Earlier this year, I reached out to my top 10 readers (based on email open rate, clicks, and engagement). I asked these questions:

1. Why haven’t you unsubscribed from this blog yet?
2. What have been your favorite pieces and why?
3. What should I improve?
4. What would you love to see more of and less of?

I love feedback. Craving it and asking for it is one of the most powerful shortcuts to mindful growth.

My friends and I do annual feedback sessions where we check in with each other. How have we made the other uncomfortable? What impresses us most about the other? Etc.

I’m working on a free ebook to promote to my podcast audience. A buddy and I had a call a few days ago where he shared his screen and tore my first draft apart. I implemented each of his notes last night and it looks 20 times better than the original.

There’s no such thing as perfect. But humbling ourselves and seeking new perspectives is one of the healthiest and most rewarding things we can do for ourselves.

The best writers have editors. The best athletes have coaches. There’s always something to improve. Something we’re not seeing.

That’s why I sent these questions to my most active readers. It’s also why I encourage anyone to email me suggestions. I don’t have to agree with all of them, but I do have to be open to receiving criticism.

Here were the most common threads from the responses I got:

1) Why haven’t you unsubscribed from this blog yet?

• Many of my friends are long-time subscribers who want to support me and stay up to date with what’s happening in my life.
• Subscribers enjoy the variety of content: me learning chess, my travels to different countries, and huge life decisions I’ve made.
• Most of all, readers enjoy hearing stories and experiences they can relate to: insecurities, death, navigating through difficult emotions, etc.

2) What have been your favorite pieces and why?

• While offering different strategies and philosophies can be useful, people connect most with my most vulnerable blogs. Where I make mistakes and share my doubts and fears…
• Being ghosted by my best friend—What I learned
• 30 more visits with Grandpa
• Sweating my way to Canada

3) What should I improve?

• I tend to be vague when referring to evidence while making a point (e.g. “Studies show…”). Moving forward, I’ll be more specific and avoid making sweeping generalizations without providing data to back them up.
• My content creation career will be a never-ending journey in improving my storytelling skills.

4) What would you love to see more of and less of?

• More stories, fewer lectures. (Check out my conversation with professional storyteller Diane Callahan—She explains the difference between showing and telling in a story).
• A few people miss my old newsletter where I would give subscribers four cool pieces of content every Friday: something to watch, read, use, and listen to. So moving forward, I’ll give more links and references to podcasts, books, and videos that get me thinking.

As always, if you have any feedback for me, write it down on a sheet of paper, go outside, and throw it in the sewer because nobody cares.

Kidding. Just send me an email. I read every message.

Hope you like the improvements. New website coming soon.

🚀 The YouTuber’s Guide to the Galaxy

I host a podcast where I interview professional YouTubers. We dive into their worlds and channels. Get inspired and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Dill