Welcome to my weekly framework focusing on mindset adjustment, innovative money-making methods, and leveraging technology.

In each Tuesday edition of our newsletter, we delve into three pivotal elements:

1. Mindset adjustment,

2. Uncovering unique online money-making avenues, and

3. Future-proofing through innovative thinking.

Or in short: Mind, Money, Motion.

These components are crucial as they offer a holistic approach to growth.

Adjusting your mindset prepares you for change, exploring money-making methods broadens your financial opportunities, and focusing on the future ensures long-term success in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Together, they form a comprehensive strategy for personal and professional development.

Enjoy the ride.

Erwin

Table of contents:

1. Mind Trap: Introduction to the necessity of pivoting.

2. Side Hustle Case: How I make $60,000 a year on Instagram

3. Future Directions: Where is the world going to be in 10 years? A rant on the impact of innovation.

4. Bonus: Download my Free eBook: Side Hustle Starter Kit: 10 Tactics to Find Your Next Side Hustle Idea.

5. Bonus 2: Ben Meer has a job opening paying 70k a year

Mind

Sometimes you’ve got to pivot. 

Here we go again. I’m trying yet another approach regarding this newsletter. And to kick it off I would like to dive into the importance of pivoting. Why? Because I'm doing it right now. I feel that the previous approach of this newsletter isn't doing the trick. I feel that I'm not adding the value you deserve.

So my main goal this year is to grow this newsletter to 100k+ subs.

Why?

1. Because I’ve got a huge audience on Instagram but I feel I’m not adding enough value.

2. Because I don’t own my audience. If Meta decides to adjust the algorithm again I’m doomed. Say goodbye to my money-making asset.

3. Because I like the challenge of growing things. And I want to see if I can do the trick again with this newsletter.

If you’re tuned in for a while you’ve seen me drop a lot of different content. I like it all, but it just feels like I’m shitting all over the place. So I jumped on a call with my best friend and discussed my dilemma.

Do I need to create a specific newsletter, something niche about making money online? (Because this is what I do best. I make money from Instagram and build several 6 figure webshops.) Or do I need to integrate this element into my existing newsletter?

I tried a new lead gen the other day (Biased by Design eBook) simply because I’m intrigued by the topic. But I’ve come to understand that it’s not a fundamental topic that attracts eyeballs. Data simply shows that growth doesn't occur.

So time to pivot. Again. 

How do I leverage what I already have (1.3 million followers on Instagram)?

How do I integrate my passion into my expertise (mindset into making money online)?

How do I add enough value to grow a new site hustle beyond 100k?

The result of this brainstorm is this email you’re currently reading.

Every Tuesday I’ll send a framework for growth, like this one. Every Friday I'll send 7 pieces of content that I like. Just cool stuff if you're bored.

This first chapter covers a shift in mindset: Sometimes you’ve got to pivot. Cut your darlings and move on. Don’t be trapped by Sunk Cost Fallacy (Continuing a doomed project or behavior due to already invested resources). Don't pour more money, time, and energy into something that doesn’t grow. You can read more about Sunk Cost Fallacy in my free eBook: Biased By Design: 35 Mind Traps Unveiled (Available in ePub & PDF)

In Chapter 2 I’ll cover a way people make money online. Something that you probably never thought about in the first place. It’s needed for yet another mindset shift: There’s a shitload of different ways people make bank. You just need to find your personal fit.

An important side note here is that this method is already being leveraged. This makes it really hard to copy/paste. These concepts often form the base for all the gurus selling courses online. Courses on making 10k on YouTube without showing your face. 

With this in mind, I’m shifting to Chapter 3. Here my good friend Funs (who is the Senior Director of Innovation at Media.Monks) talks you through innovation. He tries to help you think critically about the future. Bottom line here, what is currently the status quo and how will tech disrupt it? Or put in simple terms: What will the world look like 10 years from now?

Combined this is the 3-step formula for growth.

1. Adjust your mindset, keep learning, and keep growing on a personal level.

2. Educate yourself with all the possibilities out there. The more angles you know about the easier it is to connect the dots.

3. Look into the future. How could disruptive tech change the status quo and how could I tap into that?

Money

I make 60k a year posting quotes on Instagram.

Do you know that Instagram page that urged you to sign up for this newsletter? I bought it 4 years ago. It made me a nice additional 60k a year so far.

I basically sell ads to people who either want to grow their personal brands or sell courses.

Just as a reference. My page was created in 2017. With a very niche topic (Crypto). It took 3 years to grow it to 545k and only in the end did it generate 1k a month.

All I did was scoop it up and start recycling the 20% best-performing content. (best-performing means more shares which equals growth). Later I did the same but with other pages' content. Get your hands on their best-performing posts and just recreate them. This is basically what every meme page or motivational page does. The owners are not literate and they are not big business gurus. They are mostly kids with a shitload of time and persistence. And as a result with a huge ego.

I’ve made a short article diving into the following aspects:

• In short, what’s the hustle all about?

• How much time am I investing?

• How did I get the idea?

• How did I grow it? Any tactics?

• How do I monetize?

• How sustainable is it? Does it have a future?

• What are my next steps?

• Any advice for people who want to do the same and are starting rn?

Read all my answers in the case I published on my website:

Next week I’m jumping on a call with one of my friends who also ran a popular motivational page. He sold it for $105,000 last year. Since he started it off from scratch, our angle will be focused on growing the page, the tactics he leveraged, and how he monetized. 

So in about 2 weeks, I’ll be sharing the exact step-by-step guide on growing on Instagram. Just drop me a little yes below if you want this guide so I know how much energy to pour into the creation. If you don’t want it I’m simply not going to bother you too much.

Motion

Wrapping this first edition up. Let's look at the future.

My good friend and Senior Director of Innovation at Media.Monks recorded a short video about AI. Especially the Future of Digital Advertising.

Why should you bother watching? It’s simple. If you keep looking at what’s currently working you’re going to fall behind.

If you’re serious about building towards the future you’ve got to understand and think in the future. 

Funs just texted me: Instead of using AI to cut costs, to cut your workforce, to cut time spent. You should use it to do more of what's working for the same spend, in the same time.

So listen to Funs and ask yourself: Where is “my thing” going to be in 5-10 years? How is tech shaping the current status quo and how can I leverage it?

If you want to stay in the Web3 loop, you can follow Funs here:

Funs’s LinkedIn

His Instagram: Instagram

Free Download of The Week:

Side Hustle Starter Kit: 10 Tactics To Find Your Next 6-Figure Hustle

Ben Meer is Hiring

Ben Meer is seeking to hire a rockstar Director of Content. The role is full-time, highly flexible, remote (except for occasional trips within the U.S.), with a base salary of ~$70,000.

If you’re not it, but if you know someone, refer them for a 3,000 bonus.

Premium:

Premium subscribers (People who buy me a coffee for the effort) have access to all available downloads. So far included:

Side Hustles:

• Side Hustle Starter Kit: 10 Tactics To Find Your Next 6-Figure Hustle

Mind Traps:

• Biased by Design 35 Mind Traps Unveiled

• Applying Mindfulness Meditation - eBook

• Conducting Small Social Experiments - eBook

• Implementing Cognitive Restructuring - eBook

• Navigating the Maze of Cognitive Dissonance - Workbook

Subscribe to Buy me a coffee to read the rest.