Stacey Gonzales, Ed.D.

For 28 years, I was fooling myself, trying to hide behind my impressive list of academic achievements: ✅Bachelor's ✅Master's ✅Doctorate My parents were proud, and people around me praised me, But deep down, I was unhappy. 3 years ago something from within whispered to me: 'Live from spirit first.' Without fully understanding what it meant, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery. I questioned myself: • Who am I? • What is my true purpose? • What genuinely brings me joy? On January 1, 2020 I made the bold decision to leave everything behind and start anew. It was scary, But I realized that our lives are our responsibility. No amount of wealth or external validation can replace the significance of embracing our authentic selves. Don’t waste your time by living someone else's dream. P.S. Do you feel your higher purpose calling you?

To build a lifestyle business in tandem with a creative agency requires an uncommon approach, showing others how you trust yourself and hit on-point, every detail, every time (i.e.modeling the way), and async processes that are simple for everyone. At least this is what it seems to me as I build our agency.

We hired an A-player named Lukas a few weeks ago. He can now write a YouTube bullet script using AI within minutes. AI can only bring the script to 80% completion. I need to do the final 20%... But this saves me about two hours of extra time per script… And we’re now writing as high as 20 long scripts in a month. So this is a massive milestone for us. In fact, it’s so big, we’re making a big decision: I’m not writing client YouTube scripts moving forward. So far, I’ve been writing half the scripts my way, and Lukas writes half the scripts his way. Lukas can use AI to do the majority of the script, and he can bring the script close to completion himself, but it still requires me to bring it across the finish line. However, although I’ve never been a fan of using AI to write, it’s incredible what Lukas has been able to make it do. It looks like he’s cracked the code, and I’m genuinely a believer that we can produce viral YouTube videos at scale by leveraging it. Now, this post won’t go into the AI stuff. It's not a secret trick. It's just a lot of heavy lifting upfront and knowing the right series of inputs. He's just figured out what those things are. But maybe he, or him and I together, reveal this process for writing YouTube scripts in the future? Let me know what you think… But what this means for our agency is this: It's finally time for me to delegate 100% of the writing. The last time I tried to delegate writing, I had to shut down my agency. I hired great writers, but I didn’t give them systems, SOPs, or any sort of training. It just added more work to my plate, and I burned out within a matter of weeks. I’m worried this might happen again. I have impossibly high standards, and I’ve never successfully delegated this before. I’m essentially handing over a big part of what makes people want to hire our agency. But this agency literally can’t grow any further if I don’t delegate this. It’s like I’m at a crossroads… If I go left, I have full control of the creative process but we don’t ever grow… If I go right, I let go of the creative process but we can grow bigger than I thought possible… The answer is obvious, but it’s just not easy. It feels like I’m forced to let go and evolve into a higher version of myself. A version that’s comfortable stepping above the creative process and allowing others to do the work that I’ve spent a decade learning to do myself. For the last two months, I’ve been so focused on solving other bottlenecks in this agency that I keep forgetting the biggest bottleneck is me. We’ve always had one internal goal in mind: Build a system that can produce amazing videos without me. But it always felt like a ‘someday’ situation that we didn’t have to deal with. That ‘someday’ is finally now. Although the AI scriptwriting stuff was good, I didn't fully realize this until I had a call with a great friend of mine… He runs a YouTube translation agency, and his agency is crushing it. In the last two years alone, he’s helped clients generate 4 gold play buttons, 19 silver play buttons, 15 million subscribers, and over 6 billion views by taking other people’s content into new languages. He has over 100 team members, ranging from full-time to contractors, so he knows a thing or two about building a business that can run without him… I ask for his advice, and he bluntly tells me, ‘Sam, you can’t just let go of some of it. You have to let go of all of it, and you need to do it now.’ Within 48 hours, we set a game plan to finally delegate copywriting: 1.) Lukas writes 100% of the scripts. I do strategy and the final check, but Lukas handles the heavy lifting. He’ll dial in the AI system, and we’ll finalize our SOPs and knowledge bases in the process. 2.) We hire a junior underneath Lukas. This is going to be an AI-powered junior who reports to him. We’ll do this after we close our next 2 clients. We predict this will happen well by the first week of January. 3.) Lukas replaces me as the final check. Once I trust Lukas to finalize a script at the same level I can, which is just positioning the content to work on YouTube, I will completely delegate final responsibility to him. By then, I’ll be fully removed from the writing process. I’ll only be telling the junior writer the strategy and the video ideas, and that’s it. Our video editing process is at a point where I don’t need to review the final video for feedback. My partner Timur is handling that well. This means, after I give the initial video idea, which is the very start of our YouTube process, I wouldn’t see a video again until it’s published on a client’s channel. Removing me from the writing feels crazier than the day we’ll hit our first million dollars, and our target is to remove me within the next 10 weeks at the latest. That way, once we bring in our junior writer, we’ll have a few things built out for them: 1.) A fully usable AI scriptwriting system. 2.) A writing checklist to follow for every video. 3.) A course teaching everything I know about YouTube. 4.) 2-on-1 coaching from myself and Lukas to improve their writing. This is the stuff I didn’t have built in my last agency, and that’s why it failed. So you can best believe I’m committed to pulling it off this time. The hardest part? Letting go of creative control. I need to allow other people to express their creativity, especially in a way that looks different from mine. I used to think this would be a bad thing, but Timur and Lukas have helped me see this is actually a good thing. It makes people feel valued, like their work matters. It allows them to grow how they want to grow, because our agency becomes the place that actually nurtures their creativity. So as long as they follow the YouTube principles, the end result can look however they’d like it to. When I step back and see the bigger picture… I’m fully convinced we’re going to pull this off successfully. We’re already getting client results. We’re already building systems the right way. We already have some of the best people on our team. There’s no longer any questions or unknowns. I just have to make the decision to let go, and we’re starting right now. This is Week 17 of building my business in public.

