This year, I started a new experiment where I began reposting some of my old content onto Medium. I’ve found it to be a fun experience – a very different place to write, where I really feel like more of a writer rather than “just a blogger.”
Backing up a bit, Medium, if you’ve never heard of it, is sort of like the YouTube of blogging. It’s an all-in-one platform where you can write and publish articles. Medium has a membership system where readers pay $5 per month to read articles on the platform. That money is then divided up between writers who write on the platform. The more people that read your writing, the more you make. If you’re looking for a way to get paid purely on your writing – without having to deal with ads or affiliate marketing – Medium is one way to do it.
One advantage of writing on Medium is that you get access to a huge base of readers. Much like YouTube, there’s a sort of algorithm and curation system at play. If you’re consistent enough and write well enough, Medium will eventually start pushing your work to a larger audience. You’ll then gain more followers, continue to write more, and earn more money.
That all sounds well and good, but there’s more to Medium than just writing. Getting your work to a larger audience really requires getting yourself into publications. Think of these as online magazines. Readers subscribe to these publications and whenever a new article is published in them, their subscribers can see them. Without publications, a lone writer without a large following really isn’t going to get their work out to a big audience. In short, you need publications to get readers and subscribers on Medium.
Here’s the problem with publications. It’s a gatekeeping system. Some publications are more lenient than others, but the largest publications where you’ll get the most exposure are – at least in my experience – difficult to get into. At this point, I haven’t been able to get any of my writing into the big publications on Medium. And with many other large publications, I’m getting rejected at about a 90% rate.
It can be disheartening. When you make your living from writing and yet get constantly rejected, it wears you down. There usually isn’t much comment on why an article I wrote was rejected either – usually just something like “thanks for submitting, but we’re going to pass as this time.”
You might wonder why I’m spending my time trying to post things on Medium when I already have a fairly large platform of my own. This post I write here will likely get more views than I get in an entire month on Medium.
I think it has to do with my own mindset of wanting to get picked. It’s sort of like my urge to chase prestige, even when I tell myself I don’t want to. There’s a sort of validation factor at play here too. Most of us go through life like that – we wait for people to pick us because it validates us. So here I am – honestly, probably wasting my time – editing old posts and trying to write new stuff in hopes of getting picked by some gatekeeper.
After a few months of this, I’m starting to remind myself. Screw that. Pick yourself instead.
What Picking Yourself Means
I have a section of bookmarks in my browser for what I call life-changing posts. These are posts that completely changed how I thought about the world. One of those posts is Seth Godin’s famous (and really short) post about picking yourself. As he explains it:
It’s a cultural instinct to wait to get picked. To seek out the permission and authority that comes from a publisher or talk show host or even a blogger saying, “I pick you.” Once you reject that impulse and realize that no one is going to select you–that Prince Charming has chosen another house–then you can actually get to work.
It’s a powerful paragraph – one that has probably influenced thousands of creators out there. For most of our lives, we’ve been taught that we had to do things so that someone would pick us. Study hard so that a school will pick you. Smile and take orders so that a job will pick you. And if you want to be a writer, write the way they want you to write so that they’ll pick you.
Picking yourself means a couple of things. As Seth Godin puts it in another post of his:
What pick yourself means is that it’s never been easier to decide to be responsible for your own work, for your own agenda, for the change you make in the world. To have a chance to matter. Not to be finished right now, but starting now.
Pick yourself means we should stop waiting and whining and stalling.
Why You Need To Pick Yourself
Waiting. That’s the big thing that I think a lot of us deal with. Instead of taking action or trying something, we wait for someone to tell us it’s okay. In short, we wait to get picked.
Before the internet, getting picked was often a requirement. If you wanted to get yourself out there, you needed to get picked because a few people controlled all of the entry points. You couldn’t write and get your ideas out there unless you had a publisher pick you and put it out there. You couldn’t create videos unless a TV station picked you and put them on their channel. But it’s a different world now. You don’t need a gatekeeper to let you through.
That’s not to say that picking yourself is a guarantee you’ll be seen. There are still so many algorithms and other weird things that decide whether you get through or not. But the key is that you at least get to try. And it doesn’t mean trying to get a million people to find you. You only need to impact a few people to make a difference. If you don’t try, you have to ask yourself what’s holding you back.
Too often, we wait for gatekeepers to pick us. It’s more comfortable – a way to push that part of our life to someone else. If you don’t pick yourself though, why should anyone else?
