Six months ago, I started a group chat with my competitors.
Now we're homies.
It's called WAWG -- Writing Agency Working Group. (Pronounced WOW-guh!)
There are about 15 of us. We all run small-to-medium writing/content agencies, or are successful solo freelancers. Or run content at bigger companies.
There was a story in my head that bringing us together would be awkward, or somehow counterproductive. But over time, it's become one of my favorite micro communities, and provided a RIVER of ideas, feedback and support.
A few things I've learned over our first six months:
1) There is MORE than enough work out there for all of us. When someone wins, it doesn't mean you lose.
2) We all approach this work differently, and that's awesome. Our unique perspectives make everyone smarter.
3) Sharing clients when you're at capacity creates reciprocity that comes back tenfold.
4) The insights from 15 brains beat what you'd figure out alone every single time.
It might seem obvious, but turns out your "competitors" understand your specific challenges better than anyone else.
Also: writers tend to be world-class hangs: empathic, curious, and hilarious.
S/o to some of the WAWG crew: @nick4iezos@nicktrimmer@gaby_goldberg@anniamirza@thatjillian@jaesmail@RobbieCrab et al
I'm building a multi-million dollar storytelling agency.
And I'm 20 years old.
Here's how I became the CEO of @fortyiq:
In early 2023 I fell down the rabbit hole with an anon Twitter account and an insane hunger to build in crypto. I had everything to prove and nothing to show.
For over 400 days, I posted daily, replied constantly, and sent an obscene amount of cold DMs.
But there was one DM that changed it all.
In April 2024, I came across @jonwu_. It seemed obvious to me--brands in crypto were going to be built around founders.
To my surprise, he replied. We jumped on a call and he hired me there and then.
I joined FortyIQ as a writer and from there, things moved quickly:
• Day 1: In-house ghostwriter
• Day 30: Operator
• Day 60: Chief of Staff
• Day 120: Agency Lead
• Day 240: CEO
Today, we're pacing to $1m+ in annual revenue.
In the early days, I did everything it took to keep the business running:
• Setting up contracts and NDAs
• Building CRMs and managing accounts
• Onboarding clients and doing customer support
Eventually, I took my first sales call. (Turns out a bit of confidence and a British accent can go a long way)
Our belief is that cracked, terminally-online, crypto-native teams will outperform senior marketers. You should trust Gen Z to understand your users--because we are your users.
This is just the beginning. I want to scale FortyIQ to 8 figures and make it the biggest agency in crypto.
We’ve expanded our product portfolio and I’m doubling down on growth. I’ll be at all the major conferences next year, doing talks, and meeting new people.
We’re hiring:
• AI hackers
• Crypto-native writers and interviewers
• Video editors
If you’re ambitious, crypto-native, and ready to build something massive, let’s talk - DM me!
I’m excited about how far we’ve come, and even more excited about how far we can go.
Time to crack on.
While I may occasionally check Twitter during mat leave, I won't be working until Q2 2025. If you're looking for a writer ASAP, here are some recommendations (and if you want a personal intro, DM me):
Makers. Artists. Creators.
This is the time to ask your community to support you. Whatever your dream project is, set it into action.
Everyone has a fire under their butt, and needs a place to put that energy.
It's fun to help others. Let them help you!
Where can people chill the fuck out in NYC next week?
Election stress will be a lot, so I'm curating a list of events.
Suggestions? Respond here or DM me