Denóir—The Maverick

Premium Ghostwriter for founders, CEOs & VCs | Turning expertise into thought leadership that drives strategic influence | 4M+ views generated for clients.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

I started writing on X with one goal.

To earn a living through writing.

I thought the formula was simple:

Write every day.
Post consistently.
Talk about valuable ideas.

So, I wrote about everything.

• Business.
• Productivity.
• Self-improvement.
• Whatever seemed interesting.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

For four months, I showed up.

But I wasn't building a reputation.

I was building confusion.

Nobody knew what I stood for.

Eventually, I got frustrated and quit.

Not because I hated writing.

Because nothing was working.

• No clients.
• No audience.
• No momentum.

I was trying to be everything to everyone.

Which meant I wasn't known for anything.

For the next six months, I rethought everything.

I asked myself one question:

What's the one skill I'm exceptionally good at that, if I dedicated myself to it, people would happily pay for?

The answer changed everything.

Then I came back with a dead-simple strategy:

• One skill.
• One niche.
• One audience.

Instead of trying to be known for everything, I focused on becoming known for one thing.

Ghostwriting.

More specifically, helping senior executives turn their expertise into thought leadership.

That level of clarity helped me land my first ghostwriting client.

Now I'm documenting everything I learned along the way.

• The mistakes.
• The lessons learned.
• The wins along the way.
• The systems I'm building.

So, if you're trying to become a better writer, or create a business around your expertise...

Follow along.

I'll share what worked, what failed, and the lessons I wish I'd learned sooner.

My mistakes cost me months.

I'm sharing lessons so they don't cost you years.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

My six-month break from X changed everything.

During that time, I stopped asking:

"What should I post more of?"

And started asking:

"What's the one skill I'm exceptionally good at that people would happily pay for?"

That was my light-bulb moment.

It was also the first real step toward landing my first ghostwriting client.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

Looking back, stepping away wasn't the mistake.

It gave me the clarity to see what I was doing wrong.

Staying on the same path would've been the real mistake.

I'd probably still be stuck today.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

For months, I thought I had a content problem.

Looking back, I realized I actually had a positioning problem.

Those are two completely different things.

One creates noise.

The other creates clarity.

Follow along for more lessons like this.

And if this resonated with you, repost it so it can help someone else too.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

The hardest part of my first four months on X wasn't posting consistently.

It was the feeling that nothing was changing.

• No clients.
• No followers.
• No momentum.

Looking back, I understood why.

Consistency without clarity doesn't build momentum.

It only builds frustration.

You can't keep doing the same things and expect different results.

I didn't need to work harder.

I needed a strategy that gave me clarity and direction.

This is just one of many lessons.

I'm sharing the lessons I wish I'd learned sooner.

Hopefully, my mistakes save you months of trial and error.

Follow along for more lessons like this.

And if you found this helpful, repost it so it can help someone else too.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

For six months, I stepped away from writing because I'd hit a dead end.

But those six months gave me my greatest weapon:

Clarity.

I realized I hadn't been struggling because I lacked ideas.

I'd been struggling because I lacked a clear direction.

I'd been trying to be known for everything.

So, instead of asking,

"What should I write next?"

I ask myself this.

What's the one skill I'm exceptionally good at, that if I dedicate myself to it, people would happily pay for?

Everything I'm building today started with that one question.

Over the next few tweets, I'll share how that answer changed everything, from what worked, what didn't, and everything in between, including how I landed my first client, so you can avoid the mistakes that kept me stuck.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

It was after four months on X that I hit a dead end and quit.

I'd spent those months writing about everything for everyone.

• Business.
• Self-help.
• Productivity.

The result?

Nobody knew what I stood for.

I wasn't building a reputation.

I was just adding more noise.

So I stepped away.

Not to quit writing.

To rethink how I approached it.

Six months later, I'm back.

This time, it's simple.

• One skill.
• One niche.
• One audience.

