Hi there! I’m Jerad, a digital marketer, and photographer. I make YouTube videos about technology, photography, and personal development. This is my weekly email newsletter, which contains a collection of thoughts and experiences along with anything useful I think you should know. I hope you enjoy it. If you find it useful, consider subscribing to receive it by email each week, and if you really like it, forward it to a friend.
I have hesitated writing because if you are like me, you’ve received plenty of emails. I wanted to make sure I had some value for you, but before I did that, I had to get over a few of my own issues I was experiencing over the past month. I was immediately affected by Covid-19 losing about $35,000 in business due to the cancellation of several event video production jobs.
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Last month was not the most productive month for me either. I outlined why in a video on what’s changed in my Notion usage especially in regards to my Daily Log. With everything going on, it was enough to provide the kick in the pants I needed to get back on track.
Many of us are facing uncertainty, which makes us feel vulnerable. I remember feeling this in 2001 when 9/11 hit months after I had opened my first brick-and-mortar retail business. I remember feeling it again during the market crash in 2008. It is different this time, as I know you’re aware, but we still have to keep moving forward.
I believe that this experience is going to change the way we communicate with each other. We are utilizing our mobile technology more than ever before because it’s the only safe way to communicate right now. You might find this video I did on 5 Apps You Need to Survive Social Distancing:
Businesses also have to get smart about how they can maintain relationships with their customers. I am helping my clients do that right now using social media and video.
I have also put up some new videos on my YouTube channels, so I wanted to share those with you.
I am planning to start going live on Instagram a few times each week. I have a couple of interviews set up that should be pretty interesting for those of you who are small business owners. Make sure to follow me on Instagram and turn on notifications so you get pinged when I go live.
I hope that all is well with you and that you are safe.
If you are working from home, I have some tips for you. I started working from home again over a year ago. With my family now home all day, it has changed the way I work. I put together a video on 10 Tips for Working from Home.
If you are a Mac user, you might like this video on the Top 5 Mac Productivity Apps for Working from Home I put together.
With extra time on our hands due to not being able to take part in our communal activities, what should we do with that extra time? I believe times like this are opportunities for us to grow. I have a few ideas on What You Can Do While Social Distancing. Check out the video:
Communication is changing. We are using video, even more, these days which means learning How to Film Yourself. I put this video together discussing how to do that.
I have been using this opportunity to rethink what I am putting out to the world through my websites, social media, and YouTube. I love to teach and I want to lean into that even more. Many of you have taken one or more of my online courses, I plan to work on those. Some of them are old and need to be updated. I have other ideas that I want to work on as well. I plan to get some new course content on LearnWithJerad.Com soon and I will update you first when it is ready.
I also want to be communicating more often, so I will be using Instagram Live and Facebook Live to do that. Make sure you are following me there.
Podcasts are on the rise. Make sure to check out my podcast, The Jerad Hill Show. Click the image to see some of my recent episodes. You can get the show in your favorite podcast player or in Spotify.
🇺🇸 Writing From: Home Office
💪🏼 Current Challenges: Stay Safe & Productive!
📱 App of the Week: CleanMyMacX
🎧 Listening: Brain Food Playlist on Spotify
📖 Reading: Profit First – Mike Michalowicz
🍿 Watching: Will Ferrell Deeply Regrets Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones – YouTube
➡️ More now
Most importantly, be safe. There is so much fear and misinformation out there. Use this time to work on something new and give yourself the opportunity to learn something new.
See you soon in the next one!
Hey Friend 👋, the year is almost over, and that has me thinking about next year. Are you a new year resolution maker, or are you a bit more pessimistic like I am? In the past, I would scoff at new year resolutions because I not only knew that most people don’t stick to them but that I also had a pretty lousy track record myself.
I’m not sure if it’s the coming new decade, me turning forty next month, a bit of both, or just a coincidence, but I have been searching myself a lot this year looking to optimize various aspects of my life. A few months ago, this idea of creating a 2020 Vision for next year that will launch me into the next decade started to take form. 2020 will be the year of perfect vision. I want to encourage you to take this journey with me.
To dive deeper into this metaphor, you have to learn to focus on something before it becomes clear.
Even if we are not sure we can pull it off, we have to have a vision, somewhere to aim our focus. I have recently started running, and I find that if I choose a point and focus on it, each step is more consistent, and my body stays in line.
