WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:32.264 --> 00:00:32.544 Kevin Griffin: Welcome 00:00:32.544 --> 00:00:34.004 back to the show, everyone. 00:00:34.014 --> 00:00:35.854 I am joined by my good 00:00:35.854 --> 00:00:38.304 friend and guest, James Q. 00:00:38.374 --> 00:00:38.914 Quick. 00:00:39.424 --> 00:00:40.974 James, how are you doing today? 00:00:41.164 --> 00:00:41.894 James Q. Quick: Doing really good. 00:00:41.894 --> 00:00:42.494 Excited to be here. 00:00:42.494 --> 00:00:43.994 Excited to catch up for the first time. 00:00:43.994 --> 00:00:45.274 And we haven't seen each other in 00:00:45.274 --> 00:00:46.424 a couple of years, so this is fun. 00:00:46.744 --> 00:00:47.134 Kevin Griffin: Yeah. 00:00:47.134 --> 00:00:48.274 Time's amazing that way. 00:00:48.274 --> 00:00:49.364 It was like, Oh, it was just last 00:00:49.364 --> 00:00:50.904 month, but last month was three years 00:00:51.114 --> 00:00:51.354 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:00:53.134 --> 00:00:53.824 Kevin Griffin: I'm so 00:00:53.824 --> 00:00:54.964 glad to have you here. 00:00:55.024 --> 00:00:57.944 And we just actually spent 20 minutes 00:00:58.294 --> 00:01:00.874 talking before even hitting record. 00:01:01.354 --> 00:01:03.264 Uh, but I wanted to start a 00:01:03.264 --> 00:01:05.034 conversation about branding. 00:01:05.034 --> 00:01:06.514 I know we have so much other content 00:01:06.524 --> 00:01:08.124 to go into, but I want to talk 00:01:08.124 --> 00:01:10.034 about branding because I love your 00:01:10.034 --> 00:01:13.604 brand, James Q quick, and I wanted 00:01:13.624 --> 00:01:16.374 to talk about why the Q why is that 00:01:16.374 --> 00:01:18.474 important from a branding perspective? 00:01:18.694 --> 00:01:19.134 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:01:19.394 --> 00:01:21.644 So I like, we'll probably talk a 00:01:21.644 --> 00:01:22.544 little bit about brand and then 00:01:22.544 --> 00:01:23.584 we'll get into a bunch of things. 00:01:23.624 --> 00:01:24.994 Understand that all the things we talk 00:01:24.994 --> 00:01:26.804 about later are directly impacted by like. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:29.619 Being intentional of having a brand 00:01:29.629 --> 00:01:31.059 that's consistent, all these things. 00:01:31.069 --> 00:01:34.359 So, uh, my name is James Quinton quick. 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:35.039 I don't know if you knew that 00:01:35.039 --> 00:01:36.799 my middle name was Q Quinton. 00:01:37.419 --> 00:01:39.299 And, um, anyway, when I was starting to 00:01:39.299 --> 00:01:40.859 kind of pay more attention to my social 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.039 media accounts and stuff and kind of 00:01:42.069 --> 00:01:44.309 consolidate things to one name or brand, 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:46.619 I was looking at James quick and I found 00:01:46.619 --> 00:01:47.839 out that there was a football player 00:01:47.849 --> 00:01:49.649 who played at Louisville in the U S and 00:01:49.649 --> 00:01:51.919 then went to the NFL, anybody that's a 00:01:51.919 --> 00:01:53.899 professional athlete, like usually has. 00:01:54.289 --> 00:01:56.989 Pretty good traction on SEO. 00:01:56.989 --> 00:01:58.119 So if you searched at least at 00:01:58.119 --> 00:01:59.709 the time, you would find that 00:01:59.709 --> 00:02:01.009 person and you wouldn't find me. 00:02:01.494 --> 00:02:04.364 And so I decided to, um, embrace my 00:02:04.364 --> 00:02:05.864 middle initial, which is very unique. 00:02:05.864 --> 00:02:06.914 Also, like most people don't 00:02:06.914 --> 00:02:07.864 have a Q in their name. 00:02:07.944 --> 00:02:09.834 No one has two of them in their name. 00:02:09.834 --> 00:02:10.614 So that's kind of unique. 00:02:11.264 --> 00:02:12.784 So anyway, by embracing the middle 00:02:12.784 --> 00:02:14.984 initial and going by James Q quick, 00:02:15.344 --> 00:02:18.274 um, it is unique across every social 00:02:18.284 --> 00:02:19.814 media platform I've ever signed up for. 00:02:20.339 --> 00:02:21.869 It's my website. 00:02:21.899 --> 00:02:22.929 It's a consistent thing. 00:02:22.929 --> 00:02:24.849 If you search for James, you quick. 00:02:24.849 --> 00:02:25.919 And this is the reason we 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.229 talked about this was you asked 00:02:27.519 --> 00:02:28.469 which way to be introduced. 00:02:28.489 --> 00:02:30.599 And I said like, please include the 00:02:30.609 --> 00:02:32.409 middle Q because that makes it more 00:02:32.409 --> 00:02:33.819 unique for me and SEO friendly. 00:02:33.819 --> 00:02:35.069 So if people are searching for me, 00:02:35.434 --> 00:02:36.954 They should be able to find me directly 00:02:36.954 --> 00:02:38.844 and not the, um, the football player. 00:02:39.264 --> 00:02:41.484 Kevin Griffin: There is a singer 00:02:41.514 --> 00:02:42.774 of a popular band from the 00:02:42.774 --> 00:02:45.244 nineties, better than Ezra. 00:02:45.574 --> 00:02:46.924 And the lead singer of 00:02:46.934 --> 00:02:48.794 that band is Kevin Griffin. 00:02:49.354 --> 00:02:52.664 And there is also a Buddhist 00:02:53.054 --> 00:02:55.164 teacher and speaker. 00:02:56.404 --> 00:02:57.614 It's called Kevin Griffin, and 00:02:57.614 --> 00:02:59.234 he he's the guy who owns Kevin 00:02:59.234 --> 00:03:00.974 Griffin dot com, and he has not 00:03:00.979 --> 00:03:01.479 James Q. Quick: how you pay 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:02.619 attention to those things. 00:03:02.839 --> 00:03:03.209 Yeah. 00:03:03.364 --> 00:03:05.584 Kevin Griffin: it's pick a pick a brand 00:03:05.634 --> 00:03:08.834 that you can go with, and I really 00:03:08.834 --> 00:03:09.834 appreciate that, because actually on 00:03:09.834 --> 00:03:11.754 my website, I use Kevin W Griffin. 00:03:12.529 --> 00:03:12.859 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:03:12.959 --> 00:03:14.379 Kevin Griffin: Or for my name is for 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:16.649 the same reasons, just so it stands 00:03:16.649 --> 00:03:19.309 out a little bit, but I haven't gone 00:03:19.309 --> 00:03:21.469 as deeply into it as, as you have. 00:03:21.509 --> 00:03:21.799 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:03:22.629 --> 00:03:23.619 Kevin Griffin: All right, let's 00:03:24.489 --> 00:03:25.689 talk about other subjects. 00:03:25.929 --> 00:03:27.649 I think that's a really good discussion 00:03:27.649 --> 00:03:28.699 to have though, is if you're going 00:03:28.699 --> 00:03:30.929 to put yourself out there, make 00:03:30.929 --> 00:03:32.689 sure you're putting yourself out 00:03:32.739 --> 00:03:34.099 as someone that people can find. 00:03:34.379 --> 00:03:35.469 I actually think you're the 00:03:35.469 --> 00:03:37.239 only one, but you're right. 00:03:37.239 --> 00:03:39.639 If someone's typing in the Google, Google 00:03:39.649 --> 00:03:43.459 doesn't know that I want James quick, the 00:03:43.799 --> 00:03:44.519 James Q. Quick: The me. 00:03:44.979 --> 00:03:46.399 Kevin Griffin: yeah, the content 00:03:46.399 --> 00:03:48.999 creator, the javascript guy, the speaker. 00:03:49.369 --> 00:03:50.609 They don't know if I want you or 00:03:50.609 --> 00:03:51.769 if I want the football player. 00:03:51.879 --> 00:03:52.119 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:03:52.119 --> 00:03:53.069 It works out so well for 00:03:53.069 --> 00:03:54.049 the consistency across. 00:03:54.874 --> 00:03:55.894 Platforms as well. 00:03:55.944 --> 00:03:56.644 And that's one thing I would 00:03:56.644 --> 00:03:58.704 recommend for people is fine. 00:03:58.734 --> 00:04:00.694 Find something that is meaningful to you, 00:04:00.694 --> 00:04:02.864 like a handle and something that's unique, 00:04:02.914 --> 00:04:04.064 because then you can keep those things 00:04:04.064 --> 00:04:06.414 consistent across ideally every platform. 00:04:06.649 --> 00:04:08.789 Kevin Griffin: yeah, well, 00:04:08.789 --> 00:04:09.689 let's start at the beginning. 00:04:10.069 --> 00:04:14.489 Let's go way back to a younger James Q. 00:04:14.489 --> 00:04:17.619 Quick and tell us your origin story 00:04:17.619 --> 00:04:19.069 about how you got started in tech. 00:04:19.304 --> 00:04:19.944 James Q. Quick: I guess then I 00:04:19.944 --> 00:04:21.244 would have been just James quick. 00:04:23.154 --> 00:04:26.159 Um, So I, I started, I went to 00:04:26.189 --> 00:04:27.939 school of engineering in college, 00:04:27.979 --> 00:04:29.409 got into the school of engineering. 00:04:30.119 --> 00:04:31.729 I don't really, I don't know why I 00:04:31.739 --> 00:04:33.229 like, I think I applied specifically 00:04:33.239 --> 00:04:34.169 for the school of engineering. 00:04:34.169 --> 00:04:35.449 I don't remember making 00:04:35.449 --> 00:04:36.579 that decision, but I did. 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:37.859 And I got in and they said, 00:04:38.469 --> 00:04:39.519 uh, great, you're here. 00:04:39.529 --> 00:04:40.409 What do you want to study? 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:42.249 And I had no idea. 00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:42.614 I like it. 00:04:42.614 --> 00:04:42.789 I. 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:44.329 I didn't, I didn't want to 00:04:44.339 --> 00:04:46.289 do like chemistry and bio. 00:04:46.289 --> 00:04:47.099 So I didn't want to do like 00:04:47.129 --> 00:04:48.739 biomed or something like that. 00:04:48.739 --> 00:04:50.029 I wasn't particularly interested 00:04:50.029 --> 00:04:52.749 in physics and I really just, I saw 00:04:52.749 --> 00:04:53.959 computer science and I was like, that, 00:04:53.989 --> 00:04:57.249 that sounds as interesting or more 00:04:57.269 --> 00:04:58.699 in comparison to the other options 00:04:58.699 --> 00:05:00.109 that I had in the engineering school. 00:05:00.779 --> 00:05:01.849 And that's where I started, like 00:05:01.869 --> 00:05:03.009 basically on a whim, I had no 00:05:03.009 --> 00:05:04.539 programming experience, never done 00:05:04.539 --> 00:05:05.619 anything with computer science. 00:05:05.739 --> 00:05:07.069 People had done it at my 00:05:07.069 --> 00:05:08.119 high school, but I hadn't. 00:05:08.814 --> 00:05:10.194 So I just, I had nothing like 00:05:10.224 --> 00:05:12.094 background and I started and 00:05:12.144 --> 00:05:13.114 obviously really enjoyed it. 00:05:13.114 --> 00:05:14.394 I think one of the biggest things I ever 00:05:14.394 --> 00:05:16.704 did was build something outside of class. 00:05:16.744 --> 00:05:18.304 I just wanted to build an Android app 00:05:18.304 --> 00:05:19.744 and had a book and got bored and I was 00:05:19.744 --> 00:05:21.104 like, I'll just Google stuff to build 00:05:21.104 --> 00:05:22.774 this Harry Potter trivia app that I did. 00:05:23.644 --> 00:05:24.224 And anyway. 00:05:25.209 --> 00:05:26.329 I found excitement kind of building 00:05:26.329 --> 00:05:28.149 that and then, uh, come senior year 00:05:28.159 --> 00:05:30.319 had interviews, uh, with Microsoft. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:33.059 They were recruiting on campus and 00:05:33.069 --> 00:05:34.939 I got turned down twice, which I'm 00:05:34.939 --> 00:05:36.239 not surprised at all that I did. 00:05:36.239 --> 00:05:37.729 And I tell this a lot, like I didn't 00:05:37.729 --> 00:05:39.359 graduate as a very good programmer 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:40.919 because I treated school like school. 00:05:40.919 --> 00:05:42.899 I didn't actually like care and 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:44.619 I didn't really internalize and I 00:05:44.619 --> 00:05:46.179 didn't really learn to be honest. 