Building a portfolio of writing businesses to $10M, and sharing my frameworks along the way.

My name is Nicolas Cole, and I am one of the most-read writers on the Internet.

Over the past decade, I have written over 5,000 articles online, and ghostwritten for 300+ Founders, C-level executives, NYT best-selling authors, Grammy-winning musicians, and more. I have also broken records on various digital writing platforms, like becoming the fastest-growing user on Quora in 2014, and becoming the most-read writer on the entire platform (out of 200 million users) in 2015. I have amassed hundreds of millions of views on my writing, and the topics I cover include hard life advice, category design, and digital writing principles.

I have also written over a dozen books, including the best-selling The Art & Business of Online Writing.

I am passionate about paying it forward and sharing what I have learned writing online for more than decade with other writers, creators, and industry leaders.

Here's a quick breakdown of my portfolio of companies, and how to get in touch.

WANT TO GET STARTED WRITING ONLINE?

→ GO HERE: www.ship30for30.com

Ship 30 for 30 is a cohort-based community specifically for people who want to start writing online. In this 4-week program, we help you build your daily writing habit, launch your Social Blog, clarify your niche, and master the fundamentals of digital writing. To date, we have helped more than 3,000 people get started writing online.

WANT TO BECOME A PREMIUM GHOSTWRITER?

→ GO HERE: https://premiumghostwritingacademy.com

Freelance writers charge per word or per hour. As a result, they're underpaid and burned out. Premium Ghostwriters charge per project, work directly with founders, CEOs, and business owners, and are more like "business consultants who happen to know how to write." As a result, they can charge a premium. In PGA, our Premium Ghostwriting Academy, we train writers on how to become Premium Ghostwriters, and learn how to package & price their services in lucrative ways.

WANT TO STAY AT THE FOREFRONT OF WRITING WITH AI?

→ GO HERE: https://writewithai.substack.com

Write With AI is a bi-weekly paid newsletters for writers, giving you strategies and prompts to help you turn ChatGPT into your own personal Digital Writing Assistant. 

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH?

→ GO HERE: www.nicolascole.com

In addition to writing and building my own businesses, I am also an investor & advisor to a handful of media & digital publishing companies. If you'd like to get in touch, please feel free to shoot me an email.

Email: cole@nicolascole.com
Twitter: @Nicolascole77

Nicolas Cole 🚢👻

Last month, I spent 9 hours collecting 102 writing templates and creating 2 AI prompts to help you:

• Write viral LinkedIn posts
• Find proven topics for yourself & your writing clients
• Create banger LinkedIn and X posts using proven templates

Why?

Well, the LinkedIn algorithm has changed.

It's HARDER than ever before to reach a wider audience and go viral.

So, to help you boost your reach for yourself and your clients, I collected all my proven hooks and post formats.

These have racked up millions of views on my content.

Inside the Social Ghostwriting Template Vault, you'll get:

• 30 LinkedIn & X hook formats (40M+ views)
• 50 short-form post templates
• 22 proven long-form post frameworks
• 2 AI hook generators (to help you go viral)
• The 8 topics EVERY client wants to talk about

This is everything you need to write viral hooks and posts (for your own content and your clients).

Want FREE access?

✅ Comment "vault"

I'll send it to you over DM ASAP.

I talk about digital writing, ghostwriting, and self-publishing | Co-Founder Ship 30, Typeshare, Write With AI, Premium Ghostwriting Academy | Author of 10 books | DM "👻" if you want to land high-paying writing clients

I'm 35.

And I would NEVER wish to be 25 again.

Going back is a fallacy.

Now I’m rich, not broke like I was a decade ago.

I’m married and happy, not single & lonely.

I’m way healthier, not grinding into burnout.

I’m driven by my curiosity, not a chip on my shoulder with something to prove. 

• I’m wiser
• I’m calmer
• I’m less stressed

And I’m less emotionally triggered by little things that don’t matter. 

In your 20s, your only advantage is energy.

But if you take care of yourself, then you still have the same energy in your 30s, but with way more resources & pattern recognition.

And one of the ways I've stayed mentally sharp is through journaling.

I've been doing it for 30 minutes every morning since 2010—and it's completely changed my life.

I use a system called Decision Journaling.

All decisions I make go through this process.

And this Black Friday, I'm sharing my entire system.

Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

In the last 5 years, I've generated $20,000,000.

My simple superpower?

Writing every day.

But most people never get started:

• They overcomplicate creativity
• They overthink every word
• And they never hit publish

So here are the 8 simple steps I use to write every day:

—
📌 But the most important writing I do for 30 minutes every morning?

Journaling.

I've been doing this since 2010—and it's one the reasons why I've generated over $1,000,000 across:

• SaaS ($1m+)
• Agency ($5m+)
• Consulting ($2m+)
• Paid Newsletter ($2m+)
• Self-Published Books ($1m+)
• Cohort-Based Course ($3m+)
• Low-Ticket Digital Products ($2m+)
• High-Ticket Group Coaching ($10m+)

All decisions I make go through my Decision Journaling process.

And next week, I'm sharing my entire system.

Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

8 Simple Steps To Build A Daily Writing Habit

In my 20s, I built a $3,500,000 writing agency.

The entire business was built on ONE skill (steal this):

Cold outreach.

• No ads
• No huge audience
• No fancy website or funnel

80% of the 300+ clients I worked with came from cold outreach.

And I wrote for:

• Olympic athletes
• Silicon Valley founders
• Grammy award-winning musicians 

Learning how to prospect was 100x more valuable than actually being able to write!

And after teaching 1,500+ writers this system inside Premium Ghostwriting Academy...

