In this episode, Will Carver, a successful writer, podcaster, and fitness business owner, shares his philosophies on work and creativity. The conversation delves into his preference for the title "writer" over "author," his method for balancing his different activities and roles, and his views on the changing landscape of the publishing industry.
The discussion begins with Carver's view that a writer uses words to change the world and make sense of difficult subjects. We then discuss his podcast, Nothing Important Happened Today, and how Will uses this creative outlet. We then turn towards discussing Will's fitness business, which he runs with his partner.
The conversation also covers the challenges of traditional publishing. Will's core message for other business owners is that authenticity is key to finding and keeping an audience. He encourages them to find their unique selling proposition (USP) and fully commit to it. He concludes by emphasising that patience is a superpower in business, necessary for enduring the initial phases of development and ultimately outpacing those who seek instant gratification.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Embrace Radical Authenticity to Define Your Niche
After being advised by his first publisher to hide his "real self" on social media, Will found that people weren't engaging with him. Once he committed to being himself, he developed a dedicated "cult following". Review all your marketing channels and ensure the voice, mission, and offering truly represent who you are, as this will attract your ideal audience.
Commit Fully to Doing One Thing Exceptionally Well
As someone who juggles multiple careers, Will notes that being multi-passionate can lead to the feeling that "I'm not doing any of them well". He advises that while "you can do anything you want, but you can't do everything you want," the goal should be to "pick something and just do it well" and "go fully at it". Identify the single most critical strand of your business, commit to spending the time and effort necessary to develop it, and use patience as a "superpower" to far outpace competitors seeking instant results.
TIME CODES
00:00
00:18 Introduction to Will
01:02 How Will manages everything
02:13 Will's podcast and how it connects with his writing
04:34 Why Will prefers 'writer' to 'author'
07:16 The difference between being self-published and using a publisher
11:27 Will's writing process
13:42 What Will learns from the different things that he does
17:04 Will's audiences
19:13 Advice for business owners- AUTTHENTICITY AT END
21:31 Be patient!
23:42 Problems and challenges Will have faced | Will's US
28:03 Final message