How To Pick Yourself
Control Your Own Platform. If you’re creating something, you need to have your own platform. This is something you control. Writing on Medium has been fun and I’ll keep trying it out because I find it interesting, but the problem is Medium isn’t my platform. I’m giving up control to someone else. If you don’t control your own platform, that means you’re waiting for that platform to pick you. And that can be tough.
You Have To Let People Criticize And Laugh At You. The biggest fear with creating anything – or really doing anything – is that people will laugh at you. People are naturally inclined to not like it when people stray from the normal. When you’re putting something out there, you’re doing something that the vast majority of people won’t do. This applies to anything you do. You need to roll with the punches and let the haters hate. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll succeed. But if you’re scared of ridicule, you’ll never even start.
You Have To Start. Perhaps the most important thing of all. If you want to do anything, you need to start. It’ll be messy at first. You’re going to suck at it. But if you don’t start, you can’t get better. And if you don’t start, you’re either letting laziness get you or you’re letting fear hold you back.
This is a post that would never make it on any of the publications I want to be in on Medium. And since it wouldn’t get picked by those publications, I wouldn’t write it. The world would lose a little bit of something simply because I needed someone else to pick me.
I have my own platform and I picked myself a long time ago. Some people will find a post like this stupid. Others will resonate with it. Since I picked myself, I (and nobody else) get to at least decide if I can put it out there. Whatever you’re doing, make sure you pick yourself too.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($500) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: AZ, AR, CA, CO, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NC, ND, OH, OR, SD, TN, UT, WA, WI, WY. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Upgrade ($50) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $50 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on April 15, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before April 15th, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $50 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $500 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Medium is the only subscription I pay – mostly to read on data stuff, and on what younger folks are upto. There’s a lot of repetitive stuff, but worth the $5. I like that the posts are short and that I can skim through them quickly. I’d go else where to find the details.
I picked myself by starting my own business. It has kicked my butt and I just made my first sale and it feels fantastic. Makes me wonder though, we are still waiting to get picked by our potential customers and before this sale I was really feeling like no one wanted what I have to offer. I’m learning that it’s a numbers game though.
Congrats on that first sale!
Agree that the market still has to pick us. What is good though is that you can at least get yourself to market without a gatekeeper holding you back.
I couldn’t agree more. I love Seth Godin he’s continuously inspired me to achieve greatness within myself. To do the work.
Last summer I sat around brainstorming things I could do next in my career. Blogging kept coming up. I’ve always wanted to blog my real thoughts and opinions. So I picked myself and started AR.
It’s not always easy, but you can and should pick yourself every day. You can’t sit around waiting for someone else to gift you what you want. You have to reach out there and make it happen for you.
Exactly. Pick yourself every day!
I love the message! Back in 2009, when I first started, nobody would give me the time of day. I asked if I could guest post and I was always told no. So I started my own blog network back then and it was fun.
Today, I’m constantly rejected or ignored when I try to reach out. One big media editor was working with me forever and then suddenly ghosted me. I’m not sure what was up with that.
At the end of the day, you can pick yourself up and go past the gate keepers. And who knows, good things might happen.
I think it’s great we have our own sites. I love not having asked for permission from anybody to write and publish.
Although it’s much harder to build your own brand and platform Then it is to join a bigger media organization, it’s much more rewarding to do something on your own.
Then again, who knows. You might end up making 10X what the gatekeeper makes.
Sam
I picked a college engineering program to major in by the time I was in junior high. Then I picked the company I wanted to work for in the middle of my senior year of college. Then I picked the job that I wanted to have at the company. And I picked the age of 40 for when I wanted to be running that company. I only missed the last one, it took me until I was 41. I’ve always been a fan of doing the picking rather than just hoping someone picked me.
Great advice. Just get started–whatever it is. We cripple ourselves with anxiety or agonize over doing something perfectly that sometimes we forget to even do it at all. Good for you trying something new with Medium, but you have the best of both worlds by having your own platform as well.
This resonates deeply with me. As a new blogger, I look at content that’s out there already and think I need to write in a similar tone. However, there’s no one else who is me, and I need to write like myself. There will always be people who appreciate my writing style because of who I am and my perspective. Just as you are doing with this post.
There will always be someone who simply doesn’t like your work for seemingly unknown reasons. That’s just the way life is.
This truly is one of the best posts I’ve read, Kevin. You’ve encouraged many people, and I’ve saved this as a reminder to always believe in myself even when others won’t give you the time of day. Love the motto “Pick yourself”.