I've just packaged everything up into The Writer Prospecting Blueprint.

Why?

Because I see too many writers (copywriters, ghostwriters, content writers, freelance writers) struggling to land high-ticket deals.

So I want to get this into as many hands as possible.

Inside you'll find:

• 4 ways to land clients (and why 3 of them waste your time)

• My complete 3-step outreach system from DM to sale

• Real examples of terrible vs excellent outreach messages

• The exact bottleneck analysis system to fix your outreach

• Scripts for booking calls and closing deals

And 3 videos breaking down every single framework.

Want access?

Comment "outreach" and I'll send it across (for free!)

And if we're not connected, send me a connection request with the word "outreach" and I'll send it to you.

At 24, I was a broke copywriter.

But 3 years later?

I'd generated $200k as a writer.

Here's my story and 3 ways you can make money writing online:

Growing up, I dreamed of going pro in hockey. 

But I fractured my spine at 14 and again at 17. My NHL dreams were shattered. 

So, I turned to World of Warcraft for an escape.

WoW had the biggest impact on my life:

• Taught me to fall in love with monotony 
• Introduced me to "social networks" at a young age
• Showed me the Internet could be a competitive outlet

And, at 16, I got my first job writing about World of Warcraft.

Fast forward a few years, and I was working as a minimum-wage copywriter but my income was capped & I was building someone else's future.

So, I made a decision:

I challenged myself to write a Quora answer every single day for 1 year.

• Worst case scenario: I do the thing I love.
• Best case scenario: Something happens.

A few months in, one of my answers went viral.

It was the story of how I went from a skinny teenager undiagnosed with Celiac Disease to putting on 70 lbs of muscle as a gluten-free bodybuilder.

It got millions of views in just a few days.

I started getting hundreds of messages asking about my story and my fitness secrets.

So I spent all weekend pouring my heart into two eBooks: 

1. My workout routine 
2. My meal plan

I called it Skinny to Shredded. 

On Monday, I linked those eBooks to my viral Quora answer. Then, my phone started to buzz non-stop. 

Sale after sale after sale. 

In one weekend, I'd made more money than I did in a month as a copywriter. 

This moment changed my life forever.

Fast forward 2 years, I'd made my $200k writing online for myself & others.

So, how did I do it? 

And, if I was to restart from scratch today, what would I do? 

Here are the 3 best paths to making money writing online ↓

Path 1: Premium Ghostwriting.

This is the best opportunity in 2025. 

Most entrepreneurs, founders, & even influencers need writers. 

You'll be surprised how quickly you can scale to $10K+ per month. 

Path 2: Digital Products.

Your knowledge is valuable. 

Package your expertise into:

• eBooks
• Courses
• Membership sites

This is how we built Ship 30 & PGA.

Path 3: Paid Newsletters.

This is simple:

1. Give away your best stuff for free 
2. Build trust 
3. Launch a paid tier

📌 But the problem?

It took me years of monotonous work to master the non-writing skills to become a Wealthy Writer.

So, I'm sharing them in my Write Your Way To Wealth 3-Day challenge on Nov. 18th.

In just 72 hours, you'll learn what it takes to:

• Charge a premium
• Land dream clients
• Make 6+ figures as a writer

Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eVyT_maj

"A couple million dollars per year isn't worth the effort."

Hearing my mentor say this broke my brain:

I was in LA at the time.

And my mentor was:

• Nearly a billionaire.
• Incredibly successful. 
• Wanted to try something new.

He’d exited his company a few years prior, and was starting to get bored.

So one day, we were hanging out, and he brought up the idea of starting an extremely high-level mastermind.

He started talking out the napkin math.

How he’d need to charge $250,000 per person to make it “worth it.”

And as a 27 year old still trying to figure out how to make serious money myself, this sounded like best-case scenario.

I said, “Yea, if I had your network this is 100% what I would do. I’d make a fortune!”

Until, a few minutes later...

He reached the end of his brainstorming and said:

“Eh, after splitting it with my partner, that’s only going to be a couple million a year for me. Not worth it.”

And that was the moment my brain broke. 

Because I realized I lacked context.

Since I was still far from wealthy, any idea seemed like a good idea.

But for someone 10 levels above me:

• Way wealthier
• More connected
• More experienced

It was the opposite. 

It wasn’t that the idea was “bad.”

It was that its potential as a vehicle didn’t accomplish the necessary goal.

The goal being to move the needle for someone who already had everything (making it a hard needle to move). 

I’m still a far ways away from that level of wealth and success.

But in my own small way, I’m now starting to feel and live and experience this same “problem.” 

The higher you climb, the more important it is to choose the right opportunity vehicle.

Which means saying “No” to lots and lots of great ideas you absolutely would have and should have said “Yes” to earlier in your journey, but have since outgrown.

📌 The opportunity vehicle I recommend?

Writing.

Because right now, demand is EXPLODING for writers.

(Even the biggest AI companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Perplexity are hiring 6+ figure writers).

Want to start making money writing & scale to $100K/year in 2026?

Then join me on November 18th for my 3-day LIVE challenge.

In just 72 hours, you'll learn what it takes to:

• Charge a premium
• Land dream clients
• Make 6+ figures as a writer

Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eVyT_maj

I don't think the average person realizes how much money you can make as a writer.

A few weeks ago, I bought out my M850 BMW's lease.

Since I'm young, the sales guy asked me what I do for work.

He guessed tech.

"I'm a writer," I said.

He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

There is SO MUCH money in writing.

And so much leverage.

More leverage than most career paths.

Everything you write isn't just "effort." 

It's an asset.

