The Espresso Hour: Recent Episodes
Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole
In each episode, we share our insights, tactics, and lessons learned as we scale our writing education company to $10mm. If you're looking for "insider" tips to help you grow and scale your digital business, you're going to love The Espresso Hour!
Demolish bottlenecks in your business: https://bit.ly/yt-bottlenecks
Write with ChatGPT like a PRO: https://writewithai.substack.com
In episode 25 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole walk through their plan to triple their paid newsletter, Write with AI.
(00:00) Intro
(01:41) The Tripling Question
(07:34) The challenge with paid newsletters
(10:21) The ONLY way to grow paid newsletters
(18:35) Dickie’s analysis for $50k/month
(22:52) The most COMMON business bottlenecks
(32:00) The importance of RISK for entrepreneurs
(35:57) Demolishing our bottlenecks LIVE
(43:57) How YOU can replicate this in your business
(47:55) Our tactical plan for Write with AI
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Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate writing guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Demolish bottlenecks in your business: https://bottlenecks.biz
In episode 24 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole walk through their framework for creating and launching successful digital products.
(00:00) Intro
(01:20) Our new newsletter is live!
(05:23) What IS a digital product?
(09:31) WHY you need to launch a digital product
(13:11) The ONE skill every artist needs to learn
(17:58) HOW to launch your digital product
(21:56) How to PRICE your digital product
(32:25) How to BOOTSTRAP your digital product
(38:19) How to IMPROVE your digital product
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Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate writing guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Learn to become a premium ghostwriter: https://a.co/d/bfxqp50
In episode 23 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole walk through their philosophy for building a business around their optimal lifestyles.
(00:00) Intro
(02:27) The Castle vs. Prison framework
(04:26) Our team-hiring philosophy
(07:11) The key to building a castle
(11:57) How we’re creating our ideal lifestyle
(16:38) How to defeat phone notifications for good
(21:50) The 4-day workweek
(26:45) The optimal quarter rest system
(34:44) When should business owners hit the gym?
(36:48) Dickie’s ideal work day
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Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate writing guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Download our FREE Premium Ghostwriting Blueprint: https://premiumghostwritingblueprint.com
In episode 22 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole walk through their new ghostwriting book and the viral strategies they used to launch it.
(00:00) Intro
(00:23) Cole launched a new book!
(04:27) Most common book questions
(08:21) Our free ebook launch framework
(17:03) Secret Kindle bonuses idea
(19:40) How to run a viral Twitter campaign
(21:48) How the book fit our PGA strategy
(23:44) How to sell better and get hired more
(27:04) Our next book ideas
(32:54) Should you take a publishing deal?
(37:05) What we would’ve done differently
Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate writing guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 50,000+ subscribers here: http://startwritingonline.com
In episode 20 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole brainstorm their projects and ideas for the rest of the year.
(00:00) Intro
(02:37) The early 20s syndrome
(06:37) A framework for new opportunities
(08:24) Dickie’s early 20s
(11:53) How much money you need to get the ball rolling
(17:22) Our “focus framework” for deciding what to do next
(20:47) The growth opportunities available right now
(30:25) Our schedule for the rest of the year
(37:14) Cole’s new “shiny object”
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Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 50,000+ subscribers here: http://startwritingonline.com
In episode 20 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole walk through their thoughts as they move into a new studio.
(00:00) Intro
(00:29) The start of a new chapter
(06:29) Ideas for our new studio
(10:57) How we optimized our Miami lifestyles
(14:47) Our new organic department
(17:26) When should you focus on branding?
(19:53) Building your business around your life
(21:05) Plugging leaks
(23:43) Our educational business model
(31:11) Promotions vs. Businesses
(35:45) Why business advice doesn’t always land…
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Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 50,000+ subscribers here: http://startwritingonline.com
In episode 19 of Espresso Hour, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk in depth about the different parts of their new business.
(00:00) Intro
(04:25) The biggest bottleneck of our business
(07:37) Macro vs. micro bottlenecks
(10:39) When should you launch new products?
