After years of multi-bulleted bio’s, I’ve recently been experimenting with the stripped back and simple:
“publishing books, differently”
Who am I to make such a declaration?
Well, I’ve been thinking about this myself. It seems like not long ago that I was hesitantly sharing my thoughts on Medium, and somehow that was almost 10 years ago.
I’d like to think I’ve learned a few things in that time.
I’m going to rewind back a little and share with you some highlights + insights into what my zig-zaggy publishing journey has looked like thus far.
Away from my ‘being a creator’, I’ve done some other things behind-the-scenes that I’ve never shared on my blog or newsletter before. Hopefully you’ll find that interesting, too.
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2015-2016
// My first published post on Medium (July 2015)
I’d written things on LinkedIn prior to that about work stuff, but for me my first post — titled ‘Jas Hothi: My story so far’, was a post that introduced myself, who I was, and sharing that — having recently left my corporate job — I didn’t know exactly where I was headed.
Soon, I started my first ‘official’ blog A Happier Introvert, combining two of the things I was deep-diving into at that time; introversion and happiness.
What I didn’t know: I was self-publishing. Publishing your words on the internet is… publishing. And when someone reads them (even just one person)… well, that makes you an artist or a creator.
Another post I wrote on Medium was re-published here.
My first business (aside from my tutoring business) was one I set up alongside my Masters. It was an alternative to university (our version of ‘college’ here in the UK). I was already beginning to connect some dots in my mind about the cookie-clutter-corporate-world and the more-fun-and-exciting life of startups.
What I didn’t know then: I would go on to work for a startup; what excited me most from the beginning at startups was making something new, building something from people, and feeling the connection that comes from being of service and seeing something you’ve built — whether a tangible product like a book, or an intangible entity like a community — be used
[2017: I took time off for my mental health, then worked for my friend Mat’s startup]
This was my first time working for a startup *and* being a remote employee. Mat was someone I had met whilst doing my Masters in Positive Psychology and, truly, he is someone who changed my perspective about what was possible. He would be dressed casually, doing a full-time Masters and, as I increasingly came to know, be building stuff. He was an enigma, and still is an enigma (though I’m grateful to have gotten to know him quite a bit and, especially for his help and support during said Masters where I was wobbling and at risk of dropping out, he helped me get back on track and get MSc. A great guy.)
Whilst at Mat’s startup, I started getting fascinated by the idea of community in the context of business; I’d been reading startup books about growing and nurturing a customer base; I was also a part of communities myself like Escape The City and World Domination Summit.
I had the vision, but I didn’t have the ingredients (yet).
I found myself having a lot of fun at Mat’s company, but I yearned to make more of the difference I wanted to make.
I handed in my notice, spent a week in Slovenia followed by a month in Tenerife — during which I started my next business… Honest Content.
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2018-19
Honest Content was a way to help businesses nurture leads and build community. The idea was to test my hypothesis
I didn’t do the best job convincing people. And, to be honest, I was trying to convince the wrong people. One-man-band mortgage advisers were so focused on selling, that they didn’t understand the notion of
The Financial Services world is notoriously traditional; Mat’s company, with him at the helm and being based outside of London, was less traditional. But still… these clients weren’t getting what I was trying. And, to be honest, I was thinking too much about “me”, not enough about “them”, and so there was a major disconnect.
That said, my Honest Content guide has recently re-surfaced, and it’s one I’d like to share with you.
Writing this today, I realise that that guide is — indeed — a book.
Over the coming couple of weeks I’m going to share this book with you, first written 5 years ago, in its original form
Here’s a preview of the chapters you can expect:
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In a couple of days’ time, I’ll be sharing the first chapter with you.
All of this ties into what I envision to be a way of publishing books, differently.
I’m looking forward to dusting the pages off and inviting you into my world.
Thanks for being here & see you again in a couple of days’ time,
Jas