And the more you write:

• The more skills you acquire
• The larger your library grows
• The larger your digital footprint
• The more opportunities you attract
• The more pricing power you have, etc., etc., etc.

But it makes me so sad.

There are so many creative, talented people in the world. 

Yet, they think, "Nobody makes a living as a writer."

It's just not true.

You can make an obscene amount of money writing in the digital age.

You just have to be willing to go on the journey of building the 3 skills required to make 6+ figures as a writer:

• Packaging
• Positioning
• Prospecting

And I can show you them in just 72 hours.

Join me on November 18th for my 3-day LIVE challenge where I'll show you how to:

• Charge a premium
• Land dream clients
• And write your way to wealth

Grab your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/eVyT_maj

As a writer, I've generated over $20,000,000. But most of my "writing" success has NOTHING to do with writing. 

Instead, it's actually about dialing in 9 other areas of my life.

These make great writing easy:

—
📌 But the most important writing I do?

Decision Journaling.

It only takes 30 minutes every morning.

I've spent 15+ years journaling.

And I've used this simple habit to:

• Move cities
• Build & shutdown businesses
• Scale to $20M as a digital writer

And navigate endless relationship, financial, and personal decisions.

This week, I'm sharing my ENTIRE system.

But ONLY until Monday, December 1st when doors close.

Get Decision Journaling here: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

9 Areas Of My Life That Make Great Writing Easy

The ONE habit I've been doing for 15 years which has massively accelerated my personal growth:

Journaling.

And I use these 7 prompts to gain self-awareness & mental clarity:

1. "What was I doing a year ago?"

This helps to keep things in perspective.

Looking back one single year reminds me that I have so much to be thankful for.

2. "Do I enjoy how I'm spending my time?"

If you're not enjoying your day to day, no amount of money or external rewards will make you feel more fulfilled. 

So, question what really makes you feel alive and what feels like a burden.

Then, ask how you can remove those burdens. 

3. "Who do I spend the most time with?"

I am such a firm believer that you are a direct reflection of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

Ask yourself if you're spending time with people who enrich your life, or people who are always asking for more and giving you less.

4. "How is my money being spent?"

I see money as fuel.

It's what allows you to do the things you want to do in life.

There are two ways to make more money:

• Work harder and earn 
• Spend less

Do a quick audit of your spending habits, and see if you can control some impulse purchases.

5. "What do I want to learn next?"

Most people reach a plateau when they stop being curious and instead fixate on doing things purely for financial gain—or the approval of others. 

But curiosity never leads you astray. 

Ask yourself:

• What you want to learn next
• What will help you grow beyond where you're at

Nurture that curiosity.

6. "How are my 5 buckets being filled?"

Each of us has 5 buckets that we fill with our time:

• Career
• Community
• Fulfillment
• Relationships
• Personal health

It's worth taking time to question how each of these 5 buckets is being filled.

Sometimes, you'll find you are spending far too much time being social.

Other times, too little time working toward a project or a goal.

Or sometimes, you'll find you haven't spoken to your family in months because you've been so busy. 

7. "How can I be more helpful—to those around me and to myself?"

You can't spend all your time trying to make everyone around you happy.

You have to prioritize keeping yourself happy too. 

Which is why it's worth questioning both.

• What can you do to be more helpful to those around you?
• How can you be more encouraging and more patient?
• And at the same time, how can you do those same things toward yourself?

Personal development is your ability to continuously ask yourself these questions on a daily basis, and slowly improve over time.

—
📌 This simple writing practice has changed my life.

And for the first time ever, I'm sharing my entire system inside Decision Journaling.

These are all the frameworks I've used to:

• Quit my job
• Build a $20M business
• Move across the country (3x!)
• And make life-changing relationship decisions

Grab a copy of Decision Journaling here (before it disappears on December 1st!): https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

I'm always asked, "What's the best ghostwriting service to specialize in?" Here's the answer I give every time:

Start with what you love to create for yourself.

For me:

I loved ghostwriting 800-word thought-leadership articles.

This is how I went from making $0 to $20,000/month as a writer.

And right now, ghostwriting is EXPLODING in demand.

For example:

Last week, 9-figure AI company, Anthropic just posted TWO full-time job roles paying $300,000/year each.

(And other non-AI businesses have been doing the same)

Want to start making money writing & scale to 6+ figures in 2026?

Then join me on November 18th for my 3-day LIVE challenge.

In just 72 hours, you'll learn what it takes to:

• Charge a premium
• Land dream clients
• Make 6+ figures as a writer

Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eVyT_maj

5 benefits of writing on LinkedIn:

1. You can quickly test your ideas

2. You can form meaningful relationships

3. You can easily attract a niche audience

4. You can "earn" credibility (views, comments, etc.)

5. You gain elite clarity in your life, career, and business

But here's the downside:

—
📌 Before I start writing every day, I always do 30 minutes of journaling.

And when I have a big choice to make, I use my Decision Journaling prompts.

It's how I have:

• Finished 10+ self-published books
• Built multiple 7-figure digital businesses
• Consistently written online for over a decade

All decisions I make go through my Decision Journaling process.

And TOMORROW, I'm sharing my entire system.

Join the waitlist here (so you know exactly when it drops): https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

I journal every single morning for at least 30 minutes.

It's a habit I'll keep until I die.

No other daily habit has helped me regain complete clarity in my:

• Career
• Business
• Finances
• Relationships

In other words, in every area of my life.

My Decision Journaling system is how I turn a reflective practice into ACTION.

It's how I rapidly achieve my goals.

And now I've put my entire journaling process inside my latest product, Decision Journaling.

So, if you’re looking to head into 2026 with elite clarity & build a life changing daily journaling habit...

