Today's spotlight is on a creator whom I've had the privilege of knowing for several years now. He is a gift to the creator community at large, as well as to each client he works with on a 1:1 basis.
He is incredibly helpful here in our community, and his thoughtful and clear answers are a huge support for creators across the board.
Jason Resnick was kind enough to answer these questions so that we can get to know him a bit better. I hope you enjoy his answers, his insight, and that you'll give this post a "like" to help me celebrate him today! (His answer to #7 especially got me.)
Congrats on being in the spotlight today, Jason. I'm grateful to know you, and to celebrate you today! 🎉
1. Who is a creator that you look up to, or who inspires you, and why?
I find inspiration in those that happen to carve their own path, people who push limits. People who even though they are told that they can't do something or that they should stay in their lane still go for what they want to achieve. People like Stan Lee (even though I'm not a comic book person, his story is awesome), Quentin Tarantino, Tony Hawk, members of the community I run called Feast Club, the clients I have. All these kinds of folks are so inspirational.
2. What book are you currently reading? I just finished Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life for the third time and will be starting up Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph
3. What are the top 3 productivity apps that you use that help you be successful as a creator? Notion, ConvertKit, and Zapier
4. What are the top 3 skills that you most admire in yourself? The ability to take geek-speak and translate that into plain ol' English, my ability to recognize patterns, and
5. In your opinion what is the biggest misconception around creating content?
That it needs to be perfect. In my experience it's better to produce a piece of content and get it into the world for people to consume and react to. When I've taken the time to get something to "perfection" it's often been a waste of time because all that time spent to make it "perfect" (i.e. all the SEO in place, the lighting, all the levers of whatever platform it sits on are pulled in the 'right' direction) I could've produced 3 pieces that were 80-90% perfect. Those 3 pieces would serve the audience and myself more than the single piece in so many ways. It's why I've done experiments on creating a daily podcast and now a 90-day YouTube Challenge where I'm publishing a video every day on email marketing and how to use ConvertKit.
6. What advice do you have for others in making their newsletters more engaging for other creators? Be vulnerable, share behind-the-scenes, and email more. I encourage everyone to email daily if possible, but whatever you can do consistently, do it.
7. How has your journey as a creator changed your life for the better? It's allowed me to hear the first words and see the first steps of my 2 boys and raise them together with my wife being home and not sitting in traffic or in a cube. It's allowed me to carve my own path in life to design the kind of life we all want to live.
8. If you could give creators who are just starting out one piece of advice, what would it be?
Find your "why", or your North Star. When challenging times hit or you lack motivation or there is a major decision to be made, remembering why you do what you do will lead you in the right direction. An example of this for me is if there's something to decide on that will add time away from the family for a long period of time, the answer will be "no" or "not now." My family and the time I have with them is my "why."