The Real S***

Hi. If you’re getting this in your inbox, you’re one of 28 people subscribed to this newsletter — the first 28, I guess, to be able to watch what happens after “proud to announce” and “thrilled to launch,” etc.

Look, I don’t know a lot about newsletters, alright? The only thing I know how to do is express honestly (to the point of oversharing). I’m gonna try and do that here — sometimes it’ll come out as good “content.” Sometimes it’ll suck. I hope you stick with it as I attempt to boil something digestible.

This issue will attempt to kick that off. So, to the title/thumbnail: let’s get to some real s***. Then I’ll talk about Thought Liters.

(This one’s a little long, sorry, I’ll learn to be concise.)

Baseline: My name’s Adam. I’m 32. I live in Pittsburgh. Born and bred in Baltimore. (I miss it.) Graduated Harvard in ‘14. Run a business called Authentic Avenue to build out B2B podcasts and video series. (If you got this email, you likely already know this.)

If you want my broader business story, consider watching my recent appearance on the Young Entrepreneur Network Podcast, filmed right here in Pittsburgh. I also did The James Protin Show back in July.

There’s plenty to be optimistic about. I’m in OK health. I get the opportunity to be an entrepreneur. I welcomed my first child into the world this year.

These past few months have been the worst of my life. My dad died suddenly in October. I’m not there for my remaining family in MD. Most all my friends are hours away. I’m generally lonely. I handle holidays poorly (good timing to start this, not). And I look around at my old classmates doing great things and wonder when it’s gonna “happen” for me.

I tie, fatally, professional success to personal satisfaction. It’s my biggest flaw. Every day is a violent emotional swing.

That’s the real shit. That’s where this journey starts.

*

Look, my real talent is my ability to be an entertaining presence. That’s it. I started podcasting in 2016 because I needed a flexible outlet for performance while traveling for work. I did theatre and film all through high school and college — no lie, I took more Dramatic Arts classes at Harvard than my major (econ). I started competitive public speaking at 11. It’s central to my life’s work.

For years, I’ve wanted to figure out how to truly combine it all. I have clients — they keep the lights on. It works. But am I passionate about it, to my bones?

…are you, about your job?

Thought Liters popped into my head in May 2023 as a literal shower thought. It went like this: “man, most of these business shows suck, there’s no creativity, no Hot Ones equivalent, just all these inflated executives straining to be thought leaders; why can’t we just see them, like I’d rather just see them have a drink and talk business, it’s what they spend most of their time doing anyway, rather than this thought leader shit… thought leader… liter… hang on… oh s***.” (water off, towel on, slippery phone screen, etc.)

Got the social handles that day. Took over a year to start filming.

*

I slowly pitched Thought Liters as “Hot Ones for the business world” around to a few leaders I knew here in Pittsburgh. They thought it was cool — that’s all I needed. (Creative bar’s on the floor, as I said.)

I pitched it to my mentors, too. I guess the excitement came through relative to my client work, because they all said the same thing: Adam, you seem really into it. The idea is good. It has legs. Why don’t you just take some time to focus as much as you can on it? Keep the lights on, sure, but really go for it?

*

In 2020, I jumped off the entrepreneurial cliff with a known market — build B2B content for tech companies to convert their strategic prospects. Still crazy undervalued, by the way — I’m still in that game. Four years later, I’m about to jump again, headlong, into being a business “content creator.”

I’m genuinely scared. There’s a market for it, but no known market for me. No concrete path to money. There’s a significant risk of failure.

And: I’m insecure as hell to begin with. I don’t wish to burden my family any more than I have to when it comes to keeping the literal lights on. I’m a man, I’m pre-wired to feel the need to provide. Thought Liters won’t do that, at first.

But I have to try it. There’s enough white space, and I know I can be entertaining enough.

*

This is where I plan to write the real s***. To spill the nuts and bolts of building, growing, monetizing. My hope is that other marketers / founders / leaders can use this as a rough guide for how to make business content that works for their own businesses — because I know plenty who would like to build great content for themselves, but have no clue how to go about it. This is my easel, on which I’ll scratch out my brain and attempt to show others how I’m doing it, in near real time.

(btw if you know any people like that, and you want to fwd this to them, recommend they subscribe or whatever, that’d be solid.)

You’ll either watch it work, and can copy the formula — or you’ll watch it not work, learn why not, and then avoid it.

Here’s what coming in the next few issues:

• The process I’m using to build the show

• Analysis on the pilot season episodes (there are 6)

• Goal-setting for 2025 (more for me to stay accountable)

Thanks for being here.

Adam

Next, check out the master plan (for now)