I hesitate to give any advice because I am in the thick of it myself, but I want to share what I am doing right now to improve my focus. I have some ambitious goals for next year, and I plan to execute them while sharing the process along the way. I learn best by experience. If I can do something myself, or follow someone as they do it, I learn. Reading about what someone did years ago when the landscape was different does less for me. Are you the same?
This image displays the projected revenue from the past 30-days of State of Tech, my mobile technology YouTube channel. In August, just a few months ago, it was $1,450.00 US. That is massive growth in the last few months, and I achieved it by focusing on creating new videos. In the first half of this year, I occasionally released new videos and did not have a plan in place. Now I do. It will take a lot of work to keep this momentum going as there was a significant boost in traffic from holiday shoppers after Black Friday, but I have a plan.
As I run towards my goals going into 2020, I don’t want to do it alone. Running is more fun with friends, so I want you to come along if you desire more focus as I do. I started a Facebook Group, and I would love for you to join me at no cost. This group is free to join. I will share some of what I am doing publically on social media, but I want to create a tribe of people who plan to make 2020 their best year yet. Click here to join the group.
Here are a few of my latest videos. I had a goal to release some new camera-related videos as the Christmas shopping season was ramping up. My tech-related videos on State of Tech were performing great and it had been almost a month since I had released any videos on Ditch Auto.
Ideas, quotes, and thoughts that are “resonating” with me make it to my new Resonance Log in Notion. Here are a few from the past week:
What’s the one thing I can do this morning that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary. ~Gary Keller “The One Thing“
“If I’d waited to know who I was or what I was about before I started ‘being creative,’ well, I’d be sitting around trying to figure myself out instead of making things. In my experience, it’s in the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are. You’re ready. Start making stuff.” ~Austin Kleon “Steal Like an Artist“
“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision.” ~James Clear “Atomic Habits“
🇺🇸 Writing From: Home Office
💪🏼 Current Challenges: 20,000 Steps/Day for 30-days (Day 21 – Friend me on Fitbit)
📱 App of the Week: Instapaper (I use this to save things I find on the web to read later)
🎧 Listening: Tim Ferriss Show #401 Gary Keller
📖 Reading: How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease – View on Amazon | Get Free on Audible.Com
🍿 Watching: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Prime Video
➡️ More now
I have a lot to accomplish in the next week. It’s the last week before my kids start their Christmas break from school. I want to dedicate as much of my time to them as possible
Let’s talk about it in the Facebook group. Click here to join me. Of course, you can always hit reply, and email me.
Thank you 🙏 for your support.
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Disclosure: My content occasionally contains affiliate links and I earn a small referral commission for your purchases (at no extra cost to you). This helps fund the costs to support the newsletter, and I’m grateful for you!
Hey friend 👋🏼, how was your week? It was a busy one for me. Yesterday, I enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family, and it was filled with food and relaxing. I have been on this challenge to put 20,000 steps (approx. 10 miles) on my legs every day. It’s been hard work, so I was thankful that the gym was open on Thanksgiving morning so I could get most of the work done early. I post my daily step count on my Instagram Story. While jogging on the treadmill, I started thinking about the things I was thankful for. I know it sounds kind of weird, like something your Mom would force you to do, but I was feeling very gracious for where my life is right now. Things are not perfect, but they are pretty great. I think sometimes we need to remember just how good things are even when they might seem like they are not.
There are a few topics that will likely be common in my emails. The first is on building alternative sources of income. Besides my digital marketing agency, I produce YouTube videos, write reviews, and teach online. I am very close to having replaced my income with revenue from these efforts. I would love to share more about how I was able to do that.
The second topic is on productivity and life optimization. I used to like the term lifestyle design, but for me, it’s more about life optimization. Life optimization means doing the work it takes to make your current life better rather than always chasing something in hopes that it will bring happiness. There is happiness right here. It just takes work.
Before we jump into the topics and interesting things I have to share, I wanted to let you know that over 350 people have downloaded my Daily Log template in the last week. That’s pretty awesome. I plan to make a video about how I use it this week; I will share that with you in the next email. Of course, you can always subscribe to my personal YouTube channel so you get notified when it goes live.
Lastly, today is Black Friday. I am not sure if that is a common thing or not, but are you buying something for yourself on Black Friday? I always put away a few dollars in case something I want but wouldn’t pay full price goes on sale. This year I held back and didn’t purchase anything personal on Black Friday. I do make business purchases on Black Friday because, for some reason, companies that sell business services give deals as well. I’ll list my Black Friday Purchases below. Reply to this email and let me know what you are buying today.