(16:28) The power of rapid feedback loops
(18:25) Revealing our book-a-call funnel
(21:30) The essential ratios we keep track of
(30:15) Dickie’s bulletproof funnel framework
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Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Subscribe to the Espresso Hour on your favorite podcast app: http://espressohour.com
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 50,000+ subscribers here: http://digitalwritingcompass.com
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk about curing copywriting amnesia, writing viral threads with a small audience, and success shortcuts that supercharged Ship 30's growth.
(00:00) Intro
(00:10) If you woke up tomorrow with copywriting amnesia, how would you get better at writing again?
(04:54) Why do we need writing now more than in the past?
(09:21) What success shortcuts helped supercharge Ship 30's growth? (14:00) How do you write threads that get viral with a small following?
Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Start writing on Typeshare: http://typeshare.co
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 45,000+ subscribers here: http://digitalwritingcompass.com
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk about the right time to start a newsletter, the best writing advice, and fears of AI.
(00:00) Intro
(00:10) What’s something you used to think was true about writing that you now know to be untrue?
(04:38) Is there a “right time” to start a newsletter?
(08:46) How concerned are you about AI taking over?
(15:14) What was the best writing advice you got?
Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate guide: http://startwritingonline.com
Start writing on Typeshare: http://typeshare.co
• Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
• Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
• Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
• Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Subscribe to the Ship 30 YouTube channel for more content like this: https://www.youtube.com/c/Ship30for30?sub_confirmation=1
Subscribe to the Digital Writing Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WeaKKsnzbWRk9gNmlgLzr?si=691adfda4f324f3d
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 45,000+ subscribers here: http://digitalwritingcompass.com
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk about making your first $1 online, pivotal career moments, and leaving Twitter.
(00:00) Intro
(00:13) How did you make your first $1 on the internet?
(10:35) Are you bullish on the "new Twitter"?
(17:35) In your writing journeys, what were the pivotal moments that defined your direction and ultimately your first successful niches?
(24:15) What would be you number one focus for the first 90 days of a digital business?
(32:57) Can a good short book be written in a week to ten days? If so — how?
- Download our FREE 13,000-word ultimate guide: http://startwritingonline.com
- Start writing on Typeshare: http://typeshare.co
- Follow Dickie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dickiebush
- Follow Dickie on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/dickiebush
- Follow Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
- Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolascole
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 45,000+ subscribers here: digitalwritingcompass.com
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk about viral tweets, morning routines, and ways to 10x your newsletter growth.
(00:00) Intro
(00:15) How can you drink a double espresso and still function?
(00:54) What was your first viral tweet?
(05:07) What does your perfect day look like?
(12:07) When should you launch a product or service?
(18:11) What are the best ways to drive email list subscribers?
(23:04) Do you have any formulas when you start to write?
Want more FREE digital writing frameworks & tips like these? Join 45,000+ subscribers here: digitalwritingcompass.com
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk about viral tweets, morning routines, and ways to 10x your newsletter growth.
(00:00) Intro
(00:15) How can you drink a double espresso and still function?
(00:54) What was your first viral tweet?
(05:07) What does your perfect day look like?
(12:07) When should you launch a product or service?
(18:11) What are the best ways to drive email list subscribers?
(23:04) Do you have any formulas when you start to write?
Tired of staring at a blank page, banging your head against the wall figuring out what to write about?
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole will introduce you to a framework we've taught to over 5,000 Ship 30 students over the past 18 months: The Endless Idea Generator.
We will break down:
• How The 2-Year Test can help you uncover dozens of new topics to write about
• How adding specificity to your content ideas helps you attract your ideal readers
• How to add credibility to your content (and get rid of Imposter Syndrome, forever)
• And how to use the 4A framework to instantly turn 1 topic into 20 viral-worthy content ideas
After listening to this episode, your new biggest problem will be having too many ideas to write about (instead of staring at a blank page for hours!).
In this week's Digital Writing Compass Interview, we hosted our friend Justin Welsh.
Justin is one of the fastest-growing digital writers on Twitter and one of the creators we've learned the most from over the past 6 months.
In this episode, we talked about:
• His system for creating (and repurposing) viral content
• How Justin tripled his Twitter audience in 5 months (from 50k to 150k)
• His frameworks for turning readers into followers into paying customers (without being salesy)
• And tons more!