@therealhakam I love that you’re still going. It’s inspiring.

5 months on X. - Countless posts flopped. - Most friends have quit. - $3,000+ spent. I failed so many times I've lost count. But I also learned a lot. Here's 5 mistakes I made I wish I didn't: 1/ Having a small network X is a networking game. You just can’t lose when you have a lot of friends supporting you. Learn how to build relationships and win people over. Don’t shy away from clicking that follow button. 2/ Not diversifying content Diversity builds leverage. If you constantly post the same content - you’re still a mystery to your audience. Picture your brand as a puzzle they’re dying to collect. You have to provide all the pieces for them to see the full picture. Mix it up. 3/ Ignoring feedback Every content king and queen knows this: To stand out, you must figure out what works and what doesn't. Test, refine, repeat. And when you hit gold? Go all in. It’s not about making content. It’s about making content that resonates. 4/ Delaying the newsletter Newsletters aren't just emails. They're fan factories. The more you give, the deeper the connection. You can only stack so much in posts. Start your newsletter. 5/ Lacking clarity Vision ≠ clarity Knowing your destination doesn't indicate knowing the route. To get from point A to point Z you need clarity. Once you've got it, every move you make becomes vision-oriented. And one step in the right direction far exceeds a hundred in the wrong one. Don’t waste your time focusing on the unimportant stuff. ——————————— That's a wrap. Thank you so much for reading. If you want more like this: 1. Follow @therealhakam 2. Retweet this post Until next time, Hakam.

@jessdat0 gen X don’t know what to do. I was with a new client at a business lunch. After we walked out of the restaurant, he went to shake hands, I asked to hug. All of it was awkward. He shrugged. We hugged. Now we work together.

millennials handshake while gen Z hugs

@5harath These are the moments we discover who we really are.

We are closing on our new house in 2 weeks, my wife is 25 weeks pregnant, and I got laid off last week 🤯 Note to myself: Forget about making 5yr or 10yr plans. Life doesn’t work that linearly. Just take one day at a time - that’s all you can control 💪🏼 PS: Here is my wife keenly paying attention to the house she designed 😃

@lizelle Yep. Because the only thing you owe anyone is the promise you’ve directly made. Sales > funding

The best capital to explore is revenue.

@markoschmitt write about your past struggles...allow them to reveal to you who you were to help you become who you are. Your life is your gift you give the world.

