I am not Gary...

This is a trap you DO NOT want to fall into. 100%.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [UNSTUCK]() From the desk of Pat Flynn January 3, 2023 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Pat Flynn smiling, wearing a shirt that reads "Do a lot with a little"] ​ Hi there, it’s Pat. Happy New Year! Let’s start out with one of the biggest realizations I’ve ever had as an entrepreneur, and an important lesson you can take forward with you into 2023. Haste makes waste, so let’s dive right in and get unstuck. QUOTE OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are” — Anaïs Nin THE STORY --------------------------------------------------------------- I went to New York in 2019 for an in-person interview. The exact location? The offices of [Gary Vaynerchuk](, aka. Vaynermedia. ​ Gary wasn’t there that day, but I did get to sit in his office and hang out with some of his team members. When I asked them who helps Gary with his social media presence, one of them pointed out the glass window and said: “That entire section over there is dedicated to his social media.” I asked for clarification, “Do you mean, that entire section over there helps manage all of the brands and clients that he has?” To which he replied, “No, they’re all there for Gary’s personal social media accounts.” I was floored. I counted 15-20 cubicles, from video editors to social media managers, all there to help Gary stay very active and present across all the major platforms. On one hand, I was impressed because scaling a personal brand can be hard, especially at that level, but on the other hand, I realized that all along, I was comparing the work that I was doing to someone who had a giant team behind him. I had once wished that I could show up just like he did — dozens of times a day across multiple platforms — but every time I tried, I failed. Maybe if I worked harder, or maybe if I hustled more I might be able to do it, but I never could, and because of that I believed that I wasn't good enough. When I saw his team and realized that he had all that help, I realized that I was on a different path than his, and I didn’t need to do the same things he was doing. I was attracted to his numbers and his reach, but Gary is Gary, and I am me, and you are you. We’re all on our own unique paths. This year, I hope to not just remain on track, but remain on my own track. It’s easy, especially today, to be lured by the success of others, but we need to be careful because there’s a fine line between becoming motivated and inspired by others, and feeling like we need to do exactly what they’re doing. Your Call to Action Short and sweet: You do you, {NAME}. Here’s to you and an amazing start to what will be an awesome new year. Cheers! I purposefully kept this email short so that you can have more time to make some moves and get in some grooves, so go and make it happen! Don’t let me down! SPONSORED BY CONVERTKIT = Test Your Content Watch your first YouTube video. Read your first blog post. Find your first newsletter. Listen to your first podcast episode. Now, compare it to your most recent piece of content. It’s night and day, isn’t it? That’s how much your content has grown—how much you’ve grown. If you're like most content creators, your email marketing platform reminds you of that first creative effort. It has not kept up. You need a fresh start. Get that Fresh Start with ConvertKit. [GET A FRESH START WITH CONVERTKIT](=) ​SPI NEWS AND NOTES --------------------------------------------------------------- We work hard at SPI to remain unstuck and consistently provide you with the latest news, trends, and events to support your businesses. Check it out: - Start off this new year by making new connections with fellow entrepreneurs. [Join us next week]() on Wednesday, January 11th from 2:00pm - 3:00pm (EST), for our free virtual Networking Event. Get inspired by other entrepreneur’s stories on how they created their brand, provide and receive advice in the breakout rooms, and grow your network. [Register today]( and we’ll see you next week! - Virtual summits are shaping up to be a 2023 game-changer. Large audiences and niche authority are no longer the requirements for big online events. Hosting a virtual summit is a great way to generate a snowball effect around your brand and build a wave of superfans! In the [Smart Passive Income]( podcast, Pat Flynn talks all about this topic with [Benjamin Dell](, the founder and CEO of [HeySummit](). They discuss how, by using this platform, you can build a following and monetize your passion. [Subscribe and listen](=). - After taking a break during the holidays, we will resume the[#SPILiveChat]( next week on [Twitter](, January 10th at 11am PT. Our special guest, [Jillian Benbow](, Director of Community at SPI, will led the discussion. Make sure to follow [@teamSPI]( and have fun joining in on the conversation! Tweet with you then! - A recent survey we conducted showed over 59 percent of people said there are too many distractions, they procrastinate, or simply don’t have enough time to achieve their business goals. Combining these results along with the research we did on the [top five problems](=) in the online curricula space, the [All-Access Pass](=) was born. [Learn how](=) you can grow your business in 2023. DAD JOKE OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- What’s the difference between a cat and a comma? One has claws at the end of its paws, and the other is a pause at the end of a clause. ​ Did a cool person forward you this email? [Sign up here for free.]( Want to reach over 125,000 entrepreneurs? [Become a sponsor.]( ​ Thanks for reading! You are receiving this because you signed up for Pat Flynn’s newsletter at [smartpassiveincome.com](). If you'd like to adjust which emails you receive or update your name and email address, [click here to update your Subscriber Preferences.]( If you'd like to stop receiving all emails from SPI, simply [unsubscribe from my emails.]( No hard feelings. 10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 524, San Diego, CA 92127