In this week's episode, we hosted Tim Stoddart.
Tim has a fascinating background. He's a prolific marketer, entrepreneur, and digital writer.
We talked about:
• The differences between starting a blog vs writing on Twitter
• How Tim has leveraged SEO to build several 7-figure businesses
• Tim's approach to creating SEO-first content that converts
• And his strategy for building an audience on Twitter
On this week's episode, we hosted Cory Gearrin!
Cory is a former professional baseball player, and also one of the faster-growing digital creators on Twitter these days.
We talked about:
• Why professional athletes are starting to think about becoming Digital Creators
• How Cory uses Typeshare Templates to write viral content
• Cory's newsletter growth strategy from Twitter to Substack
• How Cory found his niche at the intersection of professional sports & entrepreneurship/investing
In this episode, we sat down with Christine Carrillo to talk about her journey building & operating 3 9-figure businesses, her principles & frameworks for building your dreams without overworking (or killing yourself in the process), why she decided to start writing online, and tons more!
In this episode, we sat down with Dan Koe to talk about:
• Dan's journey and how he went from consumer to creator
• The different products he's launched over the last 3 years
• How Dan's leverages his newsletter to drive sales organically
• And tons more!
Over the last year, JK has grown to over 100k followers while generating multiple 6-figures in ghostwriting revenue.
In this session, we chatted about:
• How JK started as a ghostwriter (and his worst mistakes early on)
• His process for finding, closing & working with ghostwriting clients
• The mindset shift that helped him start making 6-figures (doing less work)
• And tons more!
Tim Denning is one of the most popular writers on Medium with more than 250,000 followers and hundreds of millions of views on his work. And in this session, he joined us to talk about:
• The future of Medium, and where the platform is headed
• How to become a Top Writer on Medium
• The topics most likely to go viral on Medium
• How much money ($$$) the top writers on Medium make
• The best digital writing platforms in 2022 (Hint: it's not Medium!)
• Proven strategies to grow your email list organically
And tons more!
Tim is one of the most knowledgeable writers out there on Medium’s ecosystem! So if you’re curious about getting started (or accelerating) on Medium, you won’t want to miss this session!
In this episode, we sat down with Khe Hy to talk about:
• Khe’s lessons from 7 years of solopreneurship
• Frameworks for scaling a newsletter & cohort-based course
• Using writing to monetize & build a business (even if you have ZERO followers)
For more digital writing tips & frameworks, download our FREE, 13,000-word ultimate guide to start writing online: https://startwritingonline.com
This is the replay of our Ship 30 for 30 Digital Writing Fundamentals webinar.
In this session, we break down some of our core digital writing frameworks and teach you how to generate 100+ content ideas in just 30 minutes, how to write viral-worthy Twitter threads, why you should make your content skimmable, and tons more!
🔥 Follow Dickie Bush on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dickiebush
🔥 Follow Nicolas Cole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77
For more Digital Writing frameworks, download our FREE, 13,000-word ultimate guide to start writing online: https://startwritingonline.com
In this session, Dickie and Cole sat down with Dan Vassallo to jam on their frameworks for validating writing and product ideas, why writing is the fastest way to figure out what types of products to build, and how to think about “making noise and listening for signal” when you’re not quite sure what to write or what to build.
Justin has built an audience of almost 200,000 people and made over $400,000 selling his LinkedIn Operating System that shows people how he did it. And recently, he’s started writing on Twitter, building a following of 50k+ followers in only a handful of months.
In this session, we chatted with Justin about his writing process, audience-building techniques, tips and frameworks for running a 1-person business, and explore the similarities and differences between Twitter and LinkedIn.
In our Digital Writing Q&A Sessions, we sit down and answer the most common and popular questions we get every week from the Ship 30 for 30 community.
Here's what we covered in this one:
- How does your content diet affects your writing
- Why you should look for new mediums instead of new ideas
- How to balance content creation vs content consumption
- How to filter ideas to double down on
- How to use data to inform your writing
- How to balance writing for joy vs writing for performance
- How to track your progress as a writer
- Why you shouldn't worry about optimizing for SEO
- How to niche down as a fiction or comic writer
For more free Digital Writing tips and frameworks, head over to: https://startwritingonline.com/
In this episode, we give you a 60-minute crash course in the fundamentals of digital writing:
• Developing a digital writing mindset
• Generating and capturing high-quality ideas
• Crafting irresistible headlines (and delivering on your promise)
• Avoiding the 10 biggest mistakes beginner writers make
And much more!
