When Nicolas Cole graduated college in 2013, he had a decision to make: work at a large ad agency with cushy benefits and a higher salary or take a pay cut to work at a smaller firm in order to learn about building a start-up from the Founder.
He chose the latter, delaying gratification in search of a larger long-term goal.
He spent the next four years on the grind: working at the agency during the day and writing every night.
He vowed to write every single day for a year.
Yes, this means weekends. Yes, this means Christmas. Yes, this especially means days when he “wasn’t feeling it.”.
In fact, one of his most viral blogs came on a day that he almost decided to break his pledge to himself.
Four years later, he was getting enough inbound requests for help that it made sense to make the leap. He took his learnings and savings from that small ad agency to create Digital Press, a content marketing agency that helps businesses and brands become thought leaders in their industry.
Looking back, this isn’t a surprising move for Cole. He’s been training for moments like these his entire life.
As a teenager, he entered the gaming world. Within four years, he was one of the top World of Warcraft players in North America.
Years later, he went through another transformation as he entered the bodybuilding world. Four years of relentless work and strict dieting, he transformed his body and life.
His method to success lies within consistent, disciplined work. Whether it’s writing, lifting weights or playing WoW, he has taken action every single day to master his craft.
As he would say: “You can’t steer a stationary ship”.
Cole is new to the entrepreneurial world but certainly has the framework in place to be successful.
Nothing in life is guaranteed – but don’t be surprised if you see his name in headlines four years from.
In this episode, Cole and I talk about how to build a personal brand, his writing process and when a millennial should “take the leap” into entrepreneurship.
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