Get your copy of Decision Journaling here: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

But be quick!

It's only available until midnight EST TONIGHT.

After that, doors close, and it'll be gone!

I've spent 15+ years journaling.

And I've used this simple habit to:

• Move cities
• Build & shutdown businesses
• Scale to $20M as a digital writer
• And navigate endless relationship, financial, and personal decisions

And now Dickie Bush 🚢 and I are sharing the exact journaling frameworks and systems that help us make decisions in all areas of our lives:

Decision Journaling: A Simple Habit That Can Change Your Life.

Inside Decision Journaling, you get 3 mini-courses:

Mini-Course 1: Decision Journaling 101

• Learn why journaling is the most effective tool for decision-making

• Understand the difference between "One-Way" vs "Two-Way Door" Decisions

• Get our 7-step Decision Journaling process to unlock elite clarity in 90 minutes

And more! 

Mini-Course 2: How To Journal

• Discover the best journaling "tool" we've found

• Understand why you should treat making decisions as a "skill"

• Get our 9 go-to decision-making mental models from Jeff Bezos, Charlie Munger, and more

Mini-Course 3: Journaling With AI

• How to use AI to enhance your journaling practice (not replace it)

• Get our Decision Journaling AI Tech Stack (4 tools we love)

• Master the 2 "ways" to use AI for better decision making

Plus, you'll get our Decision Journaling AI Mega Prompt.

When you grab your copy of Decision Journaling, you'll also get:

• Dickie's Journaling Process (prompts, journal extracts, case studies & more)

• My Journaling Process (frameworks, journal examples, case studies & more)

• Lifetime Access to our Private Skool Community

This is based on HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of hours we've spent journaling.

And we're convinced everyone is ONE decision away from changing their life.

So, we want to help you make that decision by giving you a simple system to help you:

• Unlock elite clarity
• Stop second-guessing yourself
• And finally make high-leverage decisions

Get your copy of Decision Journaling here: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

(But you only have 1 week to get it... doors close December 1st at midnight EST!)

This scientist had ONE goal 6 months ago:

To make more than $1,000/month.

For context:

Shruti met with her Success Coach 1-on-1 at the end of June with a BIG problem.

She was booking high-quality sales calls from her outreach.

But they weren't closing.

$1,000 is all that hit her bank account that month.

No bueno.

So, we gave her 3 clear action items:

1. Follow up with leads before the end of the week

2. Send a proposal to a high-quality potential client

3. Practice closing on sales calls with peers in our 1,500+ ghostwriting community

Two months later?

Shruti hit $12,000 working with only 3 clients.

And she's been holding steady there ever since.

Everyone on our PGA team is committed to helping her land 1-2 more clients before 2026.

And I'm betting she will.

Why?

Because now is the greatest time in history to make a living as a writer...

IF you master these 3 skills:

• Packaging
• Prospecting
• Positioning

And in just 72 hours, I will show you how to use them to make 6+ figures as a writer.

The Write Your Way To Wealth 3-Day Challenge starts TOMORROW.

Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eVyT_maj

I'm 35.

And over the last decade, I have:

• Self-published 11 books
• Wrote thousands of articles
• Generated $20,000,000 from my writing

And in this time, I've faced these 9 uncomfortable truths:

1. Your parents are flawed individuals, just like you

As children, we:

• Put our parents on a pedestal
• Project our wants and needs onto them
• And do this for most of our adult lives

Failing to accept our parents for who they are.

2. The people in your life are a "hall of mirrors" for who you are

• If you're a dramatic person, you attract drama
• If you're an egomaniac, you attract egomaniacs
• If you're an insecure person, you attract insecure people

Like a magnet.

3. If you don't grow together, you grow apart

All relationships require nurturing on a consistent basis.

Otherwise, life pulls you apart.

• You change
• They change

Eventually, you don't recognize each other.

4. No one owes you a job

When you graduate from high school or college, nobody owes you a paycheck—that's a lie we've been told.

Your value to a company only exists so long as that company needs you.

5. Safety is an illusion

People spend their entire lives working jobs they hate chasing "safety."

So do entrepreneurs: "Once I make enough $$$, then I'll be safe."

These are lies we tell ourselves.

You never know what could happen.

6. Status symbols only work on people "below you"

• Nobody richer than you cares about your Rolex.
• Nobody happier than you cares how big your house is.
• Nobody smarter than you cares which university you went to.

Status symbols only impress the people who are easy to impress.

7. The purpose of life is to give your life purpose.

Some people view life as:

• A game
• An adventure
• A "waiting period between lives"

All of these are right.

Or none of them are.

Your life's purpose is yours to choose.

8. Your life story is the sum total of all your decisions.

Most people think they ARE someone in life—and they make decisions.

In reality, it's flipped:

You are no one. But with each decision you make, who you ARE becomes more and more developed.

Actions tell your story.

9. It's easier to be broke and guaranteed to fail—than rich and at risk of losing it all

• Responsibility scares people.
• Instead of accepting responsibility, most people defer it.

Better to know they are unhappy and complain vs try to fix it and fail.

—
📌 I confronted 1,000s of harsh truths (like these) every single morning while journaling.

This simple habit is how I make rapid progress in my: 

• Relationships
• Business
• Career
• Life

And after 15+ years, I'm revealing my ENTIRE system.

But it's ONLY available this week... doors close on December 1st!

Click here to grab your copy of Decision Journaling: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

Making money as a writer is rarely a "hard skill" problem.

Instead:

It's almost always a "faulty belief" problem.

You literally can't hit $20k/month because you don't believe it's possible.

But anything is possible if you fix these 8 faulty beliefs:

And once you do, writing your way to 6+ figures per year becomes simple.

In this video, these 8 writers were able to make a combined $258k per month:

—
📌 Want to start making money writing & scale to $100K/year in 2026?

Then join me on Tuesday, November 18th for my Write Your Way To Wealth 3-day LIVE challenge.

In just 72 hours, you'll learn how to:

• Charge a premium
• Land dream clients
• Make 6+ figures as a writer

Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eVyT_maj

PS—Want to watch the full video?

Search "These writers broke their faulty beliefs & got RICH" on YouTube to find it.

At 29, my first 7-figure business put me in the hospital.

6 years ago, I was:

• Working 10+ hour days
• Managing 23+ full-time employees
• Helping our team write for 80+ concurrent clients

The stress sent me to the emergency room with shingles.

These 13 painful mistakes caused this misery:

—
📌 Despite these mistakes...

I never stopped this little 30-minute habit:

Decision Journaling.

I've used this simple, daily practice for 15+ years to help me:

• Self-publish 11+ books
• Make the decision to quit my job
• Scale to $20,000,000 as a digital writer

Want my ENTIRE system to make rapid progress in your life, career, and business?

(You only have until Monday... doors close on December 1st!)

Get your copy of Decision Journaling here: https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

13 Painful Mistakes Scaling My First 7-Figure Business

5 uncomfortable truths nobody tells you about making your first $1M:

(I wish I'd learned these sooner)

1. "Slightly more money" in your 20s has a huge opportunity cost.

It's almost never worth it. 

In your 20s, you (likely) lack enough skill to make real money yet. 

So working 2x harder for that extra $2,000 is a waste. 

Just focus on learning. 

Because once you cross the threshold of "real skill" (likely in your 30s+), you'll make 10x or 100x that for a fraction of the effort. 

2. If someone is overconfident about an idea, they're more likely to fail.

Some pattern recognition I've built over the past decade is realizing:

• When someone is "sure" something is going to work, it probably won't.

• When someone can articulate the risks for why something won't work, and why they're going to try anyway, it probably will.

3. It always costs 2x as much, and takes 2x as long.

This has proven true over and over again in my life.

With any:

• Goal you set
• Status you want to gain
• Metric you want to chase

Remember this:

You should walk into it thinking, "This will probably take me way longer, and cost me way more than I'm currently anticipating."

If you're wrong, great. You'll appreciate that it got done faster/cheaper.

And if you're right, also great. You won't be caught off guard.

4. Intelligence has very little to do with financial success.

I know a lot of very smart, very accomplished, Ivy League people who can't figure out how to build anything on their own. 

And I know a lot of idiots who make millions of dollars a year. 

The differentiators are always:

• Effort, and how hard you're willing to work
• Ego, and your ability to get out of your own way
• Consistency, and how long you're willing to suffer for

5. The grass is always greener, but nothing in life is ever easy.

People love coming to uninformed conclusions about how "that person over there" has it easier. 

And it's almost never the case.

A mentor used to say to me, "You're going to have a bag of problems either way. You just get to pick the bag." 

No path in life is free of challenge/obstacle/pain/uncertainty. 

These are part of everything. 

So changing paths doesn't fix the problem. 

It's just a different bag of problems—but problems nonetheless.

Over the last 10+ years, I've generated $1M across 7+ writing business models:

• SaaS ($1m+)
• Consulting ($2m+)
• Paid Newsletter ($2m+)
• Ghostwriting agency ($5m+)
• Self-Published Books ($1m+)
• Cohort-Based Course ($3m+)
• Low-Ticket Digital Products ($2m+)
• High-Ticket Group Coaching ($10m+)

And the fastest way to make money as a writer:

Ghostwriting.

It's how I went from making $0/month as a freelance writer to hitting $20k/month in 60 days.

Want help landing your first (or next) high-paying client?

Click here to get a free, 5-day email course on how to get started: https://lnkd.in/ecq7Y7tn

The biggest mistake stopping freelance writers from making more $$$ online:

Writing "anything" for "anyone."

Clients want to pay you a premium—but only if you niche down.

Here's how:

—
📌 This 1 simple change is how my best friend and I landed our first 2 ghostwriting clients within 24 hours.

We went to a startup event.

And we kept repeating the same phrase to everyone:

"We run a ghostwriting agency that specializes in writing thought leadership articles for startup founders looking to raise their next round of funding."

The funny thing?

It worked—we left the event with our first client.

In the Uber ride home, our 2nd client emailed us to say "I'm in."

And in the next 18 months:

• We landed more clients
• Built a team of 20+ employees
• Scaled to over $2,000,000 in revenue.

This is the power of niching down as a ghostwriter.

And right now, demand for ghostwriters on LinkedIn is exploding.

Want some help making money as a LinkedIn Ghostwriter?

Then click here to grab a copy of The Art & Business of Ghostwriting: https://lnkd.in/exKMwacD

I’ve been journaling since I was a little kid. I don’t know why—it just always seemed like a fun thing to do.

But I started journaling “deliberately” in 2010.

I was going through a hard time (who isn’t at 19/20 years old?) and feeling really lost. 

I turned to journaling as a way to:

• Set goals
• Find clarity
• Better understand myself
• And hold myself accountable

I have been journaling (just about) every day ever since.

It has become a foundational part of my life and the way I make decisions. 

In fact, I can’t think of a single major decision I’ve made in the past decade that didn’t involve some amount of journaling.

I have easily written over 1,000,000 words JUST in my journals.

Most of my journals by the end of the year are 100,000+ words.

Multiplied by 10 years, and you get somewhere north of a million words. 

(This is not counting all the other writing I do, professionally. This is JUST journaling.)