For more free digital writing tips, frameworks, and resources,
- Check out our free Ultimate Guide to Start Writing Online.
- Follow Dickie Bush on Twitter
- Follow Nicolas Cole on Twitter
To hop aboard our next Ship 30 for 30 cohort, click here.
If you've spent any time on Twitter, chances are you've seen some of George Mack's, Dickie Bush, and Nicolas Cole's Twitter threads.
And in this webinar, we are going to give you a crash course in how to write them effectively.
Expect to learn:
- The three types of threads that work
- How to craft an engaging lead-in tweet
- How to write with rhythm and cadence
- How to stand out from the rest of the world's thread writers
- How to use time-tested copywriting frameworks to keep reader's attention
- How to capture emails with a CTA
And much more!
Amanda Natividad knows a thing or two about marketing and content.
She's led marketing for Growth Machine, started Fitbit's content marketing program from scratch, and is currently a marketing architect at SparkToro.
And in this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole sit down with her to discuss:
- Content marketing and SEO strategy
- Writing on social platforms versus blogs
- How SparkToro can help with data-driven writing
- Common mistakes in the content marketing world
And much more!
Robbie Crabtree knows a thing or two about the power of telling compelling stories.
He's a "mostly-retired" trial lawyer with over 102 trials. And he's taken everything he's learned from his law career and packaged it into Performative Speaking, a program helping founders, entrepreneurs, & executives turn their vision into reality with their words and story.
And in this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole sit down to discuss:
- The similarities between writing and storytelling
- Go-to frameworks for crafting an engaging story
- Common mistakes beginner storytellers make (and how to overcome them)
- How everything in life is storytelling (and what that means for you)
And much more!
Greg Isenberg knows a thing or two about building communities, web 3.0, and writing online.
He's the CEO of Late Checkout, an advisor to Reddit, and runs a rolling fund investing in community-led businesses.
And in this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole sit down to discuss:
- How writers can leverage Reddit for both idea generation and audience-building
- How Web 3.0 will change the landscape of writing online
- The rise of massive "niche" businesses (and how to use writing to clarify that niche)
- Trends in community-first businesses and how to take advantage of them
- Where Greg thinks the next major opportunities will be during the shift to Web 3.0
And much more!
Sahil Lavingia knows a thing or two about writing, building, and productizing yourself.
He's the CEO of Gumroad, a company that helps creators earn a living doing things they love. He's also the author of The Minimalist Entrepreneur, a playbook for starting, building, and growing a sustainable, profitable business that you actually enjoy running.
And in this conversation, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole will sit down to discuss:
- Using writing to validate product demand
- What the best writers and entrepreneurs have in common
- How to use specificity to build something valuable
- How you can apply a 30-day challenge model to writing and entrepreneurship to accelerate your feedback loops
Ever wondered if there was a formula for going viral?
Newsflash: there is. But it's probably not something you've seen clearly broken down before.
And that's what we're going to do in this webinar with Shaan Puri. We are going to workshop three pieces of viral writing to reverse engineer why they worked and how you can apply the same frameworks in your own writing.
Expect to learn:
- How to write engaging headlines
- The concept of writing for one person
- How to write to generate specific emotions
- The difference between viral topics and niche topics
- How we teach these principles in Ship 30 for 30 and Power Writing
To call Steph Smith "prolific" would be an understatement.
To start, she wrote the book on how to do content right. No, literally. She published it late last year.
On top of that, she leads Trends at The Hustle which has thousands of paying customers and does millions in annual recurring revenue.
Steph is one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to producing successful, high-quality online content. She's reached hundreds of thousands of views on her blog, thousands of followers on Twitter, and produced multiple books and courses that people rave about.
And in this session, we'll dig into her best frameworks for creating content, building an audience, maximizing distribution, and staying consistent.
- Read Steph's blog: https://stephsmith.io/
- Get Steph's book: Doing Content Right