@staceypacer This is a really helpful perspective - I am going through a bit of a struggle trying to think of what I want to write about - you've given me a new way to think about this process. Thanks 🙏

Storytelling is the gift your past self gives you to manifest your future self.

@_nickmiller 🤣🤣🤣

@staceypacer Why are you so good at writing.

@charlesmiller_7 Complaining is the curse of the ignorant. It's the energy thief of the wicked. PS ...I know that sounds dark...but it literally just came out of me and I thought it best to keep it in is unedited form.

@TranscendCEO What a gift. Glad you were able to recognize and invite it in deeper.

I woke up at 4:30am in a trance state and immediately realized I was right on the edge of one of the most profound nondual states I’ve ever experienced. Without moving I “meditated” for 10 seconds and experienced the purest consciousness I’ve witnessed. Came out of nowhere. Gotta love it.

@fearless_rising It’s so true. I’ve really come face to face with myself and I’m choosing her. BTW - your offer inspired me. I created one for burnout. Almost ready to launch. You’re the best!!!!

@staceypacer Those last three lines. 👊 So much power to you, Stacey.

No one ever called me an alcoholic. Let's look at the facts. ➪ A drink to take the edge off ➪ A drink to avoid difficult people ➪ A drink to reward a hard day's work I never imagined myself as someone who would never drink again. Yet, here I am. 120 days without alcohol. The most clear, focused, and certain I have ever been in my life. ➪ Knowing who I am. ➪ What I am capable of. ➪ The life I want to achieve. Not everyone will understand when you make decisions in favor of yourself. That’s OK. Make them anyway.

@_nickmiller The clarity and focus is so worth it. We got this.

@staceypacer This is awesome! Rooting for you! I stopped drinking as well. I remember having half a seltzer a few weeks ago after a few months off and it made me feel so horrible. Not worth it.

Here are the 5 things holding you back from what you really want. 👻 fear based beliefs 👿 nit picking at others ☠️ constant comparisons 🤢unprocessed past trauma 👹 unwilling to set boundaries We won’t find joy in the next career, relationship, friendship, etc. when we are lugging our old baggage with us everyday. More often than not, if you want a life worth living… You have to decide who you are living for today. 🌱

@avaphoenix_ It is such a mind fuck. Identity wrapped in external BS. Feels so damn good to be free on the inside. Doesn't it?

"What do you do?" I'm a dentist ⎯ I'd respond with a subtle pride, waiting for an “ohh” or even a “wow” if I was feeling myself. How insane it is to think I gave away my life for an easy answer; for approval from people I hardly knew. But that's what I was capable of doing. Don't underestimate the power of convincing yourself what's 'sane'

yep...the algo rewards worshippers if you aren't going to spend hours and hours every single day sucked in you will not get the vanity validation But, I have found, you can make some genuine connections, consistency, and goodwill and create energy and momentum for me, that's enough

If you are buying Twitter growth courses, you are getting scammed. There is no organic growth on this platform. And there is no hack. Unless you pay for ads or you have connections with bigger accounts who retweet you or you spend all day commenting under the people's posts, you will not grow. This is a 24/7 platform. You will not grow by posting twice a day You will not grow by posting weekly threads You have to be willing to spend hours commenting other people's posts or paying for ads for you to grow

not everyday is ideal you must roll with what is presented and live another day

@you_unlimited_ You know about being uniquely you Andrew. Appreciate the encouragement 🙏

@staceypacer A reinvention is a combination of your best skills And your unique experiences No one can be awesome like you The hard part is being patient Daily effort focused on growth It's worth it

My comeback is personal. It’s an apology to myself.

It’s not the market. It’s your soul growth. Sometimes we are forced to slow down so we have speed when needed later in ways we can’t see now. At least, this is what occurs to me as this past several weeks have brought me through some deep low energy, dull and frankly depressing energy.

I literally have not had any motivation this week. I've done nothing but been a potato. This happens every time the market pumps and I make money doing nothing. Send help 🥲

@nf_qts Deal!

I just did something I am really damn proud of. I said NO. Again. To a toxic person. Big wins over here today.