It’s almost the end of the year, so you are probably starting to think about those things you want to either start or stop doing at the beginning of the year. Wanting to start right away, I started challenging myself in a few ways already. In the last email, I shared my progress with you, and I will continue to update you at the bottom of each email so if I start slipping, you can call me out 😜
The hardest part about sticking to something for me has been staying motivated. I have found that the simple act of tracking it each day has been motivating enough. If I do something for five days in a row, I don’t want to have to start over at day one again, so I keep going. I have been testing a few habit tracking apps and also added a section to my Daily Log to track my progress as well.
Here are the three Apps I have been testing out. I will make a video about them soon, but to be honest, I prefer to track this in my Daily Log even though these apps are also on my Apple Watch, which makes it easy to check off achievements as they happen.
I’m not looking to develop a habit of anything specific; I’m developing the habit of doing things and challenging myself. Most people talk about doing things, few people do things. I want to be a person who is always doing things. What is one thing you always talk about but never do? Hit reply to this email and share that with me.
Listed from left to right:
If you are an Android user and want more options, let me know. I will test a few and include them in my video.
Have you heard of 4K Laser Video Projectors? I spent some time with one to see if it would make a good replacement for our TV. This projector doesn’t have to go clear across the room, it goes up against the wall and projects almost straight up onto your wall. Pretty cool.
I did a lot of filming and editing last week but only got out one video. Going into December, I have a lot of videos I want to put out on State of Tech, Ditch Auto, and my own YouTube channel. I will keep you updated in these emails but you can also go subscribe to my channels if you prefer.
My youngest turned one the other day. We had a party for her last weekend. I captured this photo of her dumping the pumpkin off of the chair. That is totally her style. She keeps me busy. We brought her home at 11-days old and she officially became part of our family on August 12th. It’s crazy to think that this time last year we had no idea she was being born and that on December 7th we would get a call asking us if we could provide her with a home. One day I would like to tell the story of our adoption journey somehow. The entire journey took us almost three years.
Ideas, quotes, and thoughts that are “resonating” with me make it to a new section in my Daily Log. Here are a few from the past week:
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – C. S. Lewis
“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” – James Baldwin
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” – Haruki Murakami
🇺🇸 Writing From: Home Office
💪🏼 Current Challenges:
📱 App of the Week: Zero – Intermittent Fasting Tracker
🎧 Listening: The Side Hustle Show Podcast
📖 Reading: I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships by Michael S. Sorensen
🍿 Watching: Disney+
➡️ More now
Several of you responded to my last email letting me know that you wanted a photography-related newsletter. I am trying to figure out what that might look like. Next week I will likely have a signup form, so make sure to look out for that if you are interested.
Thank you 🙏 for your support.
Want to fuel my next email? Buy me a coffee.
What’s currently in my pocket?
Disclosure: My content occasionally contains affiliate links and I earn a small referral commission for your purchases (at no extra cost to you). This helps fund the costs to support the newsletter, and I’m grateful for you!
Hey Friend 👋🏼, can you believe November is almost over already? I remember this time last year thinking the same thing and feeling a bit depressed over the fact that I had not accomplished many of the things I wanted to do that year. Has that ever happened to you?
This year has not been perfect, but I have accomplished more personally and for my family than I have in years. As the year comes to a close, a portion of my email will be dedicated to helping you create goals, start them, and stay motivated to finish them. If you’re serious about making 2020 your best year yet, I’m considering starting a private group for those of us interested in making next year amazing. Let me know if you are interested in something like that.
I had multiple requests for a copy of my Daily Log, so I created a page where you can download the template for free. Check it out.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed these days. More things pulling at us than ever before, and it’s hard to process it all. One of the things I have started tracking in my Daily Log is the things that are currently overwhelming me. When I get overwhelmed, my wheels kind of just spin in place. It’s hard for me to make a decision and move forward. Are you this way? I sometimes get overwhelmed when I have to decide what to focus on and especially when I have something I wanted to finish, but it’s time for me to stop working and spend time with my family.
Later today, I am going to start calendar blocking. Calendar blocking is the practice of planning out your entire day, so you know what to expect. I have tried this before, but it didn’t last because I didn’t dedicate myself to making it work. Using a task manager has worked well for making progress on projects, but blocking out my time will ensure I have time scheduled for those projects, so I am not scrambling to find time throughout the day.
What overwhelms you? When you are finished reading this share it with me in the comment section below.
