Welcome to the 169th Edition of the Orangeletter

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Why Most Creators Fail
(and How to Think Like the Ones Who Don’t)

​CEX is less than two weeks away, and I’m deep into prepping a new keynote.

Everyone I know approaches presentations differently. My personal process?

• Obsess over the topic for months.
• At the last possible moment, dump all my ideas into a messy document.
• Build the slides in a caffeine-fueled sprint.
• Practice like mad in the 24 hours before I go on stage, especially right before I walk up to the mic.

Not textbook best practice… but it works for me.

This year, though, life’s been throwing both amazing and challenging personal events our way. My wife asked me to finish my CEX presentation early.
Early? Me?

At first, I hesitated. But then, like a bolt of lightning (too dramatic?), I saw exactly what I wanted to say. Much of it comes from my new book, Burn the Playbook.

Here’s the big idea:
​Some of you in the room will change your lives in the next few years. You’ll quit jobs you hate, own your time, and earn more doing work you love. And some… will disappear.

The difference won’t be talent, niche, the algorithm, or even AI. It will be mindset…and what you do with it.

Belief comes before proof. Ownership comes before success.
If you say you will, you will. If you say you can’t because of AI, TikTok, or your situation… you’ll be right about that as well.

After more than two decades of building content businesses, I’ve seen brilliant creators burn out and average ones build empires. The winners share a handful of mindset shifts…and they live by them.

At CEX, I’m sharing six of them. If you commit to even one, it could change everything.

Mindshift #1 – From Drifting to Goal-Driven

When I started my business in 2007, I wrote down one goal: I sold the company for $15 million in 2015.

I reviewed it weekly. Every decision got measured against it: Does this move me closer or further away? I didn’t always choose right, but I was never drifting. I had a compass.

Your goal doesn’t have to be a massive exit. Billy Joel’s goal was to play music every day and pay his bills. Maybe your version is to podcast daily and live comfortably.

Write your goal like you’ve already achieved it:

• I quit my job before March 31, 2027.
• I published my book by July 1, 2026.
• I recorded 50 podcast episodes in 2026.

If you can’t write it down, you can’t have it. Repeat daily, morning and night, to set your subconscious to work.

Want to push yourself? Try a Misogi goal - so big there’s a 50% chance you’ll fail. My first Misogi was sticking to an eight-hour eating window every day. Now it’s part of my identity.

For maximum focus, use the 60-60-1 rule: spend the first 60 minutes of each day, for 60 days, on that one goal. My new book? Burn the Playbook was a 60-60-1 project. Who said you can't write a book in 60 days?

Mindshift #2 – Lean Into Your Crazy

If you want to compete with both human and AI creators, you have to lean hard into your unique mix of skills, quirks, and passions.

Write a one-sentence mission. Not a tagline:

I help freelance designers build six-figure businesses without burning out.

That’s your North Star.

For me, it was mashing up B2B publishing with marketing to create “content marketing,” then testing audiences until I found my sweet spot: enterprise marketers.

Define your tilt:

I help [WHO] with [WHAT] so they can [BENEFIT].

Mindshift #3 – From Tilt to Mastery of Repetition

Once you have your tilt, repeat it so often people can’t forget.

Most creators quit repeating themselves long before the audience has even heard them clearly. People need to hear something 7–20 times before acting. Maybe even more (any husbands out there?).

Think bamboo: years of unseen root growth, then 90 feet of growth in weeks. That’s branding. That’s the truth behind a content business.

To accomplish this, I’ve essentially written the same book over and over for 20 years…just reimagined each time. Repetition isn’t redundancy. Repetition is branding.

Mindshift #4 – Create Before You Consume

If you start your day scrolling, you’re building someone else’s business.

The average American spends four hours a day on social media. From age 18 to 80, that’s 100,000 hours—over 10 straight years of life, or 50 full-time work years.

Protect your first hour for creation. Then do a one-week time audit to find and plug other energy leaks. That reclaimed time? It’s where your best work comes from.

Mindshift #5 – Get Better Friends

Your crew determines your ceiling.

You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If they don’t take your work seriously, neither will you.

Build your circle intentionally:

• Truth Teller – keeps you honest.
• Superfan – reminds you your work matters.
• Expert – further along than you.
• Peer – in the arena with you.
• Connector – opens doors.

Mindshift #6 – Sell Every Day

Say it with me: I am a great salesperson.

Selling isn’t pushy…it’s service. If you believe in your work, you have a responsibility to get it into people’s hands.

At Content Marketing Institute (CMI), we sold something every single day: books, workshops, ticket discounts. It trained our audience to see value and say yes.

Want to get better at selling? Speak. Everywhere. Often. Speaking sharpens persuasion, builds confidence, and connects you to your audience’s needs.

Bottom line:​
You don’t need all six shifts today. Pick one. Live it. Make it your decision filter for the year.

Most creators fail not from lack of skill, but because they drift, blend in, wait to create, let the wrong people influence them, or avoid selling.

That’s not going to be you.
​Mindset is the multiplier. Your goal is the compass. Your tilt is the moat. The right habits turn the grind into freedom.

This week, and every week, think like the ones who win.

Thanks for reading through this. I’d love to hear if a particular part resonated, or maybe something I should include (or delete). Just reply to this email.

Two quick notes before I leave you.

19th Annual OEF Golf for Autism Sets Record for Giving

The 19th Annual Orange Effect Foundation Golf for Autism was one for the record books! On August 4th in Elyria, Ohio, friends, supporters, and golf enthusiasts gathered for a beautiful day on the course with one mission in mind...helping children with speech disorders get the therapy and technology they need to communicate.

Thanks to the generosity of our golfers, sponsors, and donors, this year’s event raised more funds than ever before in our history. Every dollar will go directly toward grants that ensure children have access to the tools and treatment that can change their lives. From the afternoon tee-off to the final putt, the energy and commitment to our cause were unmatched.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated...whether you played, volunteered, sponsored a hole, donated a raffle prize, or simply cheered us on from afar. Your support fuels our mission and helps us give children the gift of voice.

Next Up: OEF Night at the Races – November 14, 2025

Mark your calendars for OEF Night at the Races on Saturday, November 14, 2025 at Lakewood, Ohio Masonic Temple. This high-energy evening features exciting horse races, raffles, prizes, and more...all benefiting the Orange Effect Foundation. Whether you’re a seasoned race fan or just looking for a great night out, it’s an event you won’t want to miss.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now: Click here to buy a horse name or join us in person!​

Together, we’re changing lives...one event, one grant, one child at a time.

And second…

​Unchained is a new book from Sarah Nay. Sara is the CEO of Duct Tape Marketing and has helped hundreds of small business owners gain clarity and confidence in their marketing.

I love the book because it’s so practical and offers some truly useful marketing frameworks. If you’re a marketer, I’d suggest picking up a copy here.

If you would like me to talk about something specific for next issue or ask me a question, just reply to this email.

​

Keep learning and growing,

Joe

17040 Amber Dr, Cleveland , OH 44111-2908
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