00:05:46.229 --> 00:05:48.224 Um, something I like to So a lot of 00:05:48.234 --> 00:05:50.184 people, because I don't know, it wasn't 00:05:50.184 --> 00:05:51.344 wasted time, but I just could have 00:05:51.344 --> 00:05:53.634 gotten a lot more and I got turned 00:05:53.634 --> 00:05:55.194 out for Microsoft twice and they 00:05:55.194 --> 00:05:56.334 came back and said, what do you think 00:05:56.344 --> 00:05:57.944 about a technical evangelist position? 00:05:58.684 --> 00:05:59.864 And I said, that sounds ridiculous. 00:05:59.884 --> 00:06:00.324 I don't know what that 00:06:00.324 --> 00:06:01.714 is, but Microsoft sure. 00:06:01.724 --> 00:06:03.184 Like I'll, I'm definitely interested 00:06:03.254 --> 00:06:04.834 in, in figuring out about that. 00:06:04.834 --> 00:06:07.694 And a lot of what the interview was, was 00:06:07.694 --> 00:06:09.834 about kind of my excitement for stuff. 00:06:09.864 --> 00:06:11.044 So I had found the. 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:12.939 Working on that app was me going above 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:14.579 and beyond outside of the classroom, like 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:16.819 actually just building stuff and then 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:18.459 talking about the stuff that I built and 00:06:18.459 --> 00:06:20.329 what I didn't realize would become a big 00:06:20.339 --> 00:06:21.929 part of my career was the teaching aspect. 00:06:21.939 --> 00:06:23.069 So as an evangelist or an 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:24.579 advocate, now you hear more often. 00:06:25.219 --> 00:06:27.339 you're, you're teaching in some capacity. 00:06:27.379 --> 00:06:29.889 And I didn't realize this at the 00:06:29.889 --> 00:06:32.289 time until later that I really 00:06:32.299 --> 00:06:33.899 have fallen in love with teaching. 00:06:33.979 --> 00:06:35.779 So basically kind of the rest of the 00:06:35.779 --> 00:06:37.289 conversation will come from a place 00:06:37.289 --> 00:06:39.589 of, I do content, I do speaking, I do 00:06:39.589 --> 00:06:41.089 all these things because I've found 00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:42.379 that I really love to teach people. 00:06:43.729 --> 00:06:44.579 Kevin Griffin: That's amazing. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:46.859 now I didn't know you were at Microsoft. 00:06:46.909 --> 00:06:48.819 Um, as long as I've known you, I 00:06:48.819 --> 00:06:50.859 don't think I've known that when 00:06:50.859 --> 00:06:53.459 I met you, you were at off zero. 00:06:54.274 --> 00:06:56.734 And so I'm not sure how much of a 00:06:56.734 --> 00:07:00.014 gap in years and in career that was, 00:07:00.624 --> 00:07:05.804 but I met you at a conference or 00:07:05.804 --> 00:07:08.324 two and you had started getting into 00:07:08.324 --> 00:07:10.814 the YouTube game as far as I was 00:07:10.814 --> 00:07:14.524 aware, let's talk about now one day. 00:07:14.974 --> 00:07:16.034 I guess you have to decide. 00:07:16.034 --> 00:07:17.714 I'm going to put stuff on on YouTube. 00:07:18.104 --> 00:07:20.314 Let's talk about how you made that 00:07:21.434 --> 00:07:21.904 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:07:21.974 --> 00:07:22.664 It actually started 00:07:22.664 --> 00:07:24.044 with Microsoft as well. 00:07:24.664 --> 00:07:27.034 And the very first use case was just 00:07:27.034 --> 00:07:29.024 solving a problem that I had, which was 00:07:29.064 --> 00:07:30.924 I would run this workshop in a classroom 00:07:31.554 --> 00:07:33.154 and I would give like an introductory, 00:07:33.314 --> 00:07:34.494 like, here's some things you could 00:07:34.494 --> 00:07:36.594 do is with a game making tool called 00:07:36.594 --> 00:07:37.924 construct two, which is super cool 00:07:37.924 --> 00:07:39.224 because it's drag and drop for games. 00:07:39.234 --> 00:07:40.384 It's so much more exciting 00:07:40.384 --> 00:07:41.404 to work with and teaching. 00:07:41.754 --> 00:07:43.014 Java for people that have 00:07:43.014 --> 00:07:43.834 never programmed before. 00:07:43.834 --> 00:07:45.804 Like it's, it's such a better option to 00:07:45.814 --> 00:07:48.064 get interest in computer science, I think. 00:07:48.534 --> 00:07:50.064 And so I loved it, but I would do like an 00:07:50.074 --> 00:07:51.364 hour long, like, here's some things you 00:07:51.364 --> 00:07:52.844 could do now go build some stuff yourself. 00:07:53.324 --> 00:07:54.354 And they would ask me the same 00:07:54.354 --> 00:07:55.434 questions over and over again. 00:07:55.454 --> 00:07:57.694 And I'd be in a classroom of 20 or 00:07:57.694 --> 00:07:59.854 30 kids and have like a teacher who 00:07:59.854 --> 00:08:00.924 didn't really know what was going on. 00:08:00.934 --> 00:08:01.824 Not that that's their fault. 00:08:01.844 --> 00:08:02.454 They were just like 00:08:02.464 --> 00:08:04.434 trying to help help out. 00:08:04.614 --> 00:08:06.744 And, um, anyway, so I recorded like 00:08:06.784 --> 00:08:09.174 a 16 video series of like, here's how 00:08:09.174 --> 00:08:10.434 you do these things with construct two. 00:08:10.434 --> 00:08:11.504 And I put it up on YouTube. 00:08:12.354 --> 00:08:14.354 I didn't think about it was, it was 00:08:14.354 --> 00:08:15.634 literally just a logistical thing. 00:08:15.634 --> 00:08:16.844 I had no plan for brand. 00:08:16.844 --> 00:08:19.004 I had no scared or no 00:08:19.004 --> 00:08:20.084 fear of like comments. 00:08:20.084 --> 00:08:21.194 There was no, there was no thought 00:08:21.194 --> 00:08:22.434 into it other than I'm going to solve 00:08:22.434 --> 00:08:24.194 this particular use case where I'm 00:08:24.194 --> 00:08:25.254 going to show up to a classroom. 00:08:25.294 --> 00:08:25.964 I'm going to say, here's 00:08:25.964 --> 00:08:26.804 some things you could do. 00:08:27.284 --> 00:08:28.324 When you have a question, go watch 00:08:28.324 --> 00:08:29.594 these videos and don't ask me like, 00:08:29.594 --> 00:08:30.804 not in a rude way, but like, here's 00:08:30.804 --> 00:08:32.104 a resource where you can go and 00:08:32.104 --> 00:08:34.144 get contact so that I can scale. 00:08:34.344 --> 00:08:35.744 My ability to teach, right? 00:08:35.744 --> 00:08:36.694 Like if everyone's asking 00:08:36.694 --> 00:08:38.004 the same question and I have 00:08:38.004 --> 00:08:39.554 it documented, here you go. 00:08:39.554 --> 00:08:40.594 You can go find that and take 00:08:40.594 --> 00:08:41.894 your time and rewind and slow 00:08:41.894 --> 00:08:43.134 it down or whatever you need. 00:08:43.724 --> 00:08:44.754 So that was, that was the first 00:08:44.754 --> 00:08:46.964 thing I ended up doing after that. 00:08:46.964 --> 00:08:48.224 Some other video content on 00:08:48.234 --> 00:08:49.464 Microsoft channel nine, where I 00:08:49.464 --> 00:08:50.654 did some interviews with the team. 00:08:50.654 --> 00:08:51.744 I don't remember honestly 00:08:51.744 --> 00:08:53.004 how or why that started. 00:08:53.534 --> 00:08:55.099 I just remember I kind of had. 00:08:55.259 --> 00:08:56.829 A mini show at one point, it was 00:08:56.829 --> 00:08:58.179 doing a series and I was doing 00:08:58.189 --> 00:08:59.279 interviews with other people. 00:08:59.859 --> 00:09:00.889 And that was super cool. 00:09:01.449 --> 00:09:02.189 And you mentioned like 00:09:02.189 --> 00:09:03.579 the potential time gap. 00:09:03.579 --> 00:09:05.619 So from Microsoft, I left and 00:09:05.629 --> 00:09:06.369 my wife and I came back to 00:09:06.409 --> 00:09:07.719 Memphis, which is where I'm from. 00:09:07.729 --> 00:09:09.809 I worked for FedEx as a developer, 00:09:09.809 --> 00:09:10.629 software engineer, and an 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:12.639 architect for three years. 00:09:12.659 --> 00:09:14.884 And while I was there, I was 00:09:14.884 --> 00:09:15.894 trying to get back into speaking, 00:09:15.894 --> 00:09:16.984 which we haven't talked about yet. 00:09:16.994 --> 00:09:18.454 And I was doing some YouTube stuff 00:09:18.504 --> 00:09:21.964 and I realized I miss doing that. 00:09:22.024 --> 00:09:25.134 Like I miss the, the advocacy, 00:09:25.144 --> 00:09:26.104 the content, the teaching, 00:09:26.104 --> 00:09:26.854 I missed all of that. 00:09:27.364 --> 00:09:27.864 And that's when I 00:09:27.864 --> 00:09:28.984 transitioned back to all zero. 00:09:28.984 --> 00:09:29.984 Cause I wanted someone to pay 00:09:29.984 --> 00:09:31.414 for me to do all of those things. 00:09:31.984 --> 00:09:33.094 And around that time, I started 00:09:33.094 --> 00:09:34.524 taking YouTube seriously. 00:09:34.534 --> 00:09:35.924 Like I started looking at it as an 00:09:35.934 --> 00:09:37.374 option of something you can build. 00:09:41.174 --> 00:09:43.084 I'm currently in a discord for years. 00:09:43.434 --> 00:09:44.714 The YouTube, the programming, 00:09:44.714 --> 00:09:45.714 YouTubers discord. 00:09:45.734 --> 00:09:47.944 And if you are in the programming 00:09:48.034 --> 00:09:49.934 ecosystem and you know, like programming 00:09:49.944 --> 00:09:51.694 YouTubers, like channels, they're 00:09:51.694 --> 00:09:52.964 probably in a discord and it's 00:09:52.974 --> 00:09:54.594 super cool because everybody is like 00:09:54.594 --> 00:09:56.884 super transparent and open helpful. 00:09:56.914 --> 00:09:57.764 It's really amazing. 00:09:57.764 --> 00:10:00.044 So I just started to see it as like, I 00:10:00.044 --> 00:10:01.804 could actually do something with that. 00:10:01.814 --> 00:10:02.864 And that's been over the 00:10:02.864 --> 00:10:04.304 course of four or five years. 00:10:04.304 --> 00:10:05.384 It's just continued to grow and 00:10:05.384 --> 00:10:06.694 enabled me to do a lot more, 00:10:06.694 --> 00:10:07.614 which I'm sure we'll talk about. 00:10:08.659 --> 00:10:10.469 Kevin Griffin: So we have 00:10:10.469 --> 00:10:12.949 covered content doing YouTube. 00:10:12.959 --> 00:10:14.309 You had gone back into speaking and 00:10:14.309 --> 00:10:15.239 we're going to talk a little bit more 00:10:15.239 --> 00:10:16.469 about speaking here in a couple of 00:10:16.469 --> 00:10:20.059 minutes, but I know there was an eventual 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:23.009 point in your career where you said, I 00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:25.159 don't want to do the, The job anymore. 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:26.909 I want to go all in on content. 00:10:27.939 --> 00:10:28.979 Let's talk a little bit 00:10:29.079 --> 00:10:30.359 about what was that? 00:10:31.239 --> 00:10:32.379 What was that spark that said? 00:10:32.379 --> 00:10:34.119 This is a good idea that I should do this. 00:10:34.579 --> 00:10:35.019 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:10:35.059 --> 00:10:36.709 Um, I don't, I don't know if you 00:10:36.709 --> 00:10:38.819 actually know this part, but the, 00:10:38.829 --> 00:10:40.349 the take is a little bit different 00:10:40.349 --> 00:10:42.999 than I decided I kind of did anyway. 00:10:43.199 --> 00:10:45.299 So I was actually let go from the company. 00:10:45.299 --> 00:10:46.199 I was at planet scale. 00:10:46.209 --> 00:10:48.329 So I showed up for work one day, 00:10:48.329 --> 00:10:49.409 got an invite on my calendar to 00:10:49.409 --> 00:10:50.889 meet with the CEO, small company. 00:10:50.889 --> 00:10:51.789 So that wasn't super odd. 00:10:52.564 --> 00:10:53.154 Send a message. 00:10:53.174 --> 00:10:54.024 I was like, Hey, anything I should 00:10:54.024 --> 00:10:55.624 prepare showed up and HR was like, 00:10:55.624 --> 00:10:56.944 we'll wait until the CEO gets here. 00:10:57.314 --> 00:10:58.594 And he was like, this is your last day. 00:10:58.594 --> 00:10:59.824 Immediately sign out of everything. 