So it’s safe to say… 

I’ve learned a thing or two about what it means to journal effectively.

Now, all that said, I don’t believe there is 1 “correct” way to journal.

In fact, my own journaling process has changed a lot over the past decade. 

And I continue to go through periods where I prefer a physical journal vs a digital journal, or where I prefer short-form journaling vs long-form journaling, etc. 

The point is: 

There is no 1 “correct” answer.

All that truly matters is that you make it a habit, and use journaling as a way to increase your self-awareness and productively make decisions in your life.

And if you want help building a lasting journaling habit, then get my new digital product, Decision Journaling.

These frameworks have helped me:

• Quit my low-paying ad agency job
• Move cities & start relationships
• Scale to $20,000,000 as a digital writer

Get your copy of Decision Journaling here (before doors close on Monday, December 1st): https://lnkd.in/emYcR_ET

500+ clients getting found on Google | Founder of Clapping Dog Media → The Transparent SEO Agency

If you’re only focused on ranking on Google, you’re already behind.

AI search doesn’t care about your page titles—it cares about your authority, your expertise, and how the internet talks about you.

If you’re a successful business owner, this might sound familiar:

You’re great at what you do. Your clients love you.
You’ve built something solid through word of mouth and referrals.

But now… growth feels stuck.

You’re not reaching new people who need you — because they don’t even know you exist.

So you tried to fix it:
➡️ Running ads — expensive, inconsistent, and underwhelming.
➡️ Hiring for SEO — but you weren’t sure what they did, and didn’t see results.
➡️ Posting Reels, Shorts, or TikToks — but it felt forced and inauthentic.

Still, nothing’s moving the needle. And referrals? They’re slowing down.

The truth:
It’s not you.
You’re just invisible in the new search landscape.

Because today, it’s not just Google deciding who gets found.
It’s AI-powered search systems — tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Bing Copilot — that surface the most trusted sources.

👋 Hi, I’m Meg — Founder of Clapping Dog Media.

For over a decade, I’ve helped 500+ small and local businesses become discoverable online.
From Orthodontists and Therapists to Design and Build Firms and Landscapers — I help experts like you be found everywhere people search.

At Clapping Dog Media, we build AI + Google Visibility Systems that future-proof your reach.
Our approach is transparent, collaborative, and proven to get results like:

🔥 Ranking on Page 1 for Sarah Seven’s main keyword
🔥 40+ new patients a month for Manhattan Valley Pediatrics
🔥 37% increase in organic traffic in 2 months for BirthFit

When your business is recognized as the expert — by both people and AI — everything changes.
Leads flow in. Visibility compounds. Growth feels easy again.

If you’re ready to be found everywhere people search —
let’s map out your AI + Google Visibility Plan today.

Meg Clarke

My business is changing… and this time, it’s not just me changing it.

Sometimes we evolve because we want to.
Other times the industry forces our hand.
Right now, it’s both.
And instead of downplaying it (because yes, I get self-conscious about “always changing”) — I’m leaning all the way in.

Here’s the pattern I’m seeing with my business and my clients:
📌 We want more visibility
 📌 We want more of the right clients
 📌 We want “growth” (money? clients? team? time back? all of the above?)

But at the same time… we’re exhausted.

The world is bananas.
Marketing is in constant flux — what used to work doesn’t.
Systems are duct-taped together.
We’re doing all of the things, but none of it particularly well.

It becomes quiet self-sabotage.

This was real for me ⬇️
 “I want new clients… but I don’t actually have the bandwidth for more.”
 “I want to grow… but everything feels too hard and I don’t want to hire.”

That gap — the desire for growth and the heaviness underneath —
 is what pushed me to rethink ...everything.

And that led me somewhere completely new:
I’m no longer just doing SEO.
I’m no longer just doing AI visibility.
I’m no longer just building systems.
I’m merging all three — because that’s what actually works.

This convergence has allowed me to get more clients,
charge more money,
and (the kicker)… have more time.

➡️ SEO helps Google understand who you are.
➡️ AI SEO helps ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity understand who you are.
➡️ AI systems help your business deliver at the level your clients expect — while giving you your time back.

Plus… building AI into your business systems is really fun.

This is how you attract more of the right clients —
and support them without burning out.

My business isn’t just changing.
It’s upleveling.

I Help Local Businesses Get Found on Google + AI | Founder, Clapping Dog Media | Trusted by 500+ Local Businesses

AI can feel overwhelming—until you try this.

Every evening, I take the dogs for a long walk, pop in my earbuds, and talk to Sofie (my AI assistant).

Using voice mode in ChatGPT, I just… talk.

Yesterday we mapped out a new offer. Over the weekend? We identified gaps in my boundaries and processes.

The more I use it, the more useful it becomes—especially as an oral processor.
If AI has felt too technical or impersonal for you… try walking and talking. It’s shockingly good.

What’s one surprisingly human way you’re using AI?


----------
👏🏼 Hi. I am Meg. For the last zillion years I have helped clients grow their organic traffic. Now, I am helping clients get recommended by AI and using AI to make their marketing fun and delightful.

AI helps people trust you.
Google helps people find you.
The future of SEO isn’t about rankings —
it’s about being recommended.
Here’s how “AI Visibility” flips the playbook 👇

Two business owners start exploring AI.

One experiments fearlessly — trying tools, learning fast, making messy progress.

The other waits until it’s “safe,” “proven,” or “perfect.”

A year later, guess which one’s ahead?

Recent studies show that women are 25% less likely to adopt AI tools than men.
Not because we can’t. Not because we don’t understand it.

But because we’ve been taught to be cautious — to wait until it’s ready.

