Mind of a Maker
A daily blog inspired by Matthew Dicks
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
To become better at something, you have to practice. What better way to become a better writer and storyteller than to practice by making a habit of writing daily?
In this daily blog, we’ll discuss Maker-related topics as well as what inspires projects, including YouTube videos, Movies, TV Shows, Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Books, and more. Everything is on the table, and nothing is off-limits.
Disclaimer: The thumbnail images featured on this blog are often AI-generated. See Disclosure page for more information.
2 AI Prompts To Gain Business Clarity (Even If You Haven't Used AI Much Yet)
My 2 favorite AI prompts I’ve used to gain business clarity:
1. Clarifying target audience & value proposition
2. Identifying social content gaps
AI is not going to replace businesses, but businesses that use AI to gain leverage will.
6 Easy Steps To Start Your Maker Newsletter This Weekend
You know you should start a newsletter, but how? Follow these steps:
1. Choose who it's for
2. List 3-5 topic categories
3. Decide on email platform
4. Research writing formats
5. Write newsletter 1
6. Send it
Don't overcomplicate it.
Start and adjust the rest as you go.
5 Practices Business Owners Can Learn From Makers
The business sphere of social media parrots the same advice over and over, but Makers offer 5 different mindsets.
1. Practice on yourself
2. Forget perfection
3. Get better every project
4. Change what isn't working
5. Create your ideal environment
Makers are natural learners and implementers that business owners would do well to imitate.
3 Adjustments To Increase Your Newsletter's Opt-In (Without Pushy Sales Tactics)
Most businesses have a newsletter, but are stuck at 1% (or less) in opt-in. These 3 things can help.
1. Focus on value, not "news and updates"
2. Incentivize readers to enter their email
3. Turn a single lead magnet into an email drip
People subscribe for value, so tell them exactly what value they get.
6 Practical Ways Writing Will Improve Your Online Business
Writing provides leverage in your online business if used intentionally. Try these 6 ways.
1. Notecard motivation assist
2. Journaling
3. AI prompt engineering
4. Publicly seed small ideas
5. Publicly expand resonating ideas
6. Give value directly to your audience.
Writing helps clarify your thinking, so leverage it.
3 Boring Parts Of Small Social Business That Are Critical To Success
3 boring parts of small social business that are critical to success.
1. Researching content strategies
2. Diving into analytics
3. Aligning systems to goals
Those who succeed get very good at the boring things others don't see.
Why You Should Base Content Decisions On Data, Not Emotion
Most content success comes down to how decisions are made: emotional vs data-driven.
Emotional decisions, or gut feelings, lead creators to post what they want and wonder why the dreaded algorithm is against them.
Data-based decisions tell us exactly what to double down on.
My Top 5 Mistakes As A Content Creator (And How I'm Fixing Them in 2026)
My top 5 mistakes as a content creator (and how I'm fixing them in 2026)
1. No consistency
2. Overcomplicated or overlooked analytics
3. Abandoning 1 platform for another
4. Not having a clear strategy
5. Giving into imposter syndrome
Each can be overcome with good systems.
5 Keys To My 2026 Content Strategy Across Platforms
In 2018-2019, I massively missed my goals for growing content because I thought I had a strategy, but it was all fluff. I refuse to make the same mistakes now and am being intentional about HOW I think about WHAT I'm posting.
Successful Entrepreneurs Push Through When They Want To Quit
Some people who tried and failed will tell you that entrepreneurship is impossible, the market is too saturated, or that the big companies just have too much power. The good news is that it’s not impossible, but it is incredibly hard to do.
How Ali Abdaal’s Goal Framework Changed How I Plan My Business
I’ve always struggled with how to set goals.
Well, more accurately, I’ve always struggled with setting super high goals, waiting to the last minute to do anything about them, then failing miserably. Part of it was trying to figure out what my “5 year plan” was, but not knowing what that meant for today.
Before you set your 2026 goals, let me save you some time and share what worked for me in 2025 (and how I’m approaching 2026).
Worried About AI? Here's How I'm Leveraging It For My Maker Business (And You Can Too)
It feels like every other post these days is about how AI is going to take away jobs, destroy your business, and we're all going to be worse off.
Hogwash!
The 1 Thing Busy Entrepreneurs Can Do Now To Find The Time You’re Looking For
You want to build your business, but just can't seem to find time in your busy schedule.
You've probably heard that you can't find time, but you have to make it. That's all well and good, but whoever said that doesn't get your "special circumstances." They just didn't understand why you don't have as much time, right?
This is how I discovered just how much time I really had to focus on my business.
Advance Your Maker Content By Writing Online In 2026
Every year, more people start creating content online and it was no different for Makers.
It's easier than ever to come up with a catchy name with ChatGPT, create an Instagram account, and create tons of content only using your phone. With all these new accounts combined with established creators competing for eyeballs, how can you stand out and grow your audience?
Start by writing online to grow.
4 Entrepreneurs I'm Constantly Learning From
I love learning new things.
This year started like many others with lots of things I wanted to learn more about, watch, and read. However, one major things was different: I was also focusing on implementing the ideas in my life and business. Instead of reading and watching, but doing nothing—which is just entertainment—, I challenged myself to actually put what I was learning into practice.
3 Reasons Business Owners Must Lean Into Hard Things
Owning a business, unfortunately, comes with doing things you don't want to.
You have to keep your business legal by keeping accounting records, file taxes, and submitting legal documents. Not to mention creating content, finalizing products, and refining your business strategy. Even if you aren't avoiding anything on those lists, it reminded you of something you are.
We spend so much time avoiding hard things, but going into 2026, you should lean into those hard things you are avoiding.
Follow This Simple Advice To Get Ahead Of 99% Of Makers Growing An Audience On Social Media
How to get ahead of 99% of people:
Stop watching videos telling you how to get ahead of 99% of people.
Start doing the things you know you should be doing instead.
And if you’re trying to grow a Maker audience on social media, here’s what you should be doing:
The 1 Reason Your Content Creation Systems Aren't Working
You've worked to transform your hobby into a side hustle or small business, but your systems aren't working.
You can't seem to post consistent content.
You can't point to any results from all your hard work.
You can't figure out what's not working.
3 Ways Maker Content Creators Can Leverage AI To Grow Their Businesses
You're a Maker, which means you cannot leverage AI since it's a digital tool, right?
Wrong. While AI is not able to build things in your garage (yet), you can still leverage it to handle time consuming tasks on your computer.
Use AI to give you more time in your shop and working on your edits (and get one step closer to your own personal protocol droid).
Top 3 Mental Frameworks That Have Helped Me When Things Seem To Be Hard
Some days, you feel like everything is going right and anything you do will win. Unfortunately, most of the time you feel like your efforts are in vain, nothing will work for you, and you should just quit (at least that's been me lately). The good news is, both ends (most amazing and most disastrous) are likely more built in your head than a reflection of reality.