I'm documenting everything so you can avoid the mistakes that kept me stuck.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

@thejustinwelsh I think using your expertise to solve a problem is the safest way to create real impact and that's what people ultimately pay for.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

@stijnnoorman I'd think it's actually an asset because you aren't starting from the same place mentally. You're approaching the challenge with better judgment and a whole new perspective.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

For a long time, every time I saw another creator write something interesting, I'd tell myself:

"Maybe I should write about that too."

So I'd abandon whatever I was working on and start writing about their topic instead.

I thought it was the quickest way to gain traction.

I was dead wrong.

Because I wasn't building my own voice.

I was borrowing everyone else's.

And every time I changed direction, I tore down whatever little foundation I'd started to build.

So nobody knew what I stood for because I never stayed in one place long enough for them to remember.

Then I learned this:

You can't build a reputation by constantly changing direction.

People remember you for the things you do consistently.

I needed to stay in one lane long enough for people to know what I stood for.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

That’s mostly true @thejustinwelsh.

However, when you’re just starting out, you don’t always have the luxury of leaving money on the table.

But as you establish yourself and build your position, though, not every dollar has to be taken, and that’s when you can become more selective.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

@vicctttorr Exactly! It's funny how the our brains need a few laps before they get the message.

It's like lifting weights. Nothing happens without those reps...

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

With time, I learned that growth isn’t a straight line.

It’s loops of learning, circling arounf, leveling up and trying again and again and again.

And then, out of nowhere, it finally clicks.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

In whatever you do, aim to be a winner.

If that fails, at least be a loser, but never a quitter.

The difference?

A loser is simply a winner who learned the hard lessons and kept going.

The quitter learned NOTHING!

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

@Beno10_MFC The collar...

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

Did you know that every job or past experience you’ve ever had has left you with lessons someone else needs?

Well, you’ve solved problems, handled pressure, and picked up lessons that many people would die to learn.

What feels normal to you is exactly what someone else is trying to figure out.

Truth is, you don’t need a fancy title or a viral strategy.

You just need to turn your experience into insight.

And then you can refine things as you go along.

But that’s how you start.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

The problem isn’t that it’s hard.

It’s that I expected results too fast.

I almost quit, not because that I couldn't, but because I thought it would happen much faster.

But with time, I came to understand that success takes time.

Growth is slow and you can't rush momentum.

That's when I knew that I was not failing.

I was just trying to rush things.

So, I decided to give it time and I know that it’ll click.

Keep building!

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

Every time I tried to post, I wondered: “Who even cares?”

That question would ring in my head countless times.

I’d write something, stare at it, and think...

No one’s waiting for this.

No one’s refreshing their feed to read me.

So I’d delete the draft. Again, and again, and again!

Well, the truth is, most people don’t care, especially at least not at first.

They start caring when you show up long enough to earn their attention.

And that’s the part we all hate the mosr: showing up when it feels like no one’s watching.

But that’s also where every creator starts. In silence and in darkness.

So now, when that voice whispers “Who even cares?”

I remind myself: maybe no one yet…

But they will, if I keep posting consistently!

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

I thought I was becoming a better writer.

But I was just becoming a better reader.

I was reading more about writing than actually writing.

I was drowning in tips, frameworks, and “how to grow on X” threads.

Studying every top writer like I’d unlock their magic formula.

But no matter how many ebooks or posts I read,
my words didn’t get any better, because I wasn’t actually using them.

It’s like fitness.

You can read every workout plan and watch every gym video, but until you pick up the weights, nothing changes.

Turns out writing doesn’t improve by reading about it.
It improves by doing it.

No amount of reading can replace doing the actual work.

So, you can’t read your way into a better you.

You have to work your way there.

[Denóir—The Maverick @IamDenoir]

Ask yourself this:

“What if it works out beyond my expectations?”

I’ve asked myself that countless times.

And honestly, that thought alone keeps me going.

Because you can’t hold on to that kind of hope if you quit.

Well, success isn’t guaranteed, that's for sure, but it’s possible.

However, the only thing guaranteed in quitting… is FAILURE.

So keep showing up.

Keep pushing.

Keep on keeping on.