I was pretty busy this past week with client projects and publishing a few videos for State of Tech. During my time at the gym and while working, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. When something interesting is said, I log it in my Daily Log. Sometimes those ideas inspire me to write a blog or record a podcast. I wanted to share a few thoughts with you from my Daily Log this week.
You can know something, but for it to be real, you have to feel it. To improve my life, I have to do more than understand what needs to be done. I need to feel the “why.”
This thought kicked me in the chest. I am much better now, but in the past, I always had to be right. It didn’t matter if it ruined the connection I had with someone. Being right made me feel safe because, as a child, I was often told that I was wrong. I’ve been practicing holding back in conversations to avoid having to make a point or appear superior to the other person.
I had this thought about a common phrase we use when something goes wrong. When 💩 hits the fan, where does the 💩 go? Does it stick to the fan? Does the fan sling it all over the room? If life is the 💩 and we are the fan, what am I doing with all of the 💩 that comes my way?
I had this thought as a milk commercial was on the TV in front of me at the gym. The cow was at a dairy. Now I was thinking about 💩 hitting the fan and cow 💩. That’s just how my brain works 🤷🏼♂️
I thought about how farmers turn cow 💩 into fertilizer that is used to grow plants. So 💩 = 🌱
How can I take challenges that life throws at me and turn them into growth opportunities?
Did something inspire you this week? Share it with me, I would love to hear about it.
The iPad Pro is a year old, and it looks like Apple won’t be updating it until the spring of 2020. Is the iPad Pro worth it? This week I published a video on the iPad Pro 11-inch model one year later and discussed how I have been using it.
Upcoming Videos:
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I didn’t get anything new out on Ditch Auto this week but I am editing a few videos that will go live before the end of the month.
Upcoming Videos:
Subscribe to get notified when new videos go live.
I had been looking for a tool I could use to manage my work and life rather than having several tools that worked well but didn’t talk to each other. I found Notion, and for the past few weeks, I’ve been figuring out how to implement it into my life. I decided to put out a video sharing how I am using it. Notion is free, visit the Notion website.
Upcoming Videos:
Subscribe to get notified when new videos go live.
Ideas, quotes, and thoughts that are “resonating” with me make it to my new Resonance Log in Notion. Here are a few from the past week:
“Even if you’re sure you can win, be careful that you can live with what you lose.” – Gary Keller
“You will get there when you are meant to get there and not a moment sooner… so relax, breathe, and be patient.” – Unknown
“What other people think about you isn’t about you. It’s about them.” – Unknown
🇺🇸 Writing From: Home Office
💪🏼 Current Challenges:
📱 App of the Week: Notion
🎧 Listening: Brain Food Playlist on Spotify
📖 Reading: Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal
🍿 Watching: When a Korean kid meets an American kid for the first time – YouTube
➡️ More now
I’m contemplating starting a weekly newsletter for photography and technology, perhaps one for each. These newsletters would be a collection of news and tips with the goal of keeping you informed with what’s new and also teaching you something new each week.
If this is something that would interest you, please reply to this email and tell let me know.
Simply comment below or send me a message through Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Thank you 🙏 for your support.
What’s currently in my pocket?
Disclosure: My content occasionally contains affiliate links and I earn a small referral commission for your purchases (at no extra cost to you). This helps fund the costs to support the newsletter, and I’m grateful for you!
Hey friends, It’s been a busy week. I sent out my first Weekly Newsletter last week to over 21,000 people and only 1.9% dropped off. Thank you so much for sticking around to see what this thing becomes. I have some interesting stuff for you this week that I think you’re going to like including a podcast episode on a pretty big idea, some interesting thoughts from what I read this last week, and challenge at the end. Let’s Go!
I have been tracking various aspects of my day for over a year now which includes tracking status on projects. Looking at the accumulation of data I realized that I start too many things and don’t finish them. A great realization to have after just having started yet another thing. 🤪🤪
The main takeaway for me was realizing that starting something new is better than not having started at all. How many times have you told yourself “no” before giving an idea or a new project a chance? We are masters of coming up with excuses. It’s time you start on that thing you have been thinking about for so long. You don’t want to miss this talk, one of the keys to starting something is to “Get Chunky!” You’re going to have to watch the video or listen to the podcast even if it’s just to hear me say chunky multiple times, and yes, there is a vomit reference 🤣🤣 It’s basically a free short course I designed to help you develop a framework for becoming someone who isn’t afraid to start new things.
