the last one.
Who’s got techniques to sharpen sense of identity?
Why go 0-1 when you can go 0-2?
You’re right. It takes a gifted person to start two SMBs at once, but this guy bears gifts (he bought my dinner the first time we hung out). 🍔
Meet
@Peter_Nordberg
who owns:
Triangle Business Law
@Rolling_Suds
of Raleigh-Durham
You're right
It had to be done. Most of you would’ve opted for pizza from this machine, but I’m a cookie guy.
Overall, solid treat with very rich chocolate and nice composition. Bonus points for unique CX bringing it to 4.3 stars.
You’re at the center of a network.
You will know at least 1,000 people during your life.
The network grows quickly too.
Your connections will also know 1,000 people each.
See how the network expands:
1,000 𝕏 1,000 = 1,000,000
"You’re just one person away from a million."
Here’s an easy lift to brighten your day:
Send a random text of kindness.
Nothing big. Simple words of encouragement and meaning to an old contact, friend, or loved one.
Words carry power. You can build up or tear down with the things you say.
Building up is the way.
Okay I’m going to the Main Street Summit in October. This will be a first for me and I’m looking forward to meeting a bunch of you in person.
Should I get the classic or flagship pass? I’ve seen the hype around having access to the atrium. Do you think it’s worth the extra cost?
Networking is better than not working.
It's Friday after all.
If you would have told me last month that I would meet someone on X & on that same day plan a meetup with them for next week, I would've laughed in your face.
Well, I'm eating crow right now.
Met
@cashrulesNC
"Make your move before you're ready."
These words pulled me out of a doom scroll 145 days ago. I wasn't ready, but I set up this 𝕏 account and started sharing.
A spark lit. Now my planning place is burning down. 🔥
“Well, that was random!”
Yesterday we packed the kids in the car to drive to another city so I could run a 5K race sponsored by a Pentecostal church.
I agree with my wife. Very random.
Three months ago I wouldn't have dreamed this scenario up.
Before I share the results, I
Back to the grind and back to the routine.
It’s weird because I’m not feeling the post-vacation blues.
Maybe it helps that today is Friday or maybe I’m learning to enjoy the process.
This journey continues.
As a freshman in this business school, I agree. The best way to discover, learn, and grow in business is 𝕏.
I started drinking from the firehose back in April. You know what's crazy? I don't even recognize myself from 4 months ago. This community has not only reshaped my mind,
Don’t get an MBA. You don’t need to spend $200k to learn how to be a business leader or an entrepreneur.
You can get a better business education for $8 per month on Twitter, and in way less time than two years.
From finance to marketing to business law, here’s who to follow! 👇