I’m Trying To Figure Out Exactly What I’m Building [Building In Public #11]

Have you ever heard of something like this before?

Good morning. Happy Monday.

This is the eleventh edition of my weekly “Building In Public” series. Each Monday I share with you my wins, losses, and lessons from the previous week.

These lessons are what I’ve learned on my journey to grow my personal holdings company to $10,000,000 a year.

LFG. 🔥

This issue is free for everyone, but if want behind the scenes access on creating multiple income streams, I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid member by subscribing below.

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I’m Trying To Figure Out Exactly What I’m Building

I need your help.

For the last 5 years, I’ve been trying to flush out this idea and define it in a way that is concrete. I want to market this new concept in a way that is easily understandable when I explain it to people. So here’s the concept.

Part One: I’m Still A Consultant

My agency and my personal services are still the backbone of what I do. I’ve built a world class team. Through this business, I …

• close marketing contracts

• do marketing work (site development, SEO, paid search, and lead generation) for clients

• these clients pay me a monthly retainer

There’s nothing fancy here, it’s a typical agency / consulting company that bills based on monthly recurring contracts.

Part Two: I Add In Equity As Part Of My Services

I’ve developed a system where if I find a client that is building a great business, I will lower my consulting fees in exchange for a few points of equity.

You don’t get rich from what you do, you get rich from what you own. My objective is to build my portfolio of cash flowing assets in which I have equity. That’s the end goal, to build a personal holdings company that does $10,000,000 a year.

Part Three: I Buy / Create New Companies And Get My Team To Build It

This is what happened with Copyblogger. I personally bought the company, but I used my own crew to help me build the marketing, the products, the infrastructure, etc. I could not have done it by myself.

Essentially, I leverage the revenue that is generated through my clients and scrape a little time off the top of work on my own projects. To keep this clean, I usually send myself invoices from the consulting company so it’s as if I am treating myself as a client.

What Am I Building?

I can easily conceptualize it, but I’m looking for a name.

Is this a(n) …

• incubator? (it’s not, because I’m not bringing founders into a network)

• venture studio? (it’s not, because I’m not taking on venture capital)

• startup studio? (it’s not, because I’m not building startups)

At it’s core, what I’m doing is managing a digital marketing firm. However, through my reputation, my online brand, and my services, I am aggregating investment opportunities and negotiation advantages through a highly sought after and valuable skillset.

Wtf should I call it?

I’m probably over thinking it. But I want to find a way to properly position this technique because I want to generate leads and a reputation in which people seek me in in hopes to partners with me, as opposed to simply hire me.

Is this some sort of new concept similar to being a solopreneur? Am I a personal holdings investor?

Help me. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

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What I’m Watching

Somehow, I’m the last person to discover the band twenty one pilots. I discovered a music video they created almost 10 years ago for a song called Car Radio. In the video, they ask the crowd at one of their concerts to all participate in the video and it’s unbelievable.

If you don’t feel something deep in your core when watching this, then you’re not human.

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What I’m Thinking About

Being a dad is wild experience. It’s so clear to me that my role as a father is not to be a coach, but rather to be a guide.

I know this because The Little Dude and The Sweet Girl came into this world with completely different personalities, agendas, and interests. I don’t think there is a lot I can do to influence who they are going to be, but I think I can guide them as they discover themselves in a way that is meaningful for them.

For example, this is The Little Dude.

He’s so cool.

He’s fun and energetic. He’s funny, shy, curious and introverted. He’s like me. I knew he was like me one time when we lived in Nashville. We were picking him up from kid care at the gym, and he was all by himself in the corner just opening and closing cabinet doors.

I said “Oh man, he’s like his dad. He loves being by himself.”

He has big almond eyes that turn from green to yellow. He is warm and squishy and pure.

Great. Now this is The Sweet Girl.

She is absolutely batshit insane.

She’s rock hard, like rolling a boulder down a hill.

I’ll turn the corner and shell be standing on the counter top and I don’t even know how she got up there. She picks out all her own outfits. She jumps head first down the stairs. She bites kids at school. She climbs up ladders at the playground with absolutely zero safety net. She is obsessed with vitamin gummies and she will walk right up to anyone and tell them she has to poop.

She has bright blue eyes (like her mom) and a wide smile that spreads across her entire face. She definitely has her moms magnetic personality, but she is fearless in a way that is uniquely her.

They’re so different. I have absolutely no idea what they will be interested in, but I somehow feel like they already know best. I’m here to keep them alive, and to support them when they fall.

I’m so excited to see who they become.

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In Closing

When you read this, I will be on my way to Belgium.

Jules is facilitating two different breathe work seminars and I’m basically tagging along for the ride. I’ll send you some pictures.

Tomorrow I am publishing a YouTube video and on Wednesday I will be publishing my epic guide I’ve been working on.

Love you guys. Talk to you tomorrow.

Tim