Write of Passage
Accelerate Your Career By Writing Online
Next cohort: June 2020
The Promise of my online Course
You will learn a step-by-step method for publishing quality content and distributing your ideas to your professional network, leading to unexpected opportunities and increased serendipity in your work and life.
Background: write of passage
In Write of Passage, you will develop a systematic process for cultivating ideas, distilling them into writing, and sharing them with the people who can make the biggest difference in your career.
By the time you finish the course, you will have published a series of insightful articles, built a professional website, launched an email newsletter, learned how to use these assets to connect with anyone on the planet, and developed a framework for uniquely framing your expertise and skills.
You’ll transform from a passive consumer to an active creator, and escape the “Mediocre Majority” of people who endlessly consume without ever producing. The content you produce will become an asset that you own. It will work for you 24/7, and become a magnet for like-minded people, interesting ideas, and career opportunities.
Writer’s block will be a thing of the past. You’ll know exactly how to work with and move past the fears and anxieties that keep so many people from sharing what they’ve written. The time it takes you to write something of quality will plummet, dramatically increasing the return-on-investment of your time. Instead of not having anything to say, you’ll have too much to say.
It doesn’t matter whether you are writing internally at your company, building an online business, or networking among industry peers – Write of Passage will give you with the tools to reach, educate, and connect with your target audience. Writing effectively will be your competitive advantage.
In school we learned an outdated, ineffective method of writing. We were taught to follow an arbitrary set of requirements. Our teachers told us to pad our writing to reach a minimum length, and to use flowery vocabulary completely foreign to our everyday lives. I am going to help you unlearn all of that, and adopt a results-focused approach to writing.
Is this course for you?
Write of Passage is for anyone who wants to…
Publish quality content on a consistent basis. I'll teach you a systematic approach to collecting insights and turning them into content on a consistent basis
Build a following that brings you personal and professional opportunities. Your followers will help you find excellent opportunities, including jobs, projects, clients, and sales.
Create intellectual assets that grow in value over time. Your writing will grow into a body of work with a coherent purpose, not just a series of one-off posts.
Connect directly with peers, colleagues, and leaders in your industry. I’ll show you how to use your writing as an introduction to the most interesting people in your industry.
Boost your influence in your field, organization or industry. I’ll show you how to build a reputation as the top authority in your field using evergreen content.
Increase the serendipity and opportunity in your life. Create a life of more surprise, potential, and excitement by harnessing the full potential of the internet.
"I wish I had a course like David's when I first started writing. I made every mistake possible with my blog and with a course like this I could have avoided most of that hardship. More importantly though, having a community of like-minded individuals would have helped me immensely in my journey. The ability to share your trials and tribulations with people going through the same thing as you is going to make writing and publishing much easier."
- Nick Maggiulli, Data Scientist and Investment Blogger at “Of Dollars and Data.”
What’s Included?
7 Modules: Live video and slide-based lectures packed with David’s best insights, examples, and recommendations.
10 Deliverables: Writing assignments designed to level up your writing skills and publish more than you ever have before.
12 Templates: Specially formatted to help you immediately apply each new lesson and technique to your career or business.
Live Interaction: Learn alongside a cohort of peers from around the world as you give each other feedback and share ideas.
Guest Interviews (Premium version only): Curated, actionable case studies with well-known content creators explaining their approaches.
Course curriculum
Module 1: The Age of Leverage. The rules of the game have changed. The internet now impacts every nook and cranny of the economy. I’ll tell you what this means for you personally and show you how to turn it from a threat into an immense opportunity.
What to expect: introduction to the course modules, deliverables, templates, and live cohort schedule
The Promise of the Course: “You will learn a step-by-step method for publishing quality content and distributing your ideas to your professional network, leading to unexpected opportunities and increased serendipity in your work and life.”
Understanding why we live in The Age of Leverage, and why writing and publishing on the internet is now the best way to accelerate your career
How the internet has changed the nature of professional relationships, enabling long-lasting, personal connections with like-minded people
The problems with traditional writing education in an attention-starved environment, and how we are going to unlearn it
Module 2: Make Your Serendipity Vehicle. I’ll give you a new way of thinking about writing, as a “Serendipity Vehicle” that brings a wealth of opportunities into your life. I’ll share my 7 Principles of content creation to help you build a consistent habit of collecting, distilling, and sharing your best ideas. Then, I’ll address four common misconceptions that keep people spinning in circles, not knowing where to start.
What should you write about? Finding a niche, narrow, and expanding topic
How to use writing on the internet to develop an intuition about what’s unique or undervalued in your niche
How to demolish writer’s block by developing an easy, everyday note-taking system
What the Feynman Method can teach you about cultivating ideas from your everyday experience
A new perspective on blogs as a filtering mechanism for people, ideas and opportunities
Module 3: Create Your Online Home. We’ll talk about your website, which is your face and your reputation to the world. I’ll give you a clear, step-by-step pathway for making a simple, yet effective professional website so anyone looking for your expertise can find you. Instead of managing technical roadblocks, and getting sucked into the endless spiral of designing and redesigning your website, we’ll focus only on the essentials.
Building a website that establishes credibility and authority in your industry, without taking too much time
Attract loyal readers with easy-to-implement strategies in design, messaging, and calls-to-action
Set up your website with pre-made templates and easy-to-follow walkthroughs
Owning your name and brand in search engines and social media
Module 4: Set Up Your Distribution System. You’ll set up an email newsletter, a direct communication channel to your audience. You’ll learn to spread ideas in an efficient and repeatable manner that doesn’t take too much time. This distribution system will give you a way to test and improve your ideas even faster, by tapping into the wisdom of crowds.
