When I first started helping people with video content, I targeted CPAs and accountants.
In hindsight, it seems misguided, but back then, the logic was solid.
The potential for growth was undeniable: hardly anyone in their field was marketing effectively.
It was an open lane to become #1 almost immediately.
But here’s what I realized: while many claimed to be interested, the commitment wasn’t there.
Even those who seemed keen would drop off quickly, citing reasons like, “Marketing doesn’t work for our industry,” or “I’m too busy,” after barely getting started.
I tried to be encouraging, but at a certain point, I had to face reality—I wasn’t going to break through in this industry.
Eventually, I stopped offering services to CPAs and accountants altogether.
Ironically, they still reach out the most, often looking for free advice and rarely following through.
Now, when a CPA books a call, I cut to the chase, explaining that I don’t work with CPAs and why.
I keep an eye out for anyone who might stand out, but most conversations confirm it’s not the right fit.
It’s no offense to CPAs—everyone has their strengths.
But focusing where my work is valued has been transformative.
Just today, I had a call where I could lay out my value clearly and see it reciprocated.
Lesson learned: don’t force-fit your product to an audience that isn’t ready.
Validate early, and put your energy where it truly matters.
I love building things and solving problems—that's what really drives me. Selling?
It’s necessary, but not my main focus.
I do it because, well, life costs money, but creating solutions is what I enjoy most.
When I’m excited about something I’ve built, selling feels natural.
I believe in the product, and that makes it easy to share with others.
But when I’m less excited, I tend to sell less, and of course, make less money.
The thing is, being aware of this pattern is important.
If you can build selling into your routine—whether you feel like it or not—you’ll see more consistent results.
A steady business needs steady sales, and when you have ups and downs in revenue, it’s often because you weren’t consistent with your sales efforts a few months earlier.
It’s just the way it works.
You have to sell regularly, even during the slower times, to keep things on track.
The results of your efforts today might not show up for a couple of months, so the question is: do you have a few months to wait? And can you handle the ups and downs that come with it?
If the answer is no, then the solution is simple: sell all the time, no matter what.
If you're overwhelmed with building automations, learning new skills, getting clients, making money... Read on...
It often comes down with just not knowing what to do or having too many options.
And oftentimes that comes from having too big a goal that isn't specific enough.
Sometimes people come to me "wanting to scale content to every platform." (yet they aren't publishing content at all yet)
They look to automation to solve their problem of scale, but truthfully the real problem is they don't know how to create content yet. They are trying to skip important steps in the process.
Automations require a lot of specificity, automations are not vague. You know what I mean—you need to connect every module, every field, every little nut and bolt or it will not work.
To do that you need to know the non-automated process quite well first.
The best automators in any given industry know the industry well. Good content automation experts make a lot of content. They have made a lot of workflows, all manually first.
So automating all your content without being a regular content creator is very difficult.
Mainly because what you want isn't truly defined, so when you go to build it, you don't really know what to build.
Even if you know Make, and the modules that you need, you don't really know the workflow you need. You don't know all the little tiny connections to make in order to complete the automation.
This causes overwhelm... "if I could just finish this I'd be up and running"... right?
Wrong.
If you want to scale content creation it comes from first creating content.
You don't need any automation to publish a video or post a text post.
I know that sounds weird coming from me, and maybe not as fun.
But it's true.
Business growth comes from people seeing your content, not from content automation.
Sure, once you install the automations it's great, but it works best with workflows you execute manually ALREADY.
So the order of operations is actually 👇
Start creating content first, make good content on a regular basis. Then automate that 1 workflow. You'll be able to lay down more automation more easily with that baseline understanding of how content really flows vs it being something vague in your mind.
The same goes for business, reaching income goals.
Make the goals more concrete, more specific
Isolate those goals into smaller defined tasks
Keep reducing the scope (the size of the project) until the overwhelm is gone
Start chipping away at it
We often look to gurus and coaches to solve these problems for us. But oftentimes this is the only thing they really do for us, reduce overwhelm. Yes it's nice to have someone help us (and I'm here to do so), but we can do these things on our own.
But you have to slow down sometimes and reduce the size of the project into a small enough chunk that you can execute without seeing too many options.
It's hard because sometimes it makes you focus on things you don't want to do, like making content, or reaching out to a potential client, etc.
Quality over quantity, always. Your content shouldn’t just be "good enough"—it should stand out.
A lot of people settle for average because they're squeezing content creation into an already hectic schedule.
They rush through podcasts or videos without putting in the effort they deserve, and it shows in the results.
I’ve been guilty of this too—trying to save time but ending up sacrificing quality. It’s a trap that leaves you feeling disappointed.
It’s okay to put out content that isn’t perfect sometimes, but only if you recognize that and commit to getting better.
Consistency is key for building momentum, but it’s not an excuse to crank out mediocre work.
Think of it like this: each piece of content should be worth at least $5 in value. If it doesn’t feel like it’s delivering, it’s time to step up.
From my YouTube experience, I’ve learned that the more time I invest in my video, the better the response. There’s a direct link between the effort you put in and the engagement you get.
Don’t hold yourself back from reaching your full potential just because you’re not giving it your all.
What if the breakthrough you’re looking for is just a tweak away?
Aim for both quality and consistency—the payoff is real.
Two things made a major difference in my YouTube Channel in 2024.
One was a spike that didn't last, was fun, but did little to change my channel longterm.
The second was a new strategy that everyone talks about but no one does.
SPIKE #1 in the graph below—Alex Hormozi announces he invested in Skool—all my Skool videos blew up!
SUSTAINED GROWTH in the graph below—The give it away strategy. Make a video that gives everything away. (And if you can) one that no one else can create. That's all I changed, and it made all the difference.
Stephen G. Pope
Stephen G. Pope
When I first started helping people with video content, I targeted CPAs and accountants.
In hindsight, it seems misguided, but back then, the logic was solid.
The potential for growth was undeniable: hardly anyone in their field was marketing effectively.
It was an open lane to become #1 almost immediately.
But here’s what I realized: while many claimed to be interested, the commitment wasn’t there.
Even those who seemed keen would drop off quickly, citing reasons like, “Marketing doesn’t work for our industry,”
or “I’m too busy,” after barely getting started.
I tried to be encouraging, but at a certain point, I had to face reality—I wasn’t going to break through in this industry.
Eventually, I stopped offering services to CPAs and accountants altogether.
Ironically, they still reach out the most, often looking for free advice and rarely following through.
Now, when a CPA books a call, I cut to the chase, explaining that I don’t work with CPAs and why.
I keep an eye out for anyone who might stand out, but most conversations confirm it’s not the right fit.
It’s no offense to CPAs—everyone has their strengths.
But focusing where my work is valued has been transformative.
Just today, I had a call where I could lay out my value clearly and see it reciprocated.
Lesson learned: don’t force-fit your product to an audience that isn’t ready.
Validate early, and put your energy where it truly matters.
2 days ago | [YT] | 22
View 2 replies
Stephen G. Pope
In a world where everyone has to put on a persona that they know everything.
(Especially in the marketing space)
Are you secure enough in what you DO KNOW to ask the other basic questions that you DO NOT?
It's hard to solve your problems if you're not first willing to admit you don't know.
Or if you're afraid it will make you look less than.
These dynamics create baggage in our heads and keep us stuck.
People will judge you (for a split second) when they see your question.
But they will forget shortly after.
And who really cares anyway what User4563 thinks or says?
Either way you'll have the last laugh as you speed past them in the long run.
3 days ago | [YT] | 13
View 1 reply
Stephen G. Pope
I love building things and solving problems—that's what really drives me.
Selling?
It’s necessary, but not my main focus.
I do it because, well, life costs money, but creating solutions is what I enjoy most.
When I’m excited about something I’ve built, selling feels natural.
I believe in the product, and that makes it easy to share with others.
But when I’m less excited, I tend to sell less, and of course, make less money.
The thing is, being aware of this pattern is important.
If you can build selling into your routine—whether you feel like it or not—you’ll see more consistent results.
A steady business needs steady sales, and when you have ups and downs in revenue, it’s often because you weren’t consistent with your sales efforts a few months earlier.
It’s just the way it works.
You have to sell regularly, even during the slower times, to keep things on track.
The results of your efforts today might not show up for a couple of months, so the question is: do you have a few months to wait? And can you handle the ups and downs that come with it?
If the answer is no, then the solution is simple: sell all the time, no matter what.
4 days ago | [YT] | 21
View 1 reply
Stephen G. Pope
The idea that you can scale a business with little experience is misleading and does more harm than good.
Sure, some people can market themselves into short-term success without much substance, but they’re the exception, not the rule.
Most of us need a solid foundation, not quick fixes.
There’s so much noise online from “experts” telling you to do this one thing for success.
It’s confusing and overwhelming.
I used to save every strategy I came across in a database, but it was a waste of time.
I spent hours sifting through advice I never used.
Now, I keep it simple: focus on my goals and solve one problem at a time.
I don’t get distracted by noise.
The real game-changer was developing a mission and vision.
It’s not something you craft perfectly in one go; it evolves.
But having it helps filter out distractions and gives you clarity on what matters.
A mission doesn’t need to be perfect, but it should excite and challenge you.
Talk about it with others, refine it over time, and live it.
It’s what keeps you grounded, especially when things get tough or distractions come your way.
For me, a strong mission is key to long-term success and personal peace—it’s what keeps everything in perspective.
5 days ago | [YT] | 22
View 3 replies
Stephen G. Pope
It's easy to look for others to solve our problems.
And there are plenty of people that will take your money to solve it. But will they?
And sometimes we all need help. That's true.
But what if that elusive dream was just one honest assessment of yourself away.
We often know the problems we have. But we can't sit long enough in a quiet place to assess it.
Maybe we're too distracted, in denial or whatever it might be.
Give yourself a shot as the answer to your own problem.
Bet on you. No one else will.
