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I’m really embarrassed that I threw my soul into the content meat grinder for over a decade, even though all it did was fling me into paralyzing burnout + crippling self-doubt.

I wholeheartedly believed the great Internet Prophecy: More content = more money.

Post every day, be everywhere all the time, and money will start raining from the heavens like confetti on New Year’s Eve.

And by “raining,” they mean possibly trickling… but only if you also figure out SEO, hashtags, algorithms, trends, have thousands to spend a month in ads, and look cool sitting on the hood of your Lambo in your sales videos.

Spoiler alert: I fed that fucking Content Monster everything I had—my creativity, my kid's first years, my sleep, my sanity, my will to live—and it just laughed in my face, patted me on the head, and told me to “trust the process” while it stole my lunch money.

I spent so much time creating content for “visibility” that I became invisible to my kindreds, friends, family, and SELF. Was I an entrepreneur or an Instagram thought leader with zero actual thoughts left?? Couldn’t tell ya.

The Content Monster didn’t just eat my time + steal my money. It left me emotionally bankrupt + spiritually overdrawn. All for a couple of “Wow, great post!” comments from bots + a bunch of people sliding into my DMs trying to sell me coaching services. Thriving my ass!

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Here’s the truth the Marketing Cult Guru Pipeline doesn't want us to realize:

Most of us don’t get clients from content.

We get them from people.

Real, living, breathing, complex AF humans who say things like, “Trust me, they’re the only person I’d go to for this,” or, “I can’t even explain it. Just trust me. They’re it.”

Word of mouth, baby–it’s the OG solopreneur strategy.

It’s like the human version of a viral TikTok, but without all the pointing and dancing.

Referrals, recommendations, shout outs, shares, forwards... oh my!

Your kindreds tell their kindreds, and those kindreds tell theirs, and before you know it, you’re working with people you actually like… instead of sacrificing your soul to the algorithm gods in exchange for three pity likes and a “Hey boss, you open to biz opportunities?” DM.

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Begging the algorithm for scraps is not a business plan.

Referrals are like the VIP pass to Connection Town.

No awkward introductions.

​No desperate “please like me” vibes. ​

Just a genuine, heartfelt, unsolicited, “Listen, I would trust this person with my WiFi password and my last slice of pizza. That’s how good they are.”

It’s a straight shot to what we actually want: working with kindreds who get us, without the spirit-crushing constant content churn.

The Content Monster wants you to spend your entire existence churning out videos, blogs, tweets, carousels, and emails, hoping someone—anyone—will notice, click, and check out.

Referrals? They happen while you’re nerding out over ideas with a kindred spirit who turns out to be your best collaboration yet.

I’m not saying you should delete Instagram + live in a treehouse in the woods. I mean, that’s what I did, so if that’s your vibe… send pics… “forest porn” is my guilty pleasure.

Content can be fun, therapeutic… even (GASP!) helpful… if it’s done in a way that feels good to you. But if you’re cranking out posts because you think it’s the only way to make money? Buttercup, let’s talk.

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​The Hot Dog Cart Analogy You KNEW Was Coming 🤷‍♀️

You launched your hot dog cart.

Your dawgs are amazing.

People line up around the block to get them.

They tell all their friends how delicious they are + how awesome YOU are, and soon you’re the talk of the town.

One day, this asshat with veneers comes up to you and tells you that if you want to sell MORE hot dogs, you just need to spend an extra 10 hours a day yelling into a megaphone about how great they are.

You’re like, “But people already like my hot dogs?” And they’re like, “NO. YELL MORE. LOUDER.” So you do it. And instead of selling more dawgs, you just lose your voice + scare away the customers who already love you + your dawgs.

Your business isn’t about the megaphone.

It’s about the hot dogs. (I really hope this analogy is working because now I’m hungry.)

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Fuck the Content Monster—we’re here for the fun money & good vibes.

When you UNlearn the “more content = more money” prophecy, you make space for a feel-good life + business full of all the shit you actually want—health, happiness, connection, and fun money racking up.

You skip the time-sucking, soul-crushing BS that comes with feeding the Content Monster + get right to the heart of your business—the people (a.k.a. Your kindreds).

And the best part? Algorithms change, trends come and go, but a solid relationship? That’s forever. Connections don’t expire! They grow deeper.

We don’t need all this fucking content to make money.

We need CONNECTION.

So let’s remember why we became solopreneurs in the first place: to do the shit we love, making a difference for the people we love, as we create a fun, feel-good business that supports our fun, feel-good life.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go enjoy my fun, feel-good life now. You should too. The content monster will be fine without us.

I think I’ll start by making an aggressively large snack + doing something that has nothing to do with business. Highly recommend.

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To logging off, touching grass, and somehow making more money doing less,

Dre ‘Referral Happy’ Beltrami

P.S. I livestreamed for the first time EVER!! Oh, what a giant, hilarious mess. It was one hell of a 7 minutes. 🤣
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