00:10:59.824 --> 00:11:02.444 I was done leading up to that point. 00:11:02.874 --> 00:11:04.544 I had already been, I had already 00:11:04.544 --> 00:11:06.644 kind of planned that most likely 00:11:06.644 --> 00:11:08.424 I was going to try to do content 00:11:08.424 --> 00:11:10.104 full time after planet scale. 00:11:10.104 --> 00:11:10.434 So. 00:11:11.029 --> 00:11:13.679 Maybe within six months of when I got let 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:15.459 go, or maybe in another year or something. 00:11:16.209 --> 00:11:17.219 But I've been thinking about that 00:11:17.219 --> 00:11:18.369 and I've been making money on the 00:11:18.369 --> 00:11:20.039 side too, from sponsored content 00:11:20.049 --> 00:11:21.309 and a little bit from courses. 00:11:21.319 --> 00:11:24.639 Although, um, you know, I have grown a lot 00:11:24.649 --> 00:11:25.969 and got a lot better, I think since then. 00:11:25.969 --> 00:11:28.389 But, um, I had proven myself up 00:11:28.389 --> 00:11:29.539 until that point that I had the 00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:30.929 ability to generate revenue. 00:11:31.459 --> 00:11:33.639 Um, the other most important part for me 00:11:33.649 --> 00:11:35.599 is my wife who works at All C R O now. 00:11:35.599 --> 00:11:36.399 I don't know if you knew that. 00:11:36.814 --> 00:11:37.634 Kevin Griffin: I didn't know that either. 00:11:37.689 --> 00:11:38.049 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:11:38.049 --> 00:11:39.629 So it's, it's a super fun overlap 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:41.169 where she does events and sponsorships. 00:11:41.569 --> 00:11:42.849 I work with companies and I 00:11:42.889 --> 00:11:43.899 go and speak at conferences. 00:11:43.929 --> 00:11:45.999 We have, it's so amazing for us to have, 00:11:45.999 --> 00:11:47.439 like be in the same ecosystem together, 00:11:47.449 --> 00:11:50.319 but, um, she has healthcare, like she 00:11:50.319 --> 00:11:51.659 has a really good salary from all zero. 00:11:52.009 --> 00:11:54.529 Like her, her journey is amazing 00:11:54.529 --> 00:11:55.649 where she tripled her salary when 00:11:55.649 --> 00:11:57.639 she got into tech, limited vacation 00:11:57.649 --> 00:11:58.804 benefits, all the things, right? 00:11:58.804 --> 00:12:00.149 Like it's everything you could dream of. 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:02.439 And so I had that to lean on 00:12:02.509 --> 00:12:03.759 most importantly, the healthcare. 00:12:04.789 --> 00:12:07.029 And I took a day, I posted on Twitter. 00:12:07.029 --> 00:12:08.079 I was like, I just got let go. 00:12:08.079 --> 00:12:09.039 I don't know what's next for me. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.179 If you have roles like in Deverell 00:12:11.179 --> 00:12:12.879 or like whatever, let me know. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:14.739 And just like flooded my DMS, which is 00:12:14.739 --> 00:12:17.629 so cool because I think my brand, I had 00:12:17.659 --> 00:12:19.439 earned my reputation in the community 00:12:19.439 --> 00:12:21.939 where people knew I was worth reaching 00:12:22.299 --> 00:12:23.839 out to for open positions because 00:12:23.839 --> 00:12:25.829 of the work that I had done and the. 00:12:26.314 --> 00:12:27.664 The trust that I built in the community. 00:12:27.664 --> 00:12:28.434 So that was super cool. 00:12:29.114 --> 00:12:30.324 But I was at this kind of crossroads at 00:12:30.324 --> 00:12:32.664 that point of saying like, I could go look 00:12:32.674 --> 00:12:34.374 for another job, or maybe this is that 00:12:34.374 --> 00:12:36.024 opportunity that I've been looking for. 00:12:36.514 --> 00:12:38.784 And honestly, I like even six months 00:12:38.784 --> 00:12:39.714 down the road, I don't know that I 00:12:39.714 --> 00:12:40.804 would have left to do it on my own. 00:12:40.814 --> 00:12:42.114 Like this was kind of the jumpstart 00:12:42.124 --> 00:12:43.434 in a reverse way where it kind 00:12:43.434 --> 00:12:45.294 of forced me into like, this 00:12:45.294 --> 00:12:46.284 could actually be that chance. 00:12:46.284 --> 00:12:47.144 And so I looked at like. 00:12:47.629 --> 00:12:49.589 How much runway did I have money wise? 00:12:49.609 --> 00:12:51.109 How much upcoming content did 00:12:51.109 --> 00:12:52.279 I have that would make money? 00:12:52.749 --> 00:12:55.009 And then thinking about if I was 00:12:55.009 --> 00:12:56.399 doing this full time, how much 00:12:56.419 --> 00:12:58.499 money, how much more could I do? 00:12:58.509 --> 00:12:59.699 How much more money could I make? 00:12:59.699 --> 00:13:00.389 How much more content 00:13:00.689 --> 00:13:01.849 content could I produce? 00:13:02.549 --> 00:13:04.289 And it was, it was like less than a day. 00:13:04.369 --> 00:13:06.049 Um, and I decided like. 00:13:06.594 --> 00:13:07.554 That's what I want to do. 00:13:07.604 --> 00:13:09.034 And Monday morning, so I got let go on 00:13:09.034 --> 00:13:11.224 Thursday, my wife and I went out to a 00:13:11.224 --> 00:13:12.904 nice dinner that night, like oddly enough. 00:13:13.314 --> 00:13:15.714 Um, and then Monday I sat down and I 00:13:15.714 --> 00:13:17.104 was a full time content creator and 00:13:17.104 --> 00:13:19.514 it was, it wasn't this huge transition 00:13:19.514 --> 00:13:20.884 because these were all things I 00:13:20.884 --> 00:13:22.944 had already been doing on the side. 00:13:22.944 --> 00:13:24.084 I'd already been creating content. 00:13:24.084 --> 00:13:25.414 I'd already been working with sponsors. 00:13:25.684 --> 00:13:27.174 I've already been active on social media. 00:13:27.174 --> 00:13:27.914 I've already been speaking at 00:13:27.914 --> 00:13:28.874 conferences, like all of these 00:13:28.894 --> 00:13:29.754 things I've already been doing. 00:13:29.754 --> 00:13:31.794 Now I just get a hundred percent 00:13:31.794 --> 00:13:34.254 control over what I'm doing. 00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:35.419 To be able to choose 00:13:35.419 --> 00:13:36.209 where I spend my time. 00:13:36.209 --> 00:13:37.199 And I had a lot of flexibility 00:13:37.199 --> 00:13:37.959 in the past as well. 00:13:37.959 --> 00:13:39.219 I really enjoyed it, but this is just 00:13:39.219 --> 00:13:41.309 different because I can look back every 00:13:41.309 --> 00:13:43.729 day and I can say, like, I, everything 00:13:43.729 --> 00:13:45.899 that I've made happen in my career on 00:13:45.899 --> 00:13:47.599 my own has been because of me, right? 00:13:47.599 --> 00:13:48.769 Like there's a hundred percent 00:13:48.769 --> 00:13:50.829 ownership over all that stuff. 00:13:50.829 --> 00:13:51.129 So. 00:13:51.664 --> 00:13:52.674 Anyway, that was, that was the 00:13:52.674 --> 00:13:56.194 moment that was in July of 22. 00:13:56.214 --> 00:13:58.334 So we're now a little over a year. 00:13:58.364 --> 00:13:59.834 It has been going really well 00:13:59.844 --> 00:14:02.154 this year over the full year. 00:14:02.154 --> 00:14:04.674 I will replace the salary that I had at my 00:14:04.674 --> 00:14:07.984 previous job and more, um, in a year span. 00:14:08.014 --> 00:14:10.244 And I think I couldn't be more excited and 00:14:10.244 --> 00:14:12.224 proud to, to not only say that I went full 00:14:12.224 --> 00:14:15.094 time, but also like have been successful 00:14:15.104 --> 00:14:17.084 with money in in that regard as well. 00:14:18.044 --> 00:14:18.824 Kevin Griffin: that's great news. 00:14:19.094 --> 00:14:23.724 How do you go from, so you had a 00:14:23.724 --> 00:14:26.714 job, you got laid off, you find 00:14:26.714 --> 00:14:28.394 yourself Monday morning here. 00:14:28.714 --> 00:14:29.974 Having decided I'm a full 00:14:29.974 --> 00:14:31.014 time content creator. 00:14:31.364 --> 00:14:34.904 Is that freeing or is 00:14:34.904 --> 00:14:36.854 that incredibly stressful? 00:14:36.854 --> 00:14:38.014 Because now you have. 00:14:38.269 --> 00:14:41.969 All the time that you wish you had when 00:14:41.979 --> 00:14:43.969 you were probably full time working. 00:14:44.699 --> 00:14:46.069 James Q. Quick: It up until recently, 00:14:46.069 --> 00:14:47.329 and I'll tell you a little personal 00:14:47.329 --> 00:14:49.189 story in a second up until recently, it 00:14:49.189 --> 00:14:50.469 has been much more on the freeing side. 00:14:51.224 --> 00:14:52.584 And the reason is, again, 00:14:52.584 --> 00:14:53.884 my wife makes good money. 00:14:54.554 --> 00:14:56.054 I had buffer coming into this. 00:14:56.244 --> 00:14:58.114 I knew I could make at least decent money. 00:14:58.644 --> 00:15:00.324 So money was never a stressor. 00:15:00.374 --> 00:15:03.174 I was always like so far ahead where my 00:15:03.174 --> 00:15:04.794 runway was plenty to where I didn't have 00:15:04.794 --> 00:15:06.784 to force myself to kind of put a lot of 00:15:06.784 --> 00:15:08.744 pressure myself on any given time span. 00:15:09.304 --> 00:15:10.844 Personal note, we just moved. 00:15:10.854 --> 00:15:13.154 We have not sold our old house, 00:15:13.174 --> 00:15:14.604 although hopefully we're very close. 00:15:15.264 --> 00:15:16.744 And what we ended up doing was doing 00:15:16.744 --> 00:15:17.704 this thing called a bridge loan, 00:15:17.714 --> 00:15:18.924 which I would never recommend anyone 00:15:18.924 --> 00:15:20.784 doing where you take a loan out on 00:15:20.784 --> 00:15:22.184 the equity of your original house. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:25.059 To pay for your new house, assuming that 00:15:25.059 --> 00:15:26.279 you're going to pay your house or you're 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:29.359 going to sell your old house soon, that 00:15:29.359 --> 00:15:30.959 did not happen the way we expected, which 00:15:30.959 --> 00:15:32.519 meant basically for a couple of months 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:33.859 now, we've been carrying the equivalent 00:15:33.859 --> 00:15:36.549 of like three mortgages at this point, 00:15:36.629 --> 00:15:37.959 this is like the most stressful thing 00:15:37.959 --> 00:15:39.479 I've ever been through in my entire life. 00:15:39.499 --> 00:15:40.679 Again, it kind of personal story. 00:15:41.209 --> 00:15:44.979 The reason I bring that up is now I 00:15:44.999 --> 00:15:46.659 have more pressure right this second 00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:47.529 in the last couple of months to 00:15:47.729 --> 00:15:50.269 get money because I don't have the 00:15:50.269 --> 00:15:51.969 consistency of a paycheck coming in. 00:15:51.979 --> 00:15:53.259 So even if I know things are 00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:54.459 coming, it's, it's a little 00:15:54.459 --> 00:15:55.959 more urgent for it to come in. 00:15:56.389 --> 00:15:57.199 Hopefully all that stuff 00:15:57.199 --> 00:15:58.049 is wrapped up soon. 00:15:58.409 --> 00:15:59.329 That's the decision we 00:15:59.329 --> 00:16:00.359 will never make again. 00:16:00.389 --> 00:16:02.579 And I don't think For any 00:16:02.579 --> 00:16:04.259 foreseeable reason, we will 00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:05.579 ever be in that position again. 00:16:05.999 --> 00:16:07.239 And so I think that pressure will be 00:16:07.239 --> 00:16:08.729 taken off, but right now there's a 00:16:08.729 --> 00:16:09.949 little bit because you're, you're the 00:16:09.949 --> 00:16:12.189 owner of it and you have to, you have 00:16:12.189 --> 00:16:13.669 to go in and do the thing yourself. 00:16:13.669 --> 00:16:14.949 Like you have to make sure you get paid 00:16:15.179 --> 00:16:17.399 and that, um, I don't know when it's 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:18.569 under a little bit of a time crunch 00:16:18.589 --> 00:16:19.629 as a little bit of pressure to it. 00:16:21.109 --> 00:16:22.649 Kevin Griffin: And in addition to that, 00:16:22.659 --> 00:16:25.469 when you went full time, did you give 00:16:25.469 --> 00:16:27.559 yourself some sort of goal or timeline? 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:29.209 Like if I'm not at a certain 00:16:29.209 --> 00:16:31.489 point in six months or 12 months, 00:16:32.079 --> 00:16:33.879 I'm going to give this up. 00:16:33.929 --> 00:16:34.219 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:16:34.219 --> 00:16:35.609 I don't, I don't remember specifically 00:16:35.609 --> 00:16:36.939 what they were, but I definitely did. 00:16:36.989 --> 00:16:38.569 And I remember looking at like 00:16:38.569 --> 00:16:39.639 talking to my wife, my wife 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:41.159 was really nervous about this. 00:16:41.239 --> 00:16:43.269 I think at the time I did it, I was in 00:16:43.269 --> 00:16:46.589 a much better position than when we had 00:16:46.589 --> 00:16:48.349 originally talked about the possibility 00:16:48.349 --> 00:16:50.019 of someday, which is a year before. 00:16:50.569 --> 00:16:51.459 So we were already in 00:16:51.459 --> 00:16:52.359 a better off position. 00:16:52.369 --> 00:16:54.169 And I talked to her about like six 00:16:54.169 --> 00:16:55.169 months, like give it to the end 00:16:55.169 --> 00:16:56.889 of the year and see what it is. 00:16:56.889 --> 00:16:57.939 I don't remember what the numbers were. 00:16:57.939 --> 00:16:58.899 I don't remember what specifics 00:16:58.899 --> 00:17:00.949 were, but as a couple of months 00:17:00.949 --> 00:17:02.879 in, I was like, This is legit. 00:17:02.889 --> 00:17:04.169 Like I'm like, I'm doing this. 00:17:04.179 --> 00:17:05.129 It's working out really well. 00:17:05.129 --> 00:17:06.149 And I can kind of see like 00:17:06.709 --> 00:17:09.369 building up more runway going into. 00:17:09.369 --> 00:17:10.669 And I was like, even if I don't make 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:12.939 like almost any money for December 00:17:12.939 --> 00:17:14.279 and January, like that's plenty to 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:15.459 get through to February and start 00:17:15.459 --> 00:17:16.669 making money then type of thing. 00:17:17.169 --> 00:17:18.849 Um, so yes, there was, there 00:17:18.849 --> 00:17:19.909 was a gauge at that point. 00:17:19.909 --> 00:17:21.199 I don't remember exactly what it was. 00:17:21.219 --> 00:17:22.339 It was about six months 00:17:22.479 --> 00:17:24.389 in and pretty early on. 00:17:24.419 --> 00:17:25.499 I could tell that. 00:17:25.989 --> 00:17:27.179 I was going to be fine with 00:17:27.189 --> 00:17:28.579 whatever that metric was. 00:17:28.609 --> 00:17:29.859 And I was going to do this 00:17:29.869 --> 00:17:31.509 basically as, as long as I could 00:17:31.529 --> 00:17:33.019 for the foreseeable future. 00:17:33.424 --> 00:17:34.254 Kevin Griffin: That's excellent. 00:17:34.874 --> 00:17:37.114 And content is not all you do now. 00:17:37.784 --> 00:17:39.624 If I understand right, you're consulting 00:17:39.634 --> 00:17:42.754 and we'll talk about speaking more, 00:17:42.854 --> 00:17:46.424 but how much of your, I would say 00:17:46.914 --> 00:17:49.354 week is consulting versus content. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:50.849 James Q. Quick: Yeah, I don't, I'm, I'm a 00:17:50.849 --> 00:17:52.929 terrible hours person, which is probably 00:17:52.929 --> 00:17:54.319 not good when you do consulting because 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:55.369 they want to know how much you're working. 00:17:55.819 --> 00:17:58.199 Um, what, what my goal is in 00:17:58.199 --> 00:17:59.839 general is to, to help even 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:01.949 out where my income comes from. 00:18:02.409 --> 00:18:05.219 So up until recently, the vast 00:18:05.219 --> 00:18:06.679 majority of my income has come 00:18:06.679 --> 00:18:08.619 from sponsored videos and sponsored 00:18:08.619 --> 00:18:09.829 videos comes with challenges. 00:18:10.264 --> 00:18:11.334 I can talk about this in a minute, the 00:18:11.334 --> 00:18:12.854 kind of the different approach I'm taking 00:18:12.854 --> 00:18:14.134 to that, which I'm much more excited 00:18:14.134 --> 00:18:15.534 about than what I did kind of the year 00:18:15.534 --> 00:18:16.764 leading up to the last couple of months. 00:18:17.624 --> 00:18:19.224 But I want to get a little away from 00:18:19.224 --> 00:18:21.824 that of being dependent upon other brands 00:18:21.854 --> 00:18:24.024 to create one off videos in particular. 00:18:24.654 --> 00:18:25.594 Um, so that's been the 00:18:25.594 --> 00:18:26.404 majority of the income. 00:18:26.414 --> 00:18:27.224 I wanted to get away from that 00:18:27.224 --> 00:18:28.464 a little bit and diversify. 00:18:28.474 --> 00:18:30.814 And so I've taken up a couple of, 00:18:30.894 --> 00:18:32.454 uh, smaller consulting things. 00:18:32.454 --> 00:18:33.834 One is on YouTube consulting 00:18:33.834 --> 00:18:35.344 specifically for a company, a brand 00:18:35.344 --> 00:18:36.444 that I'm already really excited 00:18:36.444 --> 00:18:38.724 about and connected to another is 00:18:38.724 --> 00:18:41.349 for basically like Hours, monthly 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.149 hours for feedback, like testing out. 00:18:43.159 --> 00:18:44.429 Cause I've got lots of experience in 00:18:44.429 --> 00:18:46.589 like using new products and creating 00:18:46.589 --> 00:18:48.129 documentation and creating videos 00:18:48.129 --> 00:18:49.399 and understanding what it's like 00:18:49.399 --> 00:18:50.819 for someone to onboard to something. 00:18:51.469 --> 00:18:53.079 So that, um, that is something 00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:55.019 that I'm, I'm working on as well. 00:18:55.589 --> 00:18:57.119 And then the thing, this is still 00:18:57.199 --> 00:18:59.449 more on the sponsored side, but my 00:18:59.449 --> 00:19:01.289 different approach to that now is trying 00:19:01.289 --> 00:19:02.829 to do a build in public initiative 00:19:02.829 --> 00:19:04.679 where I get a couple of brands to 00:19:04.679 --> 00:19:06.539 sponsor my time, basically over the 00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:07.989 course of three to six months to build 00:19:07.989 --> 00:19:09.489 something and use their products. 00:19:10.034 --> 00:19:13.014 And then use that core content, that 00:19:13.014 --> 00:19:14.244 building, the learning from building 00:19:14.254 --> 00:19:15.844 to create content along the way. 00:19:15.844 --> 00:19:17.904 So not all of it, or most of it 00:19:17.914 --> 00:19:19.334 won't be focused specifically on 00:19:19.334 --> 00:19:20.754 their products, some of it would, 00:19:20.984 --> 00:19:22.164 but it'll just be like, here's things 00:19:22.164 --> 00:19:23.684 I learned as I was building stuff. 00:19:23.704 --> 00:19:24.714 And I think that's really valuable. 00:19:24.734 --> 00:19:26.744 And I think it will give me a 00:19:26.744 --> 00:19:28.094 lot more focus and a lot more 00:19:28.094 --> 00:19:29.634 prioritization because that's going 00:19:29.634 --> 00:19:30.984 to be the number one priority. 00:19:31.484 --> 00:19:33.654 And every, or most things that I do 00:19:33.654 --> 00:19:35.364 around that, whether it's speaking 00:19:35.374 --> 00:19:36.654 or to YouTube videos or YouTube 00:19:36.654 --> 00:19:38.504 shorts or Twitter posts or whatever. 00:19:38.824 --> 00:19:40.394 Should kind of come from that 00:19:40.394 --> 00:19:42.304 core, build a public thing. 00:19:43.414 --> 00:19:43.654 Kevin Griffin: Yeah. 00:19:43.654 --> 00:19:44.904 I love building public. 00:19:44.944 --> 00:19:46.944 I think it's a more, it's 00:19:46.944 --> 00:19:48.024 a more natural approach. 00:19:48.024 --> 00:19:50.014 I think people really respond well to it. 00:19:50.464 --> 00:19:51.194 Uh, cause. 00:19:51.944 --> 00:19:53.344 We're not going to name names, but there 00:19:53.344 --> 00:19:55.874 are some fake people out there and they 00:19:55.874 --> 00:19:59.484 have fake looking content and it's, it's 00:19:59.764 --> 00:20:04.724 easy to be genuine as a, as a creator. 00:20:05.224 --> 00:20:06.004 James Q. Quick: I will say it's, 00:20:06.194 --> 00:20:08.834 it, it is easy to be genuine. 00:20:08.874 --> 00:20:11.884 It's also developer audiences 00:20:11.884 --> 00:20:13.284 are very quick to judge. 00:20:14.034 --> 00:20:17.104 And even if I think that I'm like, 00:20:17.184 --> 00:20:18.364 I'm approaching something from 00:20:18.364 --> 00:20:20.249 a genuine standpoint, you still. 00:20:21.409 --> 00:20:22.689 People being very hesitant 00:20:22.709 --> 00:20:24.069 about anything sponsored. 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:25.889 And I think some of it's not fair. 00:20:25.919 --> 00:20:26.969 Like I think some people are just 00:20:26.989 --> 00:20:28.849 a little ridiculous about it, but 00:20:28.849 --> 00:20:30.009 also people are just skeptical. 00:20:30.009 --> 00:20:32.949 And so the building public thing is these 00:20:32.949 --> 00:20:36.149 are companies and products that I will 00:20:36.149 --> 00:20:37.619 use over the course of several months. 00:20:37.639 --> 00:20:39.239 So I can have a deeper conversation. 00:20:39.239 --> 00:20:40.819 I can have more use cases because if I 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:43.339 do a one off video, I prepare a small 00:20:43.339 --> 00:20:44.499 demo for that video, and that's all 00:20:44.499 --> 00:20:45.889 I do with that product most likely. 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:46.979 And that's not the most 00:20:46.979 --> 00:20:48.629 beneficial for me or the brand. 00:20:49.014 --> 00:20:50.304 Because the brand is going to get more 00:20:50.314 --> 00:20:53.434 out of working with me if it's something 00:20:53.434 --> 00:20:54.484 I continue to use, because I'm going 00:20:54.484 --> 00:20:55.904 to continue to talk about that thing. 00:20:55.904 --> 00:20:56.864 And people are going to continue 00:20:56.864 --> 00:20:58.064 to see me use that thing. 00:20:58.534 --> 00:21:00.694 So anyway, for all those points, like I, 00:21:00.704 --> 00:21:04.094 I am really excited about what I've kind 00:21:04.094 --> 00:21:05.964 of turned the sponsor, the majority of the 00:21:05.964 --> 00:21:07.834 sponsorship stuff that I have into that. 00:21:07.854 --> 00:21:08.454 And I think that's going to 00:21:08.454 --> 00:21:09.394 be a lot of fun to work on. 00:21:11.594 --> 00:21:12.844 Kevin Griffin: Now, in addition to 00:21:13.074 --> 00:21:16.044 the content, the consulting, I know 00:21:17.434 --> 00:21:18.434 you, uh, have a podcast as well. 00:21:18.434 --> 00:21:19.034 Do you want to talk a 00:21:19.044 --> 00:21:19.744 little bit about that? 00:21:19.744 --> 00:21:21.734 Is that income producing thing or is it 00:21:21.734 --> 00:21:23.694 just a thing you do for branding purposes? 00:21:24.054 --> 00:21:24.444 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:21:24.504 --> 00:21:26.354 Uh, mostly brand and networking. 00:21:26.734 --> 00:21:29.494 Uh, so it's the compressed FM podcast, a 00:21:29.494 --> 00:21:31.164 weekly podcast about web development and 00:21:31.164 --> 00:21:33.264 design with my co hosts, two of them now. 00:21:33.714 --> 00:21:35.784 Amy Dutton and Brad Guierpi, who I 00:21:35.914 --> 00:21:38.094 thoroughly enjoy just hanging out with. 00:21:38.144 --> 00:21:39.734 And from a networking perspective, we 00:21:39.734 --> 00:21:40.944 just reach out to people and say, Hey, 00:21:40.944 --> 00:21:42.184 come tell us about the thing that you do. 00:21:42.204 --> 00:21:42.764 Cause you're awesome. 00:21:42.804 --> 00:21:43.064 Right. 00:21:43.064 --> 00:21:44.194 And that gives us an excuse 00:21:44.194 --> 00:21:45.874 to meet anyone and everyone. 00:21:45.874 --> 00:21:46.974 I'm sure, you know what that's like 00:21:46.974 --> 00:21:48.534 to reach out for guests on yours. 00:21:48.974 --> 00:21:49.834 Kevin Griffin: That's why you're on the 00:21:50.034 --> 00:21:50.424 James Q. Quick: yeah, I know. 00:21:52.264 --> 00:21:53.664 So it's like a hack for 00:21:53.664 --> 00:21:54.894 networking, honestly. 00:21:54.984 --> 00:21:56.114 Um, so that's really good. 00:21:56.114 --> 00:21:57.904 We have had sponsors off and on. 00:21:58.414 --> 00:22:00.954 We have not been, um, I think, 00:22:01.004 --> 00:22:02.724 I think if we spent more time. 00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:05.429 Being organized and intentionally 00:22:05.429 --> 00:22:06.759 working with sponsors, it could 00:22:06.769 --> 00:22:08.249 be more of a revenue generator, 00:22:08.249 --> 00:22:09.879 but time is hard to come by. 00:22:09.889 --> 00:22:11.489 And it's like one of many things that. 00:22:19.239 --> 00:22:21.139 Um, our intern who does the editing 00:22:21.139 --> 00:22:22.589 and a few other things, which is 00:22:22.589 --> 00:22:23.849 really nice to just kind of show up 00:22:23.849 --> 00:22:25.949 on a Friday record and then be hands 00:22:25.949 --> 00:22:27.149 off because we have somebody that 00:22:27.189 --> 00:22:28.319 can take care of the rest of it. 00:22:28.889 --> 00:22:30.539 Um, anyway, so yeah, brand 00:22:30.549 --> 00:22:32.449 and networking and cool thing. 00:22:32.529 --> 00:22:34.809 Uh, tying back to speaking are that the 00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:39.979 podcast at two or three conferences now. 00:22:40.359 --> 00:22:41.389 Which is really cool just 00:22:41.389 --> 00:22:42.579 because it's different than your 00:22:42.579 --> 00:22:44.559 regular talk at a conference. 00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:46.209 And I think it's good for us brand wise. 00:22:46.219 --> 00:22:47.289 So that's been a lot of fun too. 00:22:48.659 --> 00:22:49.609 Kevin Griffin: Let's talk a little 00:22:49.609 --> 00:22:52.169 bit about time because you mentioned 00:22:52.289 --> 00:22:55.069 there's so much more you could do if 00:22:55.069 --> 00:22:58.499 you have the time, but between all 00:22:58.499 --> 00:23:00.289 the things you have going on, I know 00:23:00.289 --> 00:23:06.349 you have a young family and a newborn. 00:23:06.409 --> 00:23:08.459 I want to say newborn, but probably 00:23:08.459 --> 00:23:10.609 at this point, at least six years old. 00:23:12.419 --> 00:23:13.739 How do you manage? 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:19.069 The time for everything that produces 00:23:19.079 --> 00:23:20.769 the income that helps support the family 00:23:21.049 --> 00:23:22.749 and still making time for the family. 00:23:22.989 --> 00:23:23.369 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:23:23.589 --> 00:23:25.959 Um, so we, our daughter is four and 00:23:25.959 --> 00:23:27.789 a half months, not six years yet, 00:23:27.949 --> 00:23:28.339 Kevin Griffin: Okay. 00:23:28.419 --> 00:23:28.779 James Q. Quick: sure she'll 00:23:28.779 --> 00:23:29.569 be there pretty soon. 00:23:29.729 --> 00:23:30.019 Kevin Griffin: Close. 00:23:30.829 --> 00:23:32.069 James Q. Quick: Um, I, 00:23:32.369 --> 00:23:33.869 for me, the good thing is. 00:23:34.854 --> 00:23:36.044 Work life balance has always 00:23:36.044 --> 00:23:37.094 been my number one priority. 00:23:37.094 --> 00:23:38.244 And I remember starting my career at 00:23:38.244 --> 00:23:39.504 Microsoft and not that people were 00:23:39.504 --> 00:23:41.764 super off on the work life balance. 00:23:41.764 --> 00:23:42.624 It was just different than 00:23:42.624 --> 00:23:43.794 mine because a lot of people 00:23:43.794 --> 00:23:46.264 that were younger didn't have. 00:23:46.644 --> 00:23:47.844 Someone to go home to, and this 00:23:47.844 --> 00:23:48.964 is not like a shot at them. 00:23:48.964 --> 00:23:50.054 This is just a situation that 00:23:50.054 --> 00:23:52.104 we were in where my wife and 00:23:52.104 --> 00:23:54.324 I do everything together. 00:23:54.354 --> 00:23:55.564 Like we're super cliche, like 00:23:55.584 --> 00:23:56.894 literally everything I talked 00:23:56.904 --> 00:23:57.944 about, she works at all zero. 00:23:58.334 --> 00:23:59.464 We talk about work stuff all the 00:23:59.464 --> 00:24:00.664 time because we both love it. 00:24:01.024 --> 00:24:03.014 We now have similar friends and in the 00:24:03.014 --> 00:24:04.514 tech ecosystem, I'm sure you'll get to 00:24:04.524 --> 00:24:05.704 meet her at some point at a conference. 00:24:05.704 --> 00:24:07.824 Like we play soccer together. 00:24:07.844 --> 00:24:08.974 We like all these things 00:24:08.974 --> 00:24:09.934 we've always done together. 00:24:09.934 --> 00:24:10.304 So for me. 00:24:11.514 --> 00:24:12.174 We started my career 00:24:12.174 --> 00:24:12.974 five o'clock came around. 00:24:12.974 --> 00:24:13.644 I'm like, I don't, I don't 00:24:13.644 --> 00:24:15.894 want to be doing work stuff. 00:24:16.454 --> 00:24:18.294 I want to be at home for all the 00:24:18.294 --> 00:24:19.544 other things that I could be doing. 00:24:19.764 --> 00:24:21.034 Not that I didn't enjoy work, but 00:24:21.034 --> 00:24:22.494 because I have so many things in my 00:24:22.494 --> 00:24:23.914 life that I enjoy and I want to do. 00:24:24.674 --> 00:24:26.054 And so that's always been a priority 00:24:26.054 --> 00:24:27.094 for me, which I think makes. 00:24:28.219 --> 00:24:31.919 Making time for family easy, easier for 00:24:31.929 --> 00:24:33.369 me than maybe a lot of people who were 00:24:33.379 --> 00:24:35.729 not used to prioritizing that time anyway. 00:24:36.419 --> 00:24:37.979 So another, another big helpful 00:24:37.979 --> 00:24:39.759 thing is my wife has had a six months 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:41.689 maternity leave shout out to all zero 00:24:41.689 --> 00:24:43.229 for having amazing maternity leave. 00:24:43.249 --> 00:24:44.649 And that's super unique and special. 00:24:45.214 --> 00:24:46.074 And so she gets paid the 00:24:46.074 --> 00:24:48.174 whole time she can be home. 00:24:48.194 --> 00:24:50.144 And we've also started to have a 00:24:50.154 --> 00:24:52.104 nanny in the house three days a week. 00:24:52.164 --> 00:24:53.494 And the beautiful thing about 00:24:53.494 --> 00:24:55.864 that is it gets time for my wife. 00:24:55.884 --> 00:24:57.374 Like she's taken a lot of responsibility 00:24:57.394 --> 00:24:59.064 to take care of Jamie this entire 00:24:59.064 --> 00:25:01.664 time while I'm working, but we 00:25:01.664 --> 00:25:03.464 get to keep, so it frees up my 00:25:03.464 --> 00:25:04.674 wife, but we also get to keep. 00:25:05.144 --> 00:25:06.574 Jamie at home, which means at 00:25:06.584 --> 00:25:08.264 any point, like when we get done 00:25:08.264 --> 00:25:09.854 recording, I can go down and hold 00:25:09.854 --> 00:25:11.104 her for a few minutes or whatever. 00:25:11.434 --> 00:25:12.654 So we're never that far 00:25:12.654 --> 00:25:14.474 removed from her at any point. 00:25:14.484 --> 00:25:15.794 And I think that's really beautiful. 00:25:15.804 --> 00:25:17.994 That has just makes me so happy. 00:25:18.534 --> 00:25:20.824 So all of us are together the 00:25:20.824 --> 00:25:22.184 vast majority of the time. 00:25:22.264 --> 00:25:25.204 Um, I will say I haven't, I probably 00:25:25.204 --> 00:25:26.514 haven't worked a 40 hour week, 00:25:26.554 --> 00:25:28.334 especially since she's been born. 00:25:28.924 --> 00:25:30.674 That's for a few different reasons, 00:25:31.194 --> 00:25:32.714 meaning I've worked less than 40 hours. 00:25:33.144 --> 00:25:35.639 Um, but that's also A good thing to 00:25:35.639 --> 00:25:37.049 like some days I feel like I don't 00:25:37.059 --> 00:25:38.139 get as much done as I would like 00:25:38.139 --> 00:25:41.579 to, but I, I definitely am not upset 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:43.899 about not working 40 hour a week. 00:25:43.899 --> 00:25:45.779 So anyway, it's been, it's been 00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:46.939 a transition like anything else. 00:25:46.959 --> 00:25:47.919 It's been a ton of fun. 00:25:48.009 --> 00:25:49.789 Um, but I think having already 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:51.859 had good boundaries in place has 00:25:51.859 --> 00:25:53.669 made it a lot easier for both of 00:25:53.669 --> 00:25:55.179 us to get everything out of the 00:25:55.179 --> 00:25:56.879 time that we've had that we want. 00:25:57.449 --> 00:25:58.349 Kevin Griffin: I'll show you 00:25:58.419 --> 00:25:59.419 a little bit of your future. 00:25:59.419 --> 00:26:01.259 I've worked from home for 00:26:01.409 --> 00:26:04.589 13 years, 12, 13 years. 00:26:04.649 --> 00:26:08.729 And my, my kids are 12 11 00:26:08.729 --> 00:26:10.909 and seven and they've been 00:26:10.909 --> 00:26:12.469 homeschooled their entire lives. 00:26:12.479 --> 00:26:15.979 So it's, there has not been a day where. 00:26:16.699 --> 00:26:18.169 I haven't been able to just go 00:26:18.169 --> 00:26:22.439 inside, take breaks and talk to 00:26:22.439 --> 00:26:23.519 my kids for a couple of minutes. 00:26:23.769 --> 00:26:25.239 So even if it's just say, hi, 00:26:25.289 --> 00:26:26.409 what are you working on today? 00:26:26.909 --> 00:26:30.229 And I don't regret that at all. 00:26:30.229 --> 00:26:32.339 I love every moment I've had with my kids. 00:26:32.689 --> 00:26:34.679 So having that opportunity, I'm just 00:26:34.729 --> 00:26:36.369 telling you, that's going to pay dividends 00:26:36.789 --> 00:26:38.689 for years and years and years to come. 00:26:38.969 --> 00:26:40.819 And I think anyone who works in 00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:42.359 an office and doesn't have that 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:44.959 opportunity, or they're going to 00:26:44.979 --> 00:26:46.279 say the thing that they regret. 00:26:46.834 --> 00:26:48.214 Regret usually is not being able 00:26:48.214 --> 00:26:49.424 to spend more time with the kids. 00:26:50.024 --> 00:26:51.834 So good on you and good 00:26:51.834 --> 00:26:52.644 on your wife as well. 00:26:52.674 --> 00:26:53.744 So, um. 00:26:55.864 --> 00:27:00.174 Let's pivot a little to what 00:27:00.174 --> 00:27:01.274 I really want to talk about. 00:27:01.274 --> 00:27:02.574 Cause I didn't think I wanted 00:27:02.574 --> 00:27:05.094 to talk about it until we were 00:27:05.104 --> 00:27:06.454 discussing before the call. 00:27:07.094 --> 00:27:09.894 And this is stuff that you wish to 00:27:09.894 --> 00:27:12.254 spend more time on that you're not 00:27:12.254 --> 00:27:14.144 necessarily spending time on now. 00:27:14.734 --> 00:27:16.104 And I'll go ahead and let you 00:27:16.174 --> 00:27:18.304 chime in on, on what that would be. 00:27:18.594 --> 00:27:19.414 James Q. Quick: I kind of mentioned 00:27:19.674 --> 00:27:22.094 diversifying income and, and one of the 00:27:22.104 --> 00:27:23.664 things, by the way that I've learned is 00:27:23.664 --> 00:27:25.124 my YouTube stats have been a little down. 00:27:25.124 --> 00:27:25.904 So the amount of money that 00:27:25.904 --> 00:27:27.694 I make on YouTube ads is down 00:27:27.694 --> 00:27:28.684 from where it was a year ago. 00:27:28.684 --> 00:27:29.334 So you can't. 00:27:29.624 --> 00:27:31.384 You can't just depend on, like, if 00:27:31.384 --> 00:27:32.534 you make it to a certain level with 00:27:32.534 --> 00:27:33.344 YouTube, you're going to make that 00:27:33.344 --> 00:27:34.344 amount of money the rest of your life. 00:27:34.344 --> 00:27:35.224 Like, that's not how it works. 00:27:36.014 --> 00:27:36.974 So you start looking at 00:27:36.974 --> 00:27:37.954 like, how do you diversify? 00:27:37.954 --> 00:27:40.124 And I mentioned like sponsored content 00:27:40.124 --> 00:27:41.934 courses, just content in general. 00:27:41.974 --> 00:27:42.984 That's one big category. 00:27:42.984 --> 00:27:44.054 Consulting is another that 00:27:44.054 --> 00:27:45.034 I want to continue to grow. 00:27:45.704 --> 00:27:47.474 And then also paid speaking opportunities. 00:27:48.684 --> 00:27:50.214 I've had very little of actual 00:27:50.214 --> 00:27:51.334 paid speaking opportunities. 00:27:51.384 --> 00:27:52.744 I think we talked about this before. 00:27:53.264 --> 00:27:54.824 Most of what I've had is people 00:27:54.824 --> 00:27:56.134 pay for you to go somewhere. 00:27:56.544 --> 00:27:59.274 And, uh, this past last year, I 00:27:59.274 --> 00:28:01.624 made a goal for myself of giving 00:28:02.424 --> 00:28:04.674 my first keynote talk this year. 00:28:05.054 --> 00:28:06.214 And at the, I'm about to give 00:28:06.214 --> 00:28:07.524 a keynote at all things open, 00:28:07.604 --> 00:28:09.684 um, which is semi close to you. 00:28:10.194 --> 00:28:14.994 Um, Yeah, I, um, that will be either 00:28:14.994 --> 00:28:16.814 my fourth or fifth keynote this year. 00:28:16.844 --> 00:28:18.924 And so it's really amazing from that 00:28:18.924 --> 00:28:21.114 perspective to have like a specific 00:28:21.114 --> 00:28:23.434 goal to see that happen, not just once, 00:28:23.444 --> 00:28:24.644 but like multiple times in a year. 00:28:24.644 --> 00:28:25.534 And that's super exciting. 00:28:25.954 --> 00:28:27.484 But I think there's also another level 00:28:27.514 --> 00:28:30.644 of not just getting paid to go and 00:28:30.654 --> 00:28:31.924 having a big audience to speak to, 00:28:31.924 --> 00:28:33.854 but also getting paid as a speaker. 00:28:34.234 --> 00:28:35.214 Then I've got a really good friend of 00:28:35.214 --> 00:28:37.034 mine who does professional speaking. 00:28:37.614 --> 00:28:40.024 And I mean, you get paid, not that this 00:28:40.034 --> 00:28:41.864 is why you do it, but it's certainly 00:28:41.914 --> 00:28:43.974 a nice benefit to it, like five, 10 00:28:43.984 --> 00:28:46.294 grand to do a speaking engagement. 00:28:46.294 --> 00:28:47.304 And these are things that you and 00:28:47.304 --> 00:28:48.814 I have been doing for years, right? 00:28:48.814 --> 00:28:49.884 Like we know how to speak. 00:28:49.894 --> 00:28:50.904 That's what, that's what 00:28:50.904 --> 00:28:52.434 we've done a lot of for years. 00:28:52.904 --> 00:28:54.634 And so being able to translate 00:28:54.634 --> 00:28:57.534 that into a portion of that income. 00:28:58.174 --> 00:28:58.974 And then also I think 00:28:58.974 --> 00:28:59.814 there's opportunities. 00:28:59.834 --> 00:29:01.034 I think a lot of that would 00:29:01.034 --> 00:29:02.844 come from like private speaking. 00:29:03.679 --> 00:29:06.729 And I think the, the impact from 00:29:06.729 --> 00:29:08.179 a teaching perspective is also 00:29:08.179 --> 00:29:09.179 still really special for me. 00:29:09.179 --> 00:29:10.289 I talked about like my love for 00:29:10.289 --> 00:29:13.649 teaching and to, to show up somewhere, 00:29:13.659 --> 00:29:14.909 whether it's a conference or a 00:29:14.909 --> 00:29:16.649 closed event or whatever it is. 00:29:17.369 --> 00:29:18.609 And to see people respond to 00:29:18.609 --> 00:29:19.779 what you say, I think you can 00:29:19.889 --> 00:29:21.039 probably relate to this as well. 00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:21.889 It just means everything. 00:29:21.899 --> 00:29:23.729 It makes it so much, so much worthwhile. 00:29:24.299 --> 00:29:26.229 And so to, to combine something I 00:29:26.229 --> 00:29:27.869 already love, I'm already doing, 00:29:27.929 --> 00:29:29.219 I've already done it for a long time. 00:29:29.829 --> 00:29:31.369 And then to bring that in, ideally 00:29:31.409 --> 00:29:33.209 to where it's like, it's a, it's a 00:29:33.209 --> 00:29:34.759 portion of the income that I make in 00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:36.599 a year, I think would be really good. 00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:37.899 So that's something that I'm, I'm working 00:29:37.899 --> 00:29:39.539 towards, um, you know, the rest of 00:29:39.539 --> 00:29:41.059 this year slash leading into next year. 00:29:42.144 --> 00:29:43.884 Kevin Griffin: How do you make the jump 00:29:44.024 --> 00:29:48.834 from being a, so there's probably a lot 00:29:48.844 --> 00:29:50.334 of folks out there who've been speaking 00:29:50.334 --> 00:29:53.064 for longer than you and me put together 00:29:53.964 --> 00:29:57.944 and they are used to submitting to a call 00:29:57.944 --> 00:30:01.464 for papers, waiting for the acceptances 00:30:01.504 --> 00:30:03.424 and the rejections as they come. 00:30:04.134 --> 00:30:06.554 How do you make the jump from that to 00:30:06.624 --> 00:30:09.764 getting that first keynote slot and 00:30:10.224 --> 00:30:12.014 then that fourth keynote slot and so on? 00:30:13.399 --> 00:30:14.239 James Q. Quick: Um, I actually talked 00:30:14.239 --> 00:30:17.129 to Jason Langsdorf about this and 00:30:17.129 --> 00:30:18.739 I got similar feedback from him. 00:30:19.584 --> 00:30:21.964 That I got from West boss. 00:30:22.014 --> 00:30:23.684 When I talked to him years ago, I 00:30:23.684 --> 00:30:25.064 talked to West boss when I was looking 00:30:25.064 --> 00:30:26.884 to get back into content and very 00:30:26.884 --> 00:30:28.374 few people knew who Wes boss was. 00:30:28.414 --> 00:30:29.834 I just happened to watch a free video 00:30:29.884 --> 00:30:32.864 on YouTube of his and, and kind of the 00:30:32.864 --> 00:30:35.174 advice is not, not exactly fake it till 00:30:35.174 --> 00:30:36.934 you make it, but like tell people what it 00:30:36.934 --> 00:30:38.504 is you want to be and what you want to do. 00:30:39.324 --> 00:30:42.214 And, um, my first keynote opportunity 00:30:42.214 --> 00:30:44.034 came from that conference. 00:30:44.074 --> 00:30:45.894 Clark is now one of my 00:30:45.894 --> 00:30:46.714 really good friends. 00:30:47.424 --> 00:30:49.544 Got to see him, um, in the summer 00:30:49.544 --> 00:30:51.884 of 22 at that conference, Wisconsin. 00:30:52.634 --> 00:30:54.244 And it was just sitting down and 00:30:54.244 --> 00:30:56.314 talking and he'd reach out to me, like, 00:30:56.314 --> 00:30:57.904 wanting to get to know each other and 00:30:57.904 --> 00:30:59.204 told him like, I want to do a keynote. 00:31:00.044 --> 00:31:01.514 And he said, why don't you keynote Austin? 00:31:01.994 --> 00:31:03.534 Which was their second 00:31:03.554 --> 00:31:04.174 conference of the year. 00:31:04.174 --> 00:31:05.144 It's coming back up again, by 00:31:05.144 --> 00:31:06.214 the way, January, February. 00:31:06.234 --> 00:31:07.204 I'm super excited about it. 00:31:07.214 --> 00:31:07.474 I'll be 00:31:07.569 --> 00:31:08.049 Kevin Griffin: I'll be there. 00:31:08.154 --> 00:31:08.814 James Q. Quick: People should go. 00:31:08.844 --> 00:31:09.374 Kevin's going. 00:31:09.374 --> 00:31:09.714 Awesome. 00:31:10.449 --> 00:31:11.629 Kevin Griffin: My first that conference. 00:31:11.629 --> 00:31:13.629 I know I haven't been able 00:31:13.629 --> 00:31:14.579 to go to at that conference 00:31:14.804 --> 00:31:15.934 James Q. Quick: Oh, that's so exciting. 00:31:15.954 --> 00:31:17.344 And for clarification, people 00:31:17.344 --> 00:31:19.484 listening, it's called that conference. 00:31:19.484 --> 00:31:20.294 That's the name of it. 00:31:20.564 --> 00:31:21.514 Cause it's very confusing. 00:31:21.784 --> 00:31:23.234 I'm super excited to talk about 00:31:23.234 --> 00:31:24.164 that more in a little bit. 00:31:24.644 --> 00:31:28.024 Um, but I gave a keynote in, in Austin 00:31:28.794 --> 00:31:31.434 and, and then at that point, when you 00:31:31.444 --> 00:31:33.614 have one, you can call yourself a keynote 00:31:33.644 --> 00:31:35.414 speaker and kind of advertise that. 00:31:35.944 --> 00:31:37.434 And that's, I think that's part of 00:31:37.454 --> 00:31:39.394 what I can still do a lot better of, 00:31:39.424 --> 00:31:41.704 but just intentionally telling people 00:31:41.704 --> 00:31:43.404 my brand includes being a speaker. 00:31:44.064 --> 00:31:45.534 So I've had a tagline of developer 00:31:45.534 --> 00:31:46.954 speaker, teacher for a long time. 00:31:46.954 --> 00:31:48.494 I have a speaking page on my site. 00:31:48.984 --> 00:31:51.084 I just added a writer, which is 00:31:51.124 --> 00:31:52.254 new thing for me, but it's like 00:31:52.254 --> 00:31:53.604 my requirements for speaking. 00:31:53.674 --> 00:31:55.504 I got it from Cassidy Williams who like 00:31:55.514 --> 00:31:56.894 has done a ton of speaking as well. 00:31:57.534 --> 00:31:58.764 So I think part of the answer 00:31:58.764 --> 00:32:00.484 was me just putting it out there. 00:32:00.964 --> 00:32:02.094 Another short anecdote. 00:32:02.544 --> 00:32:04.094 I spoke at all things open last year. 00:32:04.104 --> 00:32:05.484 I felt like I gave a really good talk, 00:32:05.484 --> 00:32:06.514 like one of the best of my career. 00:32:06.514 --> 00:32:06.954 It wasn't a keynote. 00:32:07.954 --> 00:32:08.964 And I looked at the people on the 00:32:08.964 --> 00:32:10.084 keynote stage who are amazing. 00:32:10.084 --> 00:32:10.964 There was a lot of people I looked 00:32:10.964 --> 00:32:13.474 up to last year, but I look at 00:32:13.514 --> 00:32:14.624 keynote speakers and I'm like, I 00:32:14.624 --> 00:32:15.784 could, I could freaking do that. 00:32:15.814 --> 00:32:16.844 Like, I know I could do 00:32:16.844 --> 00:32:17.874 that and I could rock it. 00:32:18.634 --> 00:32:22.104 And I, when the CFP is open for all things 00:32:22.104 --> 00:32:24.074 open this year, it was like three, four or 00:32:24.074 --> 00:32:25.954 five months ago or something, I messaged 00:32:25.974 --> 00:32:27.444 them and I was like, Hey, like any 00:32:27.444 --> 00:32:28.964 chance there's a keynote spot available. 00:32:29.044 --> 00:32:30.684 And I didn't hear anything and 00:32:30.684 --> 00:32:31.944 I didn't hear anything until. 00:32:32.134 --> 00:32:33.254 Like a couple of weeks ago, and they 00:32:33.254 --> 00:32:34.574 said like, Hey, if you're so interested, 00:32:35.104 --> 00:32:36.234 we've got a keynote spot for you. 00:32:36.474 --> 00:32:37.894 So it's not, I wasn't necessarily 00:32:37.894 --> 00:32:39.784 the person that like was 00:32:39.784 --> 00:32:40.974 number one on their list. 00:32:40.974 --> 00:32:41.214 Right. 00:32:41.214 --> 00:32:42.554 But it's still that keynote 00:32:42.554 --> 00:32:44.364 opportunity for me, which is huge. 00:32:44.374 --> 00:32:46.444 And I'm like over the moon excited 00:32:46.444 --> 00:32:47.364 about, I can't wait for that. 00:32:48.164 --> 00:32:49.124 So there's a few different things 00:32:49.134 --> 00:32:50.324 like just putting it out there. 00:32:51.024 --> 00:32:52.754 Um, is one, I think if you tell 00:32:52.754 --> 00:32:53.874 people, that's what you do, if you tell 00:32:53.874 --> 00:32:55.094 people, that's what you want to do. 00:32:55.489 --> 00:32:56.369 If you're willing to make some 00:32:56.369 --> 00:32:58.449 concessions about how, so I went to, 00:32:58.489 --> 00:33:01.469 um, a conference in Toronto where I 00:33:01.469 --> 00:33:02.959 told them like, this is my speaker fee. 00:33:02.959 --> 00:33:04.219 They basically said, we don't have that. 00:33:04.549 --> 00:33:05.919 I was like, I'll do this one 00:33:05.979 --> 00:33:07.219 if I can tag it as a keynote. 00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.239 So I can continue to add 00:33:08.239 --> 00:33:09.249 those to my list type thing. 