⏰ AI isn’t waiting.

It’s already reshaping how businesses operate, how teams are managed, and how leaders make decisions.

And if we sit on the sidelines, we miss the chance to shape it our way.

We have an opportunity — not just to use AI, but to lead with it:
 • Streamline the parts of work that slow us down
 • Empower our teams with smarter tools and sharper insights
 • Create products and services that serve our customers more deeply and efficiently

AI doesn’t replace your creativity, empathy, or vision.
It amplifies them — if you let it.

So my message to every woman running a business:
Don’t shy away from AI.
Own it. Learn it. Shape it.

Use it not just to improve your workflow, but to lift your people, sharpen your strategy, and strengthen your impact.

Because when women lead with AI — we make technology more human.

📌  this is the conversation every woman-led business should be having.

Want to show up when people ask ChatGPT who’s best near me? — Start here.

Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are quietly becoming the new local recommendation engines.

They read your website, your reviews, and your reputation — and decide who to recommend.

Here are 10 quick, no-code ways to help them pick you 👇

1️⃣ Update your Google Business Profile
Make sure your name, address, hours, and reviews are accurate. AI tools pull this data first.
2️⃣ Add a FAQ section to your website
Answer 5–7 questions your customers actually ask (AI loves Q&A formats).
3️⃣ Use plain language on your site
Say “We’re a family dentist in Denver” instead of “We provide comprehensive oral health solutions.”
4️⃣ Add ‘LocalBusiness’ schema
If you’re on WordPress, use Yoast or RankMath to add this — it helps AI confirm your location and services.
5️⃣ Mention your city and service area naturally
In your homepage copy, footer, and blog posts — e.g. “Serving families in Leesburg and Loudoun County.”
6️⃣ Get a few new Google reviews this month
Bonus points if reviewers mention your service and city by name (“Best yoga studio in Reston!”).
7️⃣ Add an “About Our Team” page
Include real names, credentials, and photos — AI uses this to verify expertise.
8️⃣ Write one blog post that answers a real buyer question
Example: “What should I look for in a pediatric dentist?” or “How much does lawn care cost in Northern Virginia?”
9️⃣ Link out to credible sources
Google — and AI — see you as more trustworthy when you cite other reputable sites.
🔟 List your business on 2–3 local directories
Think Yelp, Nextdoor, local Chamber pages. AI models check those listings for validation.

You don’t need to “chase” AI — just make it easier for it to trust and understand you.

💾 Save this post as your “AI Visibility Checklist”
🔁 Share it with a local business owner who needs to see this


---------
Hi. I am Meg. If you are worried that you are going to get lost in AI Visibility, follow along. I will help you be found.

In a year, you won’t ask “How do I get my business to rank on Google?”
You’ll ask your AI assistant to do it for you.


A few weeks ago, I sat in an AI marketing conference — and my brain exploded. 

I’ve been in SEO for more than a decade, helping dentists, therapists, and clinics get found online.

And for the first time, I realized:

AI isn’t just changing how we do SEO — it’s changing who does it.

Soon, every business will have its own personal AI assistant trained on its website, brand voice, and client base.

At the conference, I watched someone build one live.

They uploaded their content, tone guide, and service list.

Within minutes, the assistant could:
✅ Write a blog that sounded exactly like them
✅ Generate Google Business Profile updates
✅ Respond to FAQs with perfect accuracy
✅ Suggest local keywords patients actually search

And just like that — the “SEO to-do list” became a conversation with your own AI.

Here’s what this means for local businesses:
1️⃣ You’ll spend less time guessing what to post — your assistant will tell you.
2️⃣ You’ll finally sound consistent across your website, blog, and Google listing.
3️⃣ You’ll show up more often — because AI will optimize every word for visibility.

For agencies like mine, this means shifting from “doing SEO for you” → to “building tools that think like you.”

We’ll teach your AI assistant how to represent your practice online — your tone, your services, your values.

The question isn’t if you’ll use AI to grow your local visibility.
It’s how personally trained your AI assistant will be.

AI isn’t just changing search — it’s changing how people find local businesses.
When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini:

“Who’s the best yoga studio near me?”
“Top dentists in Leesburg?”

AI doesn’t guess.

It pulls from Google Business Profiles — the same listings you may have set up years ago (and haven’t touched since 😬).

If it’s complete, current, and consistent, AI tools can confidently recommend you.

Update Google Business Profile

The real power is in training your Custom GPT to think like your brand —
to understand your clients, your tone, and the way you solve problems.

Here’s how I do it 👇

Step 1: Give it a brain.
Upload your frameworks — your client questionnaires, onboarding docs, SEO process checklists, tone guidelines.

This becomes your AI’s internal “playbook.”

Step 2: Give it a role.
Instead of one GPT doing everything, I build an org chart of assistants:
“Content Planner” → Generates blog + social calendars.
“Proposal Writer” → Drafts client-ready proposals in your voice.
“SEO Checker” → Reviews content for search intent + schema.
“Report Generator” → Builds client summaries and AI visibility reports.

Step 3: Connect them.
Let them talk to each other.
Your Content Planner references your SEO Checker before publishing.
Your Proposal Writer references your Report Generator for results.
It’s like running a full agency — but without meetings, Slack pings, or sick days.

Analogy:
Think of it like your dream team:
everyone knows their role, everyone speaks your language,
and everyone shows up on time.


-------------------------
👏🏼 Hi. I am Meg. I build custom GPTs for my business and I can train you how to do it too.  Send me a DM and let's get started.