6 days ago | [YT] | 22
View 1 reply
Stephen G. Pope
If you're overwhelmed with building automations, learning new skills, getting clients, making money... Read on...
It often comes down with just not knowing what to do or having too many options.
And oftentimes that comes from having too big a goal that isn't specific enough.
Sometimes people come to me "wanting to scale content to every platform."
(yet they aren't publishing content at all yet)
They look to automation to solve their problem of scale, but truthfully the real problem is they don't know how to create content yet. They are trying to skip important steps in the process.
Automations require a lot of specificity, automations are not vague. You know what I mean—you need to connect every module, every field, every little nut and bolt or it will not work.
To do that you need to know the non-automated process quite well first.
The best automators in any given industry know the industry well. Good content automation experts make a lot of content. They have made a lot of workflows, all manually first.
So automating all your content without being a regular content creator is very difficult.
Mainly because what you want isn't truly defined, so when you go to build it, you don't really know what to build.
Even if you know Make, and the modules that you need, you don't really know the workflow you need. You don't know all the little tiny connections to make in order to complete the automation.
This causes overwhelm... "if I could just finish this I'd be up and running"... right?
Wrong.
If you want to scale content creation it comes from first creating content.
You don't need any automation to publish a video or post a text post.
I know that sounds weird coming from me, and maybe not as fun.
But it's true.
Business growth comes from people seeing your content, not from content automation.
Sure, once you install the automations it's great, but it works best with workflows you execute manually ALREADY.
So the order of operations is actually 👇
Start creating content first, make good content on a regular basis. Then automate that 1 workflow. You'll be able to lay down more automation more easily with that baseline understanding of how content really flows vs it being something vague in your mind.
The same goes for business, reaching income goals.
Make the goals more concrete, more specific
Isolate those goals into smaller defined tasks
Keep reducing the scope (the size of the project) until the overwhelm is gone
Start chipping away at it
We often look to gurus and coaches to solve these problems for us. But oftentimes this is the only thing they really do for us, reduce overwhelm. Yes it's nice to have someone help us (and I'm here to do so), but we can do these things on our own.
But you have to slow down sometimes and reduce the size of the project into a small enough chunk that you can execute without seeing too many options.
It's hard because sometimes it makes you focus on things you don't want to do, like making content, or reaching out to a potential client, etc.
1 week ago | [YT] | 79
View 12 replies
Stephen G. Pope
Quality over quantity, always. Your content shouldn’t just be "good enough"—it should stand out.
A lot of people settle for average because they're squeezing content creation into an already hectic schedule.
They rush through podcasts or videos without putting in the effort they deserve, and it shows in the results.
I’ve been guilty of this too—trying to save time but ending up sacrificing quality. It’s a trap that leaves you feeling disappointed.
It’s okay to put out content that isn’t perfect sometimes, but only if you recognize that and commit to getting better.
Consistency is key for building momentum, but it’s not an excuse to crank out mediocre work.
Think of it like this: each piece of content should be worth at least $5 in value. If it doesn’t feel like it’s delivering, it’s time to step up.
From my YouTube experience, I’ve learned that the more time I invest in my video, the better the response. There’s a direct link between the effort you put in and the engagement you get.
Don’t hold yourself back from reaching your full potential just because you’re not giving it your all.
What if the breakthrough you’re looking for is just a tweak away?
Aim for both quality and consistency—the payoff is real.
1 week ago | [YT] | 15
View 2 replies
Stephen G. Pope
The idea that you can scale a business from nothing with little experience isn't just misleading—it does a real disservice to people.
Yes, some can market their way to success without a solid product, but most can't.
The internet amplifies this problem, with countless voices telling you what you need to do.
The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all formula.
For me, I stopped paying attention to the noise.
I used to track every tactic and strategy, only to realize most of it didn’t apply.
Now, I focus on my goals, my current blocker, and nothing more.
That clarity came when I started building a mission and vision for the world I want to create.
It’s not a shortcut; it’s a filter.
It helps me keep my attention on what matters.
1 week ago | [YT] | 37
View 6 replies
Stephen G. Pope
Here's how we create, produce and distribute 100+ pieces of content per week.
Creating content at scale is hard.
You need a solid team, processes and an automated system.
Without it a lot of the possibilities for your content will go unused.
You’re probably creating more content that you actually need.
Merely because it takes too much time to thoughtfully process it.
When you implement a system it’s easy because most of the tedious things are taken care of.
1 week ago | [YT] | 11
View 1 reply
Stephen G. Pope
Two things made a major difference in my YouTube Channel in 2024.
One was a spike that didn't last, was fun, but did little to change my channel longterm.
The second was a new strategy that everyone talks about but no one does.
SPIKE #1 in the graph below—Alex Hormozi announces he invested in Skool—all my Skool videos blew up!
SUSTAINED GROWTH in the graph below—The give it away strategy. Make a video that gives everything away. (And if you can) one that no one else can create. That's all I changed, and it made all the difference.
You can too. Just give it away.
1 week ago | [YT] | 50
View 6 replies
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