My 5 first ever discovery calls with mental performance coaches could’ve gone smoother had I understood one big idea hiding in plain sight.

It came from the book Read, Write, Own by Chris Dixon which I heard about on the How I Write podcast.

I was immediately intrigued by the author’s description of how the internet has moved through different phases. Part reflection and part prediction is what’s made the book interesting so far. In only a couple of pages, there’s an insight that’s transformed my approach when talking to mental performance coaches that are scaling their services and using digital assets to do so.

It’s a simple, but overlooked idea at that.

Here’s the big idea:

Most people are online to learn something new.

What are you scrolling for? Novelty. Something that captures your attention and hopefully changes your fortunes for the better.

And that’s the opportunity coaches can’t forget about.

I can’t tell you how many training sites I’ve bookmarked or newsletters I’ve signed up for as a sports coach.

Topics range from various practice drills, strength and conditioning exercises/info, leadership, mindset...you name it. I want to do my job to the best of my ability and what supplements that is learning from others. When a coach clearly puts a lot of thought behind their content, its like a magnet pulling you closer.

Just by exploring their curiosities and reporting what they find goes a long way in building credibility too.

The internet has expanded your ability to reach and connect with those that find what you share interesting and useful.

According to Statista, as of the third quarter of 2024, internet users spent 6 hours and 38 minutes online daily. Daily. Yes, daily. While not all 6+ hours are spent researching, a considerably large chunk of time is spent consuming information.

That's a lot of noise and distraction to be sure.

There's many people trying to find refuge from this onslaught of distractions. A couple of trusted sources and ways to consume is all they need to avoid the anxiety and hyperactivity that can result from being too online. This can come in the form of newsletters instead of their social media feed for instance.

Which has made my approach to building email courses and newsletters run through a very important filter:

How actionable is this for the reader?

The goal is to give them steps they can take, mistakes they should avoid, so that tomorrow the reader can do something they couldn’t do yesterday.

Whether you’re writing content, giving a presentation, or coaching a client, the question is the same: Can someone do something tomorrow that they couldn’t do today because of what you shared? Information is abundant. But helping people take what they’ve learned and put it into action is where the value is.

For example, if someone has a routine they can count on to mange their fears for public speaking, you have infinitely made that person’s life better.

But it’s easy for coaches to lose sight of what’s in it for the reader when they’re too focused on themselves.

I had a mental performance coach once tell me that one of the easiest traps coaches, consultants, and service providers fall into is focusing on what they want to say instead of what the other person needs to hear.

Not because they’re selfish, but because they get so close to the product or service that signals are lost in favor of the ‘best color scheme.’

As a result, the opportunity for connection is lost all because they focused on details that didn’t matter at the end of the day. If you’re able to get another set of eyes on your work--do it. It can help keep you on track with what your core message is. And if you’re not sure what your core message is, test your thoughts in small ways publicly.

It can help ensure you’re not building the wrong thing.

Because your audience will tell you if you’re on the right track or not.

All of this took time to understand, but I’ve felt a shift to how I’ve approached my own work and the work I’ve done with others.

One of the best email courses I did with a mental performance coach was because it was so grounded in action without forgetting why people are online in the first place.

To learn.

Whether you’re just beginning to get your words out into the world or starting to monetize, its worth it to remember that people are interested, they do care, and what you have to offer is valuable as long as you keep the audience and their needs at the forefront of whatever you’re building.

So the question I have for you:

What’s one newsletter, coach, or creator you keep coming back to? And what keeps you there?

Reply and let me know. I read every response, and love hearing from you.

As always, thanks for reading.
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Until next time,
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- Marcus W.