Custom GPTs

6 Pain Points Local Businesses Have with AI Search (and How to Fix Them)

Here are the 6 biggest challenges:

1️⃣ “We used to show up on Google — now traffic is down.”
AI assistants answer questions without clicks.
Even if you rank #1, fewer people visit your site.
💡 Fix: Optimize for mentions, not just rankings.
Add clear “who/what/where” statements so AI can quote or recommend you.

2️⃣ “ChatGPT doesn’t even know we exist.”
AI relies on structured, trusted data — like Google Business Profiles, schema, and reviews.
💡 Fix: Make sure your profile is fully filled out and add LocalBusiness schema so AI can “read” your info.

3️⃣ “We can’t track AI traffic.”
There’s no “ChatGPT Analytics” (yet).
💡 Fix: Watch proxy metrics —
Conversational queries in GSC
Branded search growth
“Direct” traffic increases
Screenshots of AI mentions

4️⃣ “Our competitors keep getting mentioned.”
AI favors trusted, well-cited businesses.
💡 Fix: Build digital trust: earn reviews, local press, citations, and links from credible sites (e.g., Chamber of Commerce, community blogs).

5️⃣ “We don’t know what content works for AI.”
AI tools pull from helpful, conversational content — not fluff.
💡 Fix: Create content that answers real questions:
“What should I look for in a family dentist?”
“How much does lawn care cost in Leesburg?”

6️⃣ “It’s one more thing to manage.”
You’re already keeping up with Google, reviews, and social — now AI feels like another algorithm.
💡 Fix: Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Just make your existing SEO work AI-friendly: clearer copy, FAQs, consistent data, updated profiles.

💬 The bottom line:
AI search isn’t replacing Google —
it’s layering on top of it.
If Google helps people find you,
AI helps them choose you.

💾 Save this post to share with your clients. Click the bell so you don't miss a tip.

It was such a fun conversation with Kari Lotzien. Grateful for the chance to break down what’s actually working for small business visibility right now—especially with AI changing the landscape so quickly. Thanks again for having me!

Business & Leadership Coach, Podcast Host, Occupational Therapist. I help small business owners build and scale without getting up at 5am or constantly multitasking. Private executive coaching and leadership training.

It’s here! New episode now LIVE! 🎙️
I sat down with SEO and AI visibility expert Meg Clarke of Clapping Dog Media to unpack what’s actually working in online visibility right now and how AI is changing the game for small businesses.

In this episode:
→ Why AI rewards clarity & consistency
→ How to get your business recommended by tools like ChatGPT
→ Why your personal Instagram might be confusing your brand
→ The SEO strategies that matter in 2025 (and what to ditch)
→ How to use custom GPTs to get your time back

If you’re tired of chasing algorithms and want a visibility strategy that feels human, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now: https://tr.ee/TZuYlFSNe_

#BeTheAnchor #SmallBusinessMarketing #AIandSEO #DigitalVisibility #WomenInBusiness #BusinessMindset #ThoughtLeadership #EntrepreneurLife #LeadershipPodcast #AI

For 10+ years, Google was the star of the show.

That has totally changed:
➡️ AI Overviews are replacing Google results
➡️ ChatGPT + Gemini are recommending businesses
➡️ The buyer journey is now happening in the dark funnel

So in 2026, I’m launching something new:

A fully integrated SEO → AI Search → AI Ecosystem service.

Think:
 Getting recommended by AI
 Solid SEO foundations
 Custom GPTs + automations to support your business growth
 A marketing system that supports you 24/7

It’s empowering, fun, and leveled up — without being out of reach.

But I don't know what to call this service.  
I need help. 
Visibility is a weird word. Isn't it? Or no?
I don't like all of the acronyms (AEO, AISEO...) 

Share your favorite or add another idea in the comments.

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Raise your hand if your whole life is also managed in Asana? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Asana just announced Asana for ChatGPT, a new integration that lets you plan tasks, manage projects, and check on work status directly inside ChatGPT.

Starting December 15, users can authenticate their Asana account and stay fully in the flow—no tab switching, no friction. 🙌

For admins, this is an optional app integration (not part of Asana AI), and you can manage org-wide access in your Admin Console or opt out if needed.

Want the full details? 

Check out Asana’s Help Center for the breakdown.
Loving how tools like Asana continue to build bridges between productivity and AI.

I used AI way more than I expected over Thanksgiving…
including to save my bread!

On Thanksgiving, I was baking two loaves of sour dough(ish) bread before heading to my sister Molly’s house for dinner, and halfway through I realized I had completely forgotten to fold the dough.

If you bake bread, you know this is… not great.
(Folding = airy, structured, delicious.
 Not folding = a mystery loaf.)

So I asked ChatGPT:

“What happens if I forget to fold the dough in Ken Forkish’s Saturday White Bread recipe?”

And it gave me an actual, sensible, cross-referenced answer.

The result?

Warm, golden, perfectly delicious bread that made me look like I had my life together.

(Read: I did not.)

AI isn’t just for “work.”
It’s a really useful, practical tool for everyday life AND business growth.

So this week, I launched something new:
📣 My weekly newsletter: Found by AI
Every Sunday, I share one simple, non-technical AI tip to help you:
Get found by ChatGPT + Google’s AI Overviews
Improve your visibility
And use AI in ways that actually make life easier

If you’re curious how AI can actually make your work and life smoother—not more complicated—you can subscribe here:

Open article: Sign up and get a custom website review by clappingdogmedia.com

taplio

The Battle

Nicolas Cole 🚢👻

Meg Clarke

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreNicolas Cole 🚢👻's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMeg Clarke's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Nicolas Cole 🚢👻

Meg Clarke

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nicolas Cole 🚢👻's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMeg Clarke's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNicolas Cole 🚢👻's LinkedIn Performance