How To Live (as a Creator) with Derek Sivers

I almost feel behind writing this email because I've already gotten so much positive feedback about this week's episode of Creative Elements!

This week I'm speaking with Derek Sivers, who I originally heard on the Tim Ferriss podcast about seven years ago.

Derek is the founder of CD Baby, the largest seller of independent music online, with $100 million in sales for 150,000 musicians. In 2007, Derek sold that business for $22 million – almost all of which Derek donated to a charitable trust for music education.

I was interested in talking to Derek for three reasons:

• He has a ton of insight into the world of professional musicians
• He's written four incredible books that I'd call "philosophy for creatives"
• He's the guy behind the How To Start A Movement TED talk!

This episode truly does not disappoint. We talk about how we can live more balanced lives as creators and we get pretty existential.

Watch on YouTube:

I hope you enjoy the full episode! Send me a note or comment on YouTube to let me know what you think.

And if you'd rather check out the audio-only podcast, listen on Spotify below or choose your favorite player here.

Essay of the Week: How to Look More Legitimate

If you have a hard time converting your followers into clients or customers, then you have a trust problem. And if you have a trust problem, you probably have a legitimacy problem.

In a world of near-infinite choice, we don't look for reasons why we SHOULD trust someone...we take the shorter route.

We look for reasons why we SHOULDN'T trust someone so that we can rule them out quickly and move on.

We start our evaluation with one question: "Is this person legitimate?" And then we actively look for reasons to believe that you're not.

It's far easier to find reasons NOT to believe in you than it is to find enough evidence to become a believer. In fact, the biggest reason to believe in someone is the inability to find reasons NOT to believe!

So let's explore how you can intentionally improve your legitimacy in the eyes of increasingly impatient and discerning viewers. This advice applies to your entire creative platform – your email list, podcast, social media, books, YouTube channel, and products.

Anywhere your light touches...is your kingdom.

And you want your kingdom to look legit.

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About Jay Clouse

Hey, I'm Jay! I'm the founder of Creator Science and the host of Creative Elements, a narrative-interview podcast exploring how today’s top creators make a living with their art and creativity.

I previously led the Community Experience team for Pat Flynn and Smart Passive Income, designing their paid membership community and cohort-based course programs.

You can connect with me on Twitter or Instagram.