Understanding the underrated power of email in an era of social media platforms
The missing link of blogging: actively distributing your ideas to people that matter, instead of hitting publish and waiting for them to arrive
A simple three-step template for writing effective email newsletters in just 30 minutes per week
Step-by-step walkthrough of how to set up your own email newsletter
Develop a personalized strategy for publishing on social media, while balancing risks and rewards
Module 5: Learn to Write Clearly and Persuasively. You’ll work with your course-mates to develop a writing style that is both unique to you, and that also follows best practices I’ve learned from years of trial and error. The quality of your writing and your thinking will improve in tandem as you adopt a higher standard of rigor. You’ll put these new skills to use immediately. You’ll write 5 articles on your website and send personal updates to the people who matter most to your career.
7 Rules for Modern Writing: actionable techniques to deliver an effective message that inspires people to take action
How to use real-life conversations to notice and test interesting ideas
How to develop the writing habit and keep yourself on track with a writing plan
Establishing a simple and repeatable creative process for cultivating ideas, outlining articles, editing your drafts, and publishing them to the right audiences
Building writing momentum with the 50-5-1 Challenge
Module 6: Connect with Anyone. You’ll put your writing assets to use. To reach out and connect with interesting people who you wouldn't meet otherwise. Instead of asking to “pick your brain” or “grabbing coffee or a drink” with no particular purpose in mind, you’ll be able to send out your writing ahead of you to prove your credibility and provide context to your conversation. This powerful new take on networking will revolutionize your ability to connect with the people who can make the biggest impact on your career.
Learn a more efficient and effective alternative to “networking” events
How to track the critical signals and metrics that matter for online writers
A collection of proven templates for cold email outreach
The power of “personal updates” for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues
How treating your followers like peers, friends, and collaborators can improve your work
Module 7: Build Your Personal Monopoly. You’ll clarify your vision and create a “personal monopoly” – the unique intersection of your knowledge and skills that no one else can compete with. Instead of working ever harder and ever longer, and battling against fierce competitors you’ll carve out a niche where your ideas reign supreme. Because no one can ever replace you at the center of your network, you’ll be able to share everything you learn without fear, knowing that whatever value is created will eventually flow back to you.
How to permanently shift from seeking “outbound” opportunities to selecting from “inbound” ones
Why you should focus your attention on specific and growing markets and industries
How to stand out from competition on the internet without working harder or longer
The Naked Brands model: how people are becoming brands, and brands are becoming more like people (and what that means for you)
Establishing authority and building a credible reputation with your personal monopoly
"This course turned what I thought I knew about writing on its head. The Age of Leverage opens up a world of opportunity to everyone in a way that was not previously available. To harness this, you need a new way of capturing, distilling and distributing what we create. Write of Passage is the instrument of this creation, the writing we then create is the music.” — Lindsey Honari
the transformation
You’ll develop a fresh approach to writing.
No longer will you feel like you’re shouting into an empty room, with nobody listening. You’ll learn to leverage the information you’re already consuming and the thinking you’re already doing to create tangible knowledge assets that last forever. As you receive more and more feedback about which of your ideas are most valuable, you’ll refine your voice and find your niche. In turn, you’ll attract an audience that is looking for exactly what you’re creating.
I chose the name Write of Passage because this shift isn’t a linear one. It’s not a slight improvement on your writing abilities nor a single step up in your career. It’s a complete before-and-after transformation of the trajectory of your career and your life. Instead of watching the game from the sidelines, you’ll influence the game itself.
Instead of choosing from a bland menu of options that life offers you, you’ll author your own path forward, so you can get what you want out of life.
A Roadmap for Career Success
why write of passage is different
It’s not about becoming an “Internet entrepreneur” – it’s about how to succeed professionally in the 21st century. The Internet is now an essential part of every kind of business and career. Right now is the perfect time to start publishing, because there’s huge demand for high quality content.
It’s not about having a checklist to follow – it’s about a different way of thinking and communicating online. The Internet is no longer a thing we use for certain functions. It is a place where everyone learns and plays and works, and it’s time to learn how to use it effectively.
It’s not about reaching a final destination – it’s about a learning journey. Publishing your writing online isn’t just about "getting somewhere." It’s about maximizing the return on your efforts and accelerating your speed of learning every step along the way.
It’s not about an easy shortcut – it is about getting started on a clear path. There are no shortcuts to success – online or offline – but with a trend as huge as the rise of the Internet, just participating allows you to ride the wave.
It’s not about becoming a literary genius – it’s about gaining a practical skill to help you reach your goals. Writing doesn’t have to be a mysterious craft reserved for the select few. It can be a practical, fun activity that has benefits far beyond the words on the page.
It’s not about isolating yourself for countless hours – it’s about using writing as a bridge to other people. Writing is not just an activity, but a way of seeing things. It’s about living a richer, more fulfilling life and attracting the people you want to share it with.
It’s not about working 24/7. It’s about working smarter, building a network, and gaining leverage. Publishing your writing online gives you access to three of the most powerful forces in the world today: knowledge, networks, and technology. The more you leverage them, the more successful you’ll be.
It’s not about “networking” to collect random business cards – it’s about truly connecting with like-minded people. Relationships are now just as likely to start online, and later move offline. By casting a wide net online you can find that small tribe of people who are just as passionate about your niche as you are.
“This course has two components that made a huge impact in a very short time: first it helps you set up the infrastructure to house your content and then effectively distribute it. Secondly, through the direct feedback from the instructors as well as the other participants you can see your content immensely improve during the course itself. This improvement creates the momentum you can use after the course is done. In other words, they help you build a strong platform and then give you the rocket fuel. You are the rocket.” — Jochem Kroon
where you can learn more
I recommend the following options: