Extra Value
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Extra Value | Finding Your Dream Career

Extra Value | Finding Your Dream Career

PLUS: Time Mag releases top 100 creators list and how Cluely is breaking marketing

Creator X & JT Barnett
July 10, 2025

What’s Hot?

The Content Waterfall System

This is how you extract the best clips for shorts, LinkedIn posts, convert quotes into Instagram graphics and threads. There’s endless opportunity! ⚡️

This Startup Spent $15M on 10,000 TikTok Accounts

Have you seen what Roy Lee’s doing right now?? Founder of Cluely raised $15M to build the biggest UGC creator network ever, 10,000 TikTok accounts all posting about his product. In this economy, it’s not even about having the best product anymore. It’s about distribution. And Roy’s straight-up manufacturing social proof at scale. Wild to watch! 🤯

YouTube's AI Crackdown

Starting July 15, YouTube’s making some BIG changes. They’re cracking down on low-effort, AI-generated content and pushing hard for stuff that actually adds real value: personal insights, storytelling, originality. Honestly? I’m here for it. I’ve been wondering how platforms would start regulating AI content, and this feels like a solid first step. 🔥

Amazon Doubles Creator Commissions for Prime Day

Amazon just cranked up the heat on TikTok Shop by doubling affiliate commissions during Prime Day. With all the noise around TikTok layoffs and uncertainty, this move hits hard. Last day of Prime Day is tomorrow FYI!

TIME's First-Ever Creator List

TIME100 Creators list is out!! And features 100 digital creators from 15 countries. From Kai's 18 million Twitch followers to creators spanning YouTube, TikTok, and Substack. Proof: creators aren’t just entertainers anymore… we’re the new gatekeepers of culture, info, and influence. Let’s goooo 🚀

Gen Z is Flooding Art Schools

NYC art schools are seeing record-high applications as Gen Z students choose creative paths over traditional careers, despite the rise of AI!

Founder’s Corner

Everyone wants to have a dream career, right?

I used to be one of those people, bouncing between different ideas and opportunities without any real strategy. That all changed when I discovered a simple framework that completely transformed how I think about career decisions.

Let me share the exact system I use when choosing what I should really dive into.👇️

The 3-Circle Framework That Changed Everything

I've learned that sustainable career satisfaction comes from finding the intersection of three critical elements, and they all have to overlap for it to be your true calling. This isn't just some theoretical concept, I've tested this framework on multiple career paths in my own life, and the results speak for themselves. When you get all three circles aligned, ✨magic happens✨ but when even one is missing, you're setting yourself up for frustration and burnout.

The three circles I evaluate are:

• What I actually love the process of doing, without getting paid?

• What is extremely valuable to others?

• What I am genuinely talented at?

Why Each Circle Is Non-Negotiable

Each of these elements is absolutely essential. The three questions, serves as a filter that eliminates paths that might look good on paper but will ultimately leave you unfulfilled or unsuccessful.

Without genuine passion: You will not find enjoyment in the work, period.

Without market value: There's no business or monetary upside, which means you're essentially pursuing an expensive hobby. You can love something with all your heart, but if nobody's willing to pay for it or it doesn't solve real problems, it kind of defeats the purpose.

Without natural talent: This can be developed over time, but it's tough if you're starting from absolute zero. Why make life harder when you could leverage your existing strengths and build from there?

Testing the Framework in My Life

I actually put it to the test with several potential career paths. Some of these tests were eye-opening, others…. humbling 😅. But each one taught me something valuable about what I really wanted from my professional life.

You can see how I worked it out using the 3 circles here!

1.Talent Manager

This seemed like a logical path given my network and understanding of the creator economy. On the surface, it looked like it could be lucrative and I had some relevant skills, but when I really dug into the three circles, the cracks started to show.

❌Passion: Don't enjoy managing others, wouldn't want to be an employee, and would burn out quickly
✅ Value: Talent definitely needs good managers who know what they're doing
❌Talent: I might be good at it initially, but I want to BE the talent, so I wouldn't put clients first

2.Creating Operating Systems

This was interesting because I'm genuinely skilled at systematizing processes and helping businesses run more efficiently. I've done it before and gotten great results. But here's what I discovered: I could only tolerate this work when there were massive financial rewards involved, which isn't sustainable long-term.

❌ Passion: I can't stand doing this after a while, only motivated by huge payouts
✅ Value: Most businesses desperately need help with clean, scalable systems
✅ Talent: I'm genuinely talented at creating these systems and processes

3.Being a Professional Padel Player

Okay, this one makes me laugh because it shows how important it is to be brutally honest with yourself. I absolutely love playing padel, I could spend hours playing. The passion is for sure there. But when I really evaluated my skill level and the market opportunity, reality hit hard. 😅

✅Passion: I could play for hours and have so much fun doing it!
❌Value: Still a very small consumer sport, limited earning potential
❌Talent: I'm beginner-intermediate level. In my mind I'm the GOAT, but reality check…this isn't it 😂

4.Teaching Media & Community Building

Now this is where everything clicked into place. I realized I was already doing this work in my spare time: teaching friends about strategies, helping people build their online presence, staying up late researching new platforms and techniques. The market need is also massive and growing.

✅ Passion: I spend all my free time learning this and teaching friends – it's genuinely fun for me!
✅ Value: Most businesses don't understand effective media use, and it's a critical need
✅ Talent: I have natural ability plus 1000+ hours of deliberate practice

When Everything Aligns, Go ALL IN

Here's what happened when I found my perfect intersection and decided to pursue it with everything I had. I didn't just dabble or treat it as a side project.

I f**k’n went all in!! 😤

Investing time, energy, and resources into becoming the best at what I do. That commitment and focus led to incredible opportunities I never could have imagined. I started working with amazing companies like Google and Notion, partnering with brands like Poppi, and connecting with people who shared my vision for building authentic communities through media.

🔑 The key: When you're operating in your sweet spot, opportunities don't feel forced… they flow naturally, they come to you!