00:33:09.999 --> 00:33:12.019 Um, the other thing that I think I 00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:13.819 want to be like, not braggy about, 00:33:13.829 --> 00:33:15.969 but transparent about is like my 00:33:15.979 --> 00:33:18.099 brand specifically from a YouTube 00:33:18.099 --> 00:33:20.109 perspective makes a world of difference. 00:33:20.149 --> 00:33:21.369 And it just does like, there's 00:33:21.399 --> 00:33:22.469 just that many more people. 00:33:22.924 --> 00:33:24.794 Through YouTube who have seen my stuff 00:33:25.314 --> 00:33:27.324 enough to think about me as someone 00:33:27.324 --> 00:33:29.124 that would come out and, and speak. 00:33:29.604 --> 00:33:30.704 So I don't want to overlook, 00:33:30.724 --> 00:33:31.874 like, I could sit here all day and 00:33:31.874 --> 00:33:32.774 say, like, I just tell people I 00:33:32.774 --> 00:33:33.694 want to speak and then it works. 00:33:33.724 --> 00:33:36.374 Like, it also has to do with, like, 00:33:36.964 --> 00:33:38.934 having an audience in that regard 00:33:38.954 --> 00:33:41.114 and people knowing that it's a thing 00:33:41.114 --> 00:33:42.784 that I do, but also having seen. 00:34:00.909 --> 00:34:02.799 And then a couple in some capacity 00:34:02.809 --> 00:34:04.769 are me putting it out there of 00:34:04.769 --> 00:34:05.889 this is what I would like to do. 00:34:07.459 --> 00:34:08.389 Kevin Griffin: I used a similar 00:34:08.389 --> 00:34:10.889 hack when I did my this years 00:34:10.889 --> 00:34:12.249 and years ago when I did my first 00:34:13.249 --> 00:34:15.129 talk out outside of the country. 00:34:15.349 --> 00:34:16.319 I was all of a sudden an 00:34:16.329 --> 00:34:20.789 international speaker and I've heard. 00:34:21.589 --> 00:34:23.249 I've heard hacks before from folks to 00:34:23.249 --> 00:34:26.559 say, if you've spoken at a Microsoft 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:28.549 office, you have spoken at Microsoft. 00:34:29.079 --> 00:34:31.119 And so you use this way 00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:32.729 to not necessarily lie. 00:34:32.939 --> 00:34:34.629 You're just, you're bending 00:34:34.629 --> 00:34:36.219 the truth a little though. 00:34:36.989 --> 00:34:37.449 And 00:34:37.939 --> 00:34:38.509 James Q. Quick: That's 1 thing 00:34:38.509 --> 00:34:40.619 I've, I've learned is you have to 00:34:41.359 --> 00:34:43.829 control your narrative, like you. 00:34:43.849 --> 00:34:45.539 And I tell this a lot cause I teach or 00:34:45.539 --> 00:34:46.789 I have taught like bootcamp students. 00:34:46.859 --> 00:34:48.789 And 1 of the number 1 things 00:34:48.789 --> 00:34:49.949 they lack is confidence, right? 00:34:49.949 --> 00:34:51.329 So they, they walk into an interview and 00:34:51.329 --> 00:34:53.019 they say, Oh, I just built this thing. 00:34:53.549 --> 00:34:54.469 It's a simple thing. 00:34:54.469 --> 00:34:54.839 And blah, blah, blah. 00:34:54.839 --> 00:34:56.179 Like they downplay themselves, 00:34:56.179 --> 00:34:57.649 which means the people. 00:34:57.814 --> 00:34:59.094 Interviewing them are not going 00:34:59.094 --> 00:34:59.984 to take them as seriously. 00:34:59.984 --> 00:35:00.304 Right. 00:35:00.724 --> 00:35:01.944 And there's a, there's a border. 00:35:01.954 --> 00:35:03.144 There's a balance between like 00:35:03.174 --> 00:35:05.414 cocky and confidence, but you 00:35:05.414 --> 00:35:06.584 have to control that narrative. 00:35:06.654 --> 00:35:08.634 And sometimes you can spin it a 00:35:08.634 --> 00:35:11.134 little bit just to, just to have 00:35:11.134 --> 00:35:12.464 that tag that you can include. 00:35:12.494 --> 00:35:14.644 And I, my first international 00:35:14.674 --> 00:35:16.044 talk, I immediately was like 00:35:16.054 --> 00:35:17.854 international speaker, like everywhere. 00:35:20.809 --> 00:35:21.969 Kevin Griffin: So James, is there 00:35:21.969 --> 00:35:23.669 anything that hasn't worked any 00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:26.529 failures, initiatives that just. 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:29.049 Seemed good, but didn't work out. 00:35:29.524 --> 00:35:29.744 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:35:29.744 --> 00:35:31.114 It may not be that dramatic, 00:35:31.114 --> 00:35:32.304 but one thing I haven't done. 00:35:32.884 --> 00:35:34.044 Since Jamie was born. 00:35:34.044 --> 00:35:34.924 So it's been four and a half 00:35:34.924 --> 00:35:36.074 months is I haven't done tick 00:35:36.074 --> 00:35:37.914 tock and I really like tick tock. 00:35:38.694 --> 00:35:40.884 Um, and had some success with tick tock 00:35:40.964 --> 00:35:43.034 and was trying to take it more seriously. 00:35:43.034 --> 00:35:44.644 I think one of the things that hurt me 00:35:44.644 --> 00:35:46.934 was not a consistent style of video. 00:35:46.934 --> 00:35:50.754 I think people really respond with 00:35:50.764 --> 00:35:52.164 things that they know what to expect. 00:35:52.214 --> 00:35:54.194 And so I don't even know what, like, 00:35:54.624 --> 00:35:55.804 I don't have a great example right 00:35:55.804 --> 00:35:57.214 off hand, but just consistency. 00:35:57.234 --> 00:35:58.454 And I think I have so many things 00:35:58.454 --> 00:35:59.404 I would like to do, including 00:35:59.404 --> 00:36:00.894 getting, getting into like humor, 00:36:00.904 --> 00:36:03.064 like developer humor and satire. 00:36:03.064 --> 00:36:04.024 So it was part of what I did. 00:36:04.024 --> 00:36:04.994 And some of it was just. 00:36:05.594 --> 00:36:06.244 Here's how you do a 00:36:06.244 --> 00:36:07.544 thing programming wise. 00:36:08.244 --> 00:36:10.434 Anyway, like I, I had some success 00:36:10.434 --> 00:36:12.834 with that and after kind of coming back 00:36:12.834 --> 00:36:14.464 and working after Jamie was born and. 00:36:14.904 --> 00:36:16.074 Looking at the amount of time that 00:36:16.074 --> 00:36:17.814 I have and the impact that certain 00:36:17.814 --> 00:36:20.534 things TikTok were having or not, 00:36:20.954 --> 00:36:22.124 it's, I just haven't even touched 00:36:22.124 --> 00:36:24.354 it and it's been kind of freeing. 00:36:24.494 --> 00:36:26.744 I really liked it, but it is 00:36:26.744 --> 00:36:28.014 overwhelming for me thinking about 00:36:28.024 --> 00:36:31.344 all the things that I want to do. 00:36:31.579 --> 00:36:32.179 All the time. 00:36:32.179 --> 00:36:33.739 And I think most of us have this problem 00:36:33.739 --> 00:36:36.379 of prioritization and accepting that we 00:36:36.379 --> 00:36:37.729 can't do it all, which is really hard. 00:36:37.729 --> 00:36:38.709 But that, that is one thing 00:36:38.709 --> 00:36:39.709 that I just haven't done. 00:36:40.189 --> 00:36:42.499 And, uh, basically five months now. 00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:43.889 And I don't know that I have immediate 00:36:43.889 --> 00:36:46.619 plans to, to pick that up, but it's 00:36:46.619 --> 00:36:47.839 certainly something that I miss a 00:36:47.839 --> 00:36:50.219 little bit and enjoy, just want to make 00:36:50.219 --> 00:36:51.869 sure it kind of makes, makes sense. 00:36:51.879 --> 00:36:52.479 Time wise. 00:36:54.579 --> 00:36:56.179 Kevin Griffin: One thing that we just 00:36:56.189 --> 00:36:58.669 completely glossed over, and this is my 00:36:58.679 --> 00:37:01.419 failure as a host, is that you recently 00:37:01.419 --> 00:37:04.059 just released a full course on Astro. 00:37:04.549 --> 00:37:08.019 And, uh, as far as I know, this, this 00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:09.949 is the first full video course you've 00:37:09.949 --> 00:37:11.619 done, or is it, have there been others? 00:37:11.869 --> 00:37:12.099 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:37:12.099 --> 00:37:13.079 There's been other, it's funny 00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:14.749 Clark from that conference posted 00:37:14.769 --> 00:37:15.919 like a big congratulations to 00:37:15.919 --> 00:37:16.979 James for his first course. 00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:18.969 It's not, but that's okay. 00:37:19.219 --> 00:37:20.159 But I think that's also a 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:22.979 testimony to like, I don't know. 00:37:22.979 --> 00:37:24.799 You think not that this course has been 00:37:24.799 --> 00:37:26.334 super big, but you see people that like. 00:37:26.784 --> 00:37:27.634 Come on the radio and you're like, 00:37:27.634 --> 00:37:28.954 Oh my God, they got famous overnight. 00:37:28.954 --> 00:37:29.614 And the reality is like, 00:37:29.614 --> 00:37:30.334 they've been doing this stuff 00:37:30.344 --> 00:37:31.504 for years and no one knew. 00:37:31.514 --> 00:37:31.824 Right. 00:37:32.414 --> 00:37:33.974 So my first course was actually a VS 00:37:34.014 --> 00:37:35.944 code course, which has made more money 00:37:35.944 --> 00:37:37.234 than any other course I've ever done. 00:37:37.254 --> 00:37:39.804 It was on Udemy and it was 00:37:39.804 --> 00:37:41.334 just timed really well, I think 00:37:41.344 --> 00:37:42.704 from a VS code perspective. 00:37:43.224 --> 00:37:45.154 And it also got into their like 00:37:45.154 --> 00:37:47.514 enterprise subscription model, 00:37:47.554 --> 00:37:49.104 which gave it a huge boost. 00:37:49.114 --> 00:37:50.424 So over the course of 00:37:50.424 --> 00:37:51.844 several years, it's now. 00:37:52.134 --> 00:37:53.494 Dying off, which is kind of sad, but 00:37:53.494 --> 00:37:55.794 I was making like a grand a month 00:37:55.894 --> 00:37:57.604 from that, not touching it at all. 00:37:58.114 --> 00:37:59.494 And so I was very fortunate for 00:37:59.494 --> 00:38:01.124 that to just get picked up and. 00:38:01.649 --> 00:38:03.169 Um, anyway, so that was the 00:38:03.209 --> 00:38:04.549 first, I did a couple of like 00:38:04.549 --> 00:38:05.759 free mini courses on YouTube. 00:38:05.789 --> 00:38:06.999 That was the first paid course. 00:38:07.479 --> 00:38:09.509 I did another one in between that one and 00:38:09.509 --> 00:38:11.179 this one, which is reacting serverless. 00:38:11.739 --> 00:38:13.379 Um, actually that's not quite true. 00:38:13.379 --> 00:38:13.839 I did. 00:38:13.999 --> 00:38:15.079 What was it for? 00:38:15.099 --> 00:38:15.929 I guess it was reacting. 00:38:15.929 --> 00:38:16.119 Yeah. 00:38:16.119 --> 00:38:16.809 Reacting serverless. 00:38:16.809 --> 00:38:17.119 Sorry. 00:38:17.529 --> 00:38:19.449 Um, that I published on Udemy and then 00:38:19.449 --> 00:38:22.469 moved to Podia as my own, like I didn't 00:38:22.469 --> 00:38:24.239 build it, but like as a course platform 00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:25.789 instead of doing Podia, but I did both. 00:38:25.819 --> 00:38:26.629 And that did like. 00:38:29.949 --> 00:38:31.199 And so part of what I want to get 00:38:31.209 --> 00:38:34.119 into going back to how do you make 00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:36.179 money and, and also tying into 00:38:36.179 --> 00:38:37.129 like the build in public thing. 00:38:37.129 --> 00:38:39.049 If I spend six months building something, 00:38:39.089 --> 00:38:41.029 whatever it is, and ideally I tie it 00:38:41.029 --> 00:38:42.989 in with like sponsored time to do it, 00:38:43.649 --> 00:38:45.509 the things I've learned during that 00:38:45.509 --> 00:38:47.159 and what I'm able to build from a 00:38:47.159 --> 00:38:48.929 demo perspective are very useful for 00:38:48.929 --> 00:38:51.369 people, like amazingly useful, I think. 00:38:51.469 --> 00:38:53.609 Um, so my goal is to kind of go through. 