My Daily Log has been monumental in me becoming more self-aware. I not only log what I intend to do but I log what I get done as well. I also check in multiple times each day to note how I am feeling. If something happens or I come across some inspiration, it goes in the log. I recently started tracking my caffeine intake as well because I might have a problem there 🤫🤫
Want my Daily Log Template? Reply to this email and ask, I will send it to you directly. You can use it in your favorite note-taking apps such as Evernote or the notes app that came on your phone. I will be making a video on the topic of my Daily Logging practices. As part of my inner circle, you will be the first to know when that is ready 🙌🙌
Did that get your attention? I bet it did because you are the kind of person who is eager to help a friend out. As I continue to improve my writing I have found the use of trigger words and phrases to be very interesting. It’s fascinating to me that we can simply say something a certain way and have someone’s attention whereas if we say it a slightly different way, it pushes them away. We all do this in our own subtle ways. I just finished reading, “Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact” by Phil M. Jones. It’s a shorter read, check it out.
“There are two types of people in this world: those who resist change in favor of nostalgia and those who move with the times and create a better future.” ― Phil M Jones
While we are on the subject of favors, I am not sure it’s for you, but I would appreciate you checking out my podcast and let me know what you think about it. Click Here to check it out.
I put out two audio podcast episodes this past week. The first titled “The Value of Challenging Yourself,” discusses how important it is for us to challenge ourselves even if we have other challenges we are facing in our lives.
The second is on the topic I mentioned above titled “Starting Is The Key.”
I bet you’re like me and need some motivation today, click here to check out the latest episode of the podcast or watch it on YouTube.
I coordinate a photography Facebook Group and we started a monthly photo challenge. This month there is a give-a-way. The group has over 4,000 photographers in it ranging from beginner to advanced. I would love for you to join us. Join the Ditch Auto Facebook Group.
What’s something you have always wanted to start? After you finish reading this email, hit reply and share it with me.
Thanks for sticking with me, it means the world. Over 50 people replied to me last week and shared some things they are thankful for. It was the highlight of my week!
Simply comment below or send me a message through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
I know it’s frustrating to receive emails out of the blue. This is completely my fault as you did signup at one of my sites and I failed to send you anything for your efforts. Before hitting Unsubscribe, please take a moment to read about why I am sending you this. If you prefer to be removed from this list, the link is at the bottom of the email. No hard feelings 😇😇
I have a variety of projects that I contribute to including State of Tech, Ditch Auto, Learn with Jerad, Hill Media Group, my own personal blog, and social networks. Across these platforms, there has been no consistency. I definitely have shiny object syndrome when it comes to ideas and projects, which is why I am consolidating.
Well, it means that I am merging some things, starting with email lists. Nothing will change names at the moment, all of my projects will remain the same. I just desire to provide value and I hope you decide to come along. You may be a client of mine, a friend, family member, viewer of my YouTube videos, or a student of one of my courses, my desire is to inspire or motivate you. We all need as much of that as we can get, right?
I do my best to stay connected to what’s going on in marketing and technology. I am also very interested in personal growth and development. Personally, I have done a lot of work towards the end of my 30’s and professionally I have doubled down in the areas I know I provide the most value; anything else, I have stopped doing.
The mission of this newsletter is this: To share and inspire what I believe brings value.
I will always lead with value and avoid anything that will waste your time. The fact that you trusted me with your email address and are still reading at this point means the world to me. I value your time and want to be a resource to you.
Those of you who watch my YouTube videos know my sign-on: “What’s up, it’s Jerad…” So for now, I am going to call this weekly email, “What’s Up Weekly.”
It will come in the form of a weekly email that will briefly touch on a couple of topics. In that email, I will also share anything interesting I come across that week that I believe would be valuable for you to know.
You can expect to see things like this in the future “What’s Up Weekly” emails:
This email might not be for everyone, and I totally understand if you need to unsubscribe. If you do, consider staying connected or connecting with me on social media (Links: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Linkedin)
Everything changes and this weekly email will change as I get feedback from you. Each email will include a question or a challenge that I hope intrigues and motivates you.
I’m excited to get started. One of my personal goals is to challenge myself to do something for 30-days as a way to make or break habits.
This month I have cut out alcohol and I will talk about that more in a video soon.
What’s something you have always wanted to challenge yourself to do? It could be something simple or a big feat. Reply to this email and share that with me.
You made it to the end. I know I already appreciated you for getting through some of the email but it really does mean a lot to me. We have too many messages bombarding us these days. I will do my best to make sure this is one you look forward to.
Before you go, do this one thing for me, reply to this email and share with me one thing you are thankful for.
Be Blessed!
Jerad Hill
