The content trap: steal like an artist, build like a creator, sell like a founder
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen.
Watching your cursor blink back at you as you try to come up with a content idea.
Or you’ve picked up a camera and pressed record and don’t know what to say.
So you quickly go back to doom-scrolling and dreaming of the day you create content that gets you noticed, so you can experience what you see other people doing online.
This is what you’re missing out on:
Getting invited to exclusive events. (Keep reading to see behind the scenes of my visit to the Adobe Creator Live event last week 👀)
Attracting clients with ease.
Being recognised by their local business community as the go-to company for their products or services.
You WISH you could just start, but something is holding you back.
Or maybe you have started, and you’re not seeing the impact you want from the content you are sharing.
When you post, it’s just *tumbleweed* 🙃
Some of us consume endlessly but never create.
Some post constantly but have no strategy.
Some pitch before we’ve built any trust.
In this episode, we identify the three different traps you can get stuck in when building your personal brand and how to break free from them.
Hot Take 🔥
The Three Traps That Keep Founders Busy But Broke
You’re doing the work. Posting 3-5 times a week. Getting likes.
So why does nothing feel like it’s moving?
Here’s where you’re stuck:
Trap 1: The Artist (You Consume But Never Create)
You’ve saved 200 LinkedIn posts. Your notes app is full of content ideas.
And you haven’t posted a single thing.
Not because you don’t care. Because you care too much.
You’re waiting for: → The original idea nobody’s had before → The moment you feel like an expert → The perfect words
Here’s the problem: Consuming content scratches the same itch as creating it.
Your brain gets the dopamine hit from watching that video about building a personal brand. For a moment, it feels like progress.
It’s not. You’re in the same place you were yesterday.
The trap: Consuming is safe. Creating is exposing. Your brain will always choose safe.
Trap 2: The Creator (You Post But Have No Strategy)
You show up. You’re consistent.
Monday: workspace photo, Wednesday: your dog
Friday: gratitude post
You’re getting engagement. You look active.
But if someone asked, “What do you want to be known for?” you’d go blank.
Here’s the thing: Likes are not leads. Visibility is not credibility. Being seen is not the same as being known for something.
There’s a difference: → An influencer documents their life and hopes relatability builds an audience → A creator curates what they’re known for and builds content with intent
One is a diary. The other is a brand.
The trap: When you’re getting likes, it’s easy to think it’s working. But the evidence is in the leads and opportunities.
Trap 3: The Seller (You Pitch Without Building Trust)
You skip everything. No warmup. No nurturing. Straight to “buy my thing.”
Every post is a pitch. Every caption ends with a link. Every piece of content tries to close a sale that was never opened.
Think about film releases: Actors spend months doing interviews, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, building anticipation. By release day, you’re already invested.
Now imagine they just posted “Film’s out. Buy a ticket.”
That’s what most founders do.
The trap: People don’t use social media to buy. They use it to learn, be entertained, and feel something. If every time they see your name, it’s a pitch, they’ll scroll past.
You haven’t earned the right to sell because you haven’t built the trust.
Steal My Strategy 👀
The System That Actually Works (When All Three Click Together)
The founders who break through aren’t magical. They’ve just connected the three things most people do in isolation.
Here’s how it works:
Consume with intent → Not doom scrolling. Not hoarding ideas. Learn something specific, then apply it immediately. Every post is an experiment. Test a hook, try a format, see what happens. Treat it as evidence, not performance.
Create with strategy → Before you post, answer: Who am I talking to? What do I want to be known for? Does this build credibility in that direction? If you can’t answer clearly, it’s just noise.
Sell through trust → The sale happens long before the call to action. They need to see you 7-10 times across different places before they’re ready. Show up consistently. Add value first. Then ask.
When all three click, something shifts:
You stop fighting for attention and start attracting it.
You launch something, and people are already interested because they’ve been watching you, learning from you, trusting you for months.
That’s not luck. That’s showing up with intent when nobody was clapping.
Your move this week:
Figure out which trap you’re in. Then do the opposite.
→ Artist? Post something imperfect today
→ Creator? Write down what you want to be known for
→ Seller? Add value without asking for anything
Pick one. Do it this week.
Founder Diaries 📓
The Sweet Spot: What I Learned at Adobe Creator Live
Last week, I went to Adobe Creator Live in London.
A room full of creators, photographers, and designers. All are building their personal brands. All are monetising their craft in different ways.
Something clicked for me.
The creators who are winning right now aren’t influencers.
They’re not just business owners either.
They’re both.
They’re what I’m calling “creator founders”
People building businesses AND personal brands simultaneously. They’re working with brands on partnerships. They’re selling their own products and services. They’re getting paid from multiple directions.
Here’s why they’re in the sweet spot:
They’re not waiting for brand deals to fund their lives (like traditional influencers). They have their own revenue streams. Their own businesses. Their own control.
But they’re also not ignoring the power of brand partnerships (like traditional founders). They’re building audiences that brands want access to. They’re creating content that attracts opportunities.
What Adobe understood that most companies don’t:
They understood that creator founders need support, not just software.
I left the event, feeling inspired. I would never have expected I would be invited to events like this.
The one key insight you can’t ignore right now:
If you’re a founder building a personal brand right now, you’re in the best position you’ve ever been in.
Brands want to work with real founders who have real businesses. Not influencers with fake engagement. Not corporate accounts with no personality.
They want YOU. Building in public. Sharing your journey. Bringing your audience along.
But here’s the catch:
You can’t be in one of the three traps and expect brands to come knocking.
You can’t be consuming without creating. Brands want to see your work.
You can’t be posting without a strategy. Brands want to know what you stand for.
You can’t be pitching without trust. Brands want to partner with people who’ve already built loyal audiences.
The opportunity is massive.
Creator founders are the future. Building businesses that brands want to align with. Building audiences that brands want access to. Building credibility that attracts multiple revenue streams.
But only if you get out of the traps first.
That’s why we’re building Lucky Founders Club. For founders who want to be in that sweet spot, building something of their own while attracting brand opportunities, speaking gigs, and collaborations.
It starts with getting the fundamentals right. Strategy. Consistency. Trust.