00:38:54.224 --> 00:38:55.694 Six or eight months cycles of kind 00:38:55.694 --> 00:38:57.014 of working on something, digging 00:38:57.014 --> 00:38:58.624 deeper into stuff, and then turning 00:38:58.624 --> 00:39:00.384 that into course content as well. 00:39:00.984 --> 00:39:02.664 So I started, we talked about this on 00:39:02.664 --> 00:39:05.254 the Astro front of migrating my personal 00:39:05.254 --> 00:39:08.144 site from, uh, trying to go to next JS 00:39:08.144 --> 00:39:09.744 and then choosing Astro and said, and 00:39:09.744 --> 00:39:11.174 then looking at like, okay, here's. 00:39:11.304 --> 00:39:12.564 Potential ideas for courses. 00:39:12.574 --> 00:39:14.834 I want to do Astro and I did that. 00:39:14.864 --> 00:39:16.314 And there's a lot that goes into it. 00:39:16.394 --> 00:39:17.794 Uh, like I created a separate 00:39:17.794 --> 00:39:19.044 domain, separate website. 00:39:19.574 --> 00:39:20.824 I created a couple of blog posts on 00:39:20.824 --> 00:39:22.444 that domain, which I didn't take super 00:39:22.444 --> 00:39:24.524 seriously, but I created YouTube content 00:39:24.544 --> 00:39:26.204 around the topic to point people to a 00:39:26.204 --> 00:39:27.364 newsletter where they could sign up for 00:39:27.364 --> 00:39:30.474 the waitlist, created the course, um, had 00:39:30.474 --> 00:39:32.834 someone help me with the demo recorded 85 00:39:33.424 --> 00:39:35.754 videos or whatever, um, hosted on podium. 00:39:36.549 --> 00:39:37.699 And got to launch a little over a 00:39:37.699 --> 00:39:40.069 month ago, and it's been super cool 00:39:40.219 --> 00:39:43.479 to, to look at like putting an effort 00:39:43.819 --> 00:39:44.969 over the course of several months 00:39:44.969 --> 00:39:46.349 and then seeing people respond to it. 00:39:46.349 --> 00:39:47.559 Like not just signing up, but also 00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:49.099 getting good feedback and seeing 00:39:49.099 --> 00:39:50.179 people progress through the course. 00:39:50.179 --> 00:39:51.089 That's super, super fun. 00:39:51.639 --> 00:39:53.929 And so I look at, um, full transparency. 00:39:53.949 --> 00:39:56.379 The course has made about 15 K so far. 00:39:56.379 --> 00:39:57.559 I don't expect it to make a whole lot 00:39:57.559 --> 00:39:59.089 more, although maybe like different 00:39:59.089 --> 00:40:02.649 ways we'll pick up some, but I had about 00:40:02.689 --> 00:40:04.299 600 people on the wait list for that. 00:40:04.339 --> 00:40:05.179 And I look at like. 00:40:05.729 --> 00:40:07.779 The potential reach that I have 00:40:07.929 --> 00:40:09.319 through YouTube and other platforms. 00:40:09.819 --> 00:40:12.019 And I'm thinking to myself, like, if I, 00:40:12.019 --> 00:40:13.459 if I take that as a baseline conversion 00:40:13.459 --> 00:40:14.859 number, like there's no reason I'm 00:40:14.859 --> 00:40:17.209 not, I wouldn't be capable of building 00:40:17.209 --> 00:40:18.729 a course and having a wait list for 00:40:18.729 --> 00:40:21.769 something of five, 6, 000 people, right? 00:40:21.769 --> 00:40:22.929 Like tenfold that. 00:40:23.439 --> 00:40:24.579 And then you look at like, if 00:40:24.579 --> 00:40:25.989 I were to tenfold the revenue. 00:40:26.814 --> 00:40:27.634 For stuff that I'm already 00:40:27.634 --> 00:40:28.254 excited about that. 00:40:28.254 --> 00:40:28.944 I'm already building. 00:40:28.944 --> 00:40:30.554 I'm excited to teach all these things. 00:40:31.024 --> 00:40:33.344 That's kind of a game changer from, 00:40:33.644 --> 00:40:35.424 um, a content creator perspective. 00:40:35.464 --> 00:40:36.404 And you look at people like West 00:40:36.404 --> 00:40:37.414 boss, like you can go and run the 00:40:37.414 --> 00:40:38.694 numbers cause they're on his website. 00:40:38.694 --> 00:40:39.924 He makes millions from courses. 00:40:40.224 --> 00:40:41.804 That's, I think that's every, every 00:40:41.804 --> 00:40:43.304 course creator's dream is West boss. 00:40:43.874 --> 00:40:45.554 And even far removed from that, like, 00:40:45.974 --> 00:40:47.094 I think there's a lot of potential. 00:40:47.104 --> 00:40:48.714 So I'm excited about the way it went. 00:40:48.724 --> 00:40:50.004 I'm excited to continue to 00:40:50.004 --> 00:40:51.784 refund the process of creating 00:40:51.794 --> 00:40:52.714 and marketing a course. 00:40:52.714 --> 00:40:52.864 Yes. 00:40:53.234 --> 00:40:53.924 And then hopefully just 00:40:53.934 --> 00:40:54.714 getting better and better. 00:40:56.154 --> 00:40:58.214 Kevin Griffin: We, a group of friends 00:40:58.214 --> 00:41:00.344 of mine and I always make a joke. 00:41:00.364 --> 00:41:01.644 We're all content creators. 00:41:02.084 --> 00:41:04.034 We, we talk about West boss and we 00:41:04.034 --> 00:41:06.414 mean it in the most jealous, lovingly 00:41:06.584 --> 00:41:11.374 way possible that Wes must wake up one 00:41:11.374 --> 00:41:12.954 day and go, you know, I could really 00:41:12.954 --> 00:41:15.454 use a new car and it's a course. 00:41:15.544 --> 00:41:17.714 Now he goes by his new car on a new house 00:41:17.974 --> 00:41:19.384 and I'm sure it's not like that at all. 00:41:19.424 --> 00:41:21.234 Uh, I've actually, I've never met Weston, 00:41:21.234 --> 00:41:24.954 uh, in person before, but I, I say from 00:41:24.954 --> 00:41:27.314 a standpoint of, I'm extremely jealous 00:41:27.314 --> 00:41:29.194 and I want to be in that position. 00:41:29.694 --> 00:41:30.274 James Q. Quick: Well, you gotta, 00:41:30.274 --> 00:41:32.944 you gotta also think too, there's, 00:41:32.964 --> 00:41:34.394 there's nothing wrong with making 00:41:34.394 --> 00:41:35.534 a ton of money from your content. 00:41:35.584 --> 00:41:38.294 And I will always, I, I produce 00:41:38.294 --> 00:41:39.894 enough free content, I think for 00:41:39.894 --> 00:41:41.424 people to trust me that I'm not 00:41:41.424 --> 00:41:43.374 doing it for the money, but I also 00:41:43.384 --> 00:41:44.434 would like to make a lot of money. 00:41:44.434 --> 00:41:45.374 There's nothing wrong with that. 00:41:45.374 --> 00:41:46.904 And if you look at West boss and 00:41:46.904 --> 00:41:49.259 the success that he's had, People 00:41:49.269 --> 00:41:51.649 come back for more because they 00:41:51.649 --> 00:41:53.089 get the value that was promised. 00:41:53.439 --> 00:41:55.189 Like I have, I have, yeah, there's, 00:41:55.209 --> 00:41:57.769 I have no problem investing money if 00:41:57.769 --> 00:41:59.769 I see an ROI and that's what people 00:41:59.769 --> 00:42:01.099 see and that's why people come back. 00:42:01.129 --> 00:42:02.719 And so the more you kind of build that 00:42:02.719 --> 00:42:04.859 reputation and it scales like West boss 00:42:04.859 --> 00:42:08.089 has done, it's all built on being really 00:42:08.089 --> 00:42:09.809 freaking good at what you're doing. 00:42:10.179 --> 00:42:12.029 And there's nothing wrong with 00:42:12.029 --> 00:42:13.909 charging a premium price for that 00:42:13.909 --> 00:42:14.979 because it's valuable content. 00:42:16.209 --> 00:42:18.069 And you just, you see the response 00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:19.379 that people have where they come back. 00:42:19.419 --> 00:42:20.529 And I just think about, I was talking 00:42:20.529 --> 00:42:21.669 to my wife about this the other day. 00:42:22.079 --> 00:42:23.319 If you think about the course topics 00:42:23.319 --> 00:42:26.019 that he's covered react, no JS, 00:42:26.099 --> 00:42:28.589 CSS, grid, JavaScript, and you think 00:42:28.589 --> 00:42:30.179 about in any of those categories. 00:42:31.104 --> 00:42:32.694 If I could recommend a couple 00:42:32.694 --> 00:42:34.634 of resources, some resources to 00:42:34.634 --> 00:42:36.754 someone, his, and any of those 00:42:36.754 --> 00:42:37.914 categories is always going to be 00:42:37.914 --> 00:42:39.244 on that list every single time. 00:42:39.354 --> 00:42:40.414 And that's because of 00:42:40.904 --> 00:42:42.024 the job that he's done. 00:42:43.024 --> 00:42:43.864 Kevin Griffin: James, I have taken 00:42:43.864 --> 00:42:45.504 up a lot of your time and I have at 00:42:45.504 --> 00:42:46.894 least 50 more questions I want to 00:42:46.904 --> 00:42:49.044 ask, but I'm not going to, what we're 00:42:49.044 --> 00:42:50.034 going to do is we're going to have 00:42:50.034 --> 00:42:52.264 you back in the future and we're going 00:42:52.264 --> 00:42:53.724 to talk about some deeper topics. 00:42:53.929 --> 00:42:54.529 James Q. Quick: please do. 00:42:54.984 --> 00:42:56.384 Kevin Griffin: But before we wrap 00:42:56.394 --> 00:42:58.344 up, is there anything that you'd 00:42:58.344 --> 00:42:59.734 like to promote while you're here? 00:42:59.939 --> 00:43:00.349 James Q. Quick: Yeah. 00:43:00.449 --> 00:43:01.709 Uh, so the Astro course is 00:43:01.709 --> 00:43:03.209 available at Astro course. 00:43:03.769 --> 00:43:04.429 dev. 00:43:05.189 --> 00:43:07.159 It is Astro three updated. 00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:08.209 I didn't talk about the timing. 00:43:08.219 --> 00:43:09.779 Like after I started recording, then 00:43:09.779 --> 00:43:12.089 they launched Astro three and I made the 00:43:12.089 --> 00:43:14.179 updates to, to ship with Astro three. 00:43:14.924 --> 00:43:15.584 It's super fun. 00:43:15.594 --> 00:43:17.354 It talks about the statically 00:43:17.354 --> 00:43:19.234 generated content side of Astro and 00:43:19.244 --> 00:43:21.184 also gets into the SSR side, adding 00:43:21.224 --> 00:43:22.714 authentication and comments and 00:43:22.714 --> 00:43:24.074 working with Zeta as a database. 00:43:24.664 --> 00:43:25.754 And I think there's a bunch of 00:43:25.754 --> 00:43:26.814 cool stuff and it just shows you 00:43:26.814 --> 00:43:28.424 the power, I think, of Astro. 00:43:28.424 --> 00:43:29.944 So check that out at astrocourse. 00:43:29.984 --> 00:43:30.934 dev if you're interested. 00:43:31.614 --> 00:43:33.334 Also, one thing is I'm trying 00:43:33.334 --> 00:43:35.099 to, uh, do a better job of. 00:43:35.099 --> 00:43:36.319 Promoting is my newsletter. 00:43:36.389 --> 00:43:37.549 Uh, so James Q quick. 00:43:37.749 --> 00:43:40.059 com slash newsletter, or just like, you 00:43:40.059 --> 00:43:41.099 can see it at the bottom of the page. 00:43:41.099 --> 00:43:43.879 If you scroll, um, typically I'm a couple 00:43:43.879 --> 00:43:45.199 of weeks off, so I need to get back on 00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:47.749 track, but typically I send weekly email. 00:43:47.769 --> 00:43:49.519 I include some of my recent content. 00:43:49.549 --> 00:43:50.539 I include something that's 00:43:50.539 --> 00:43:51.899 top of mind personally, either 00:43:51.899 --> 00:43:53.249 technically or just personal life. 00:43:53.739 --> 00:43:54.969 I include a couple of references 00:43:54.979 --> 00:43:56.389 to content from my discord, my 00:43:56.389 --> 00:43:57.579 learn, build, teach discord. 00:43:57.994 --> 00:43:59.354 And then a recent podcast. 00:43:59.354 --> 00:44:01.124 So if you're interested in just kind of 00:44:01.124 --> 00:44:02.414 following some of that content and seeing 00:44:02.414 --> 00:44:04.204 what's top of mind for me on a weekly 00:44:04.204 --> 00:44:05.514 basis, you can find that at jamesqquick. 00:44:06.154 --> 00:44:07.184 com slash newsletter. 00:44:07.829 --> 00:44:08.329 Kevin Griffin: Excellent. 00:44:08.349 --> 00:44:09.769 And we'll make sure we put links to 00:44:09.789 --> 00:44:10.949 all that stuff in their show notes. 00:44:11.589 --> 00:44:13.909 James, I appreciate having you on the 00:44:13.909 --> 00:44:15.599 show and we'll definitely have you 00:44:15.609 --> 00:44:17.449 back sometime in the future to cover 00:44:17.449 --> 00:44:20.739 a lot more topics because I wish that 00:44:20.749 --> 00:44:23.109 an hour was enough time, but thank 00:44:23.109 --> 00:44:24.249 you so much for hanging out with us. 00:44:24.644 --> 00:44:25.154 James Q. Quick: Absolutely. 00:44:25.204 --> 00:44:25.584 Thank you.