Look Mum, no hands!
An update about building a practice, not a performance, whilst balancing a baby
Hey everyone, Dan here.
I’m trying something new. I’m dictating this entire weekly roundup whilst holding my 4-month-old son, Sonny, who’s in fine voice today. So forgive me if this feels a bit rough around the edges!
I can’t promise these weekly roundups will be every week, but I wanted to share what I’ve been working on, what’s been causing me friction, and what’s been bringing me freedom.
What I’ve Been Working On
Earlier this week, I launched a new content rhythm for myself. I’m breaking free from the hamster wheel of believing I need to create-create-create: if you’re running your own show, you know exactly how that can feel!
Instead, I’m writing one really good article a week and using that long-form piece to set the tone for everything else.
I’ve written about this approach in my latest article, The Planning Trap - which is a bit meta, because I’m simultaneously planning, doing, and writing about the planning and doing. It’s been a fascinating exploration.
As part of this new cadence, I’m also recording article read-throughs and publishing them to both Substack and the podcast. You’ll find that linked below as well.
The Planning Trap
I’m sitting here feeling disorganised. Everything needs rebuilding. I could start in 27 different places, and so I don’t start anywhere.
The Planning Trap
You’ve been told to plan every step perfectly before you start. But what if that overthinking is the only thing stopping you from generating momentum?
The Authority Lab: My New Offer
The other thing I’ve been working hard on is redefining my signature offer. Over the past year, I’ve been working one-to-one with clients through what I called the Authority Building Pathway - a few months of intensive work to help people bring their businesses and ideas to life.
Here’s what most people don’t realise: when you step out of corporate, start consulting, or launch as a freelancer, you think you can just “turn your expertise into an offer” and people will start paying you.
But running your own business involves so much more than that.
Most people think, “I’ve got six months’ runway, I’ll be fine.” But almost no one I’ve met has launched from a standing start and been profitable in six months. That’s why most businesses fail - people run out of road before they’ve had time to learn all the adjacent skills they actually need.
What I do is help people leap over those boundaries: branding, tone of voice, how they show up in the world, what that first offer looks like, the system for guiding people from social media into your own database. All the foundational pieces that actually make a business work.
I’ve been refining this work, and it’s now called The Authority Lab.
The Authority Lab is about turning your expertise into a practice that will free you financially, creatively, and spiritually for the rest of your career.
It’s about redefining who you are and why you’re here in 60 days, so you can scale without limits.
I believe that your unfiltered self is a one-of-a-kind opportunity magnet and my hustle-defying business methodology will help you become your most effective self - designed for the 1% who have the conviction to build for the long term, not just chase the next trend.
In short: I’ll help you know who you are and why you’re here in 60 days.
I only take on two clients each month. That’s partly because, as a new dad, I want to spend loads of time with Sonny. We’re also moving house. Life is full. I know I can only give two partners a month the attention they need, and that’s a choice I’m making for now.
But if you know anyone who’s ready to build a practice, not just a business - who’s ready to break away from the gurus, the tactics, the noise of social media - I’m ready to have that conversation. Drop me an email at dan@unremarkable.co or send me a message.
You can’t tell, but Sonny’s agreeing by screeching like a baby dinosaur in my ears.
This Week’s Friction
The friction this week has been around that tension between planning and doing. I’ve been stuck in planning mode when what I really want is to get on with the practice of serving my community, working with my clients, and just doing the work in front of me.
Serving the work instead of worrying about the outcome.
Lots more to come on these themes soon. But for now, I’ve named it. I’ve done the work. It’s Friday and Sonny keeps grabbing the microphone.
So I’m gonna go!
Be well,
Dan