Clarity is a Myth.

Dear Andre, (3 min read)

You can only connect the dots looking backward. I wish this weren't true, but as your older brother I need you to know this now, not later.

This last Sunday I was writing, with a cat sitting beside me asking myself: What have been the through lines in my life up until this point? Are there things about me that are less likely to change? Things that I can rely on?

When I was younger, I couldn't see what was consistent. But I'm starting to gain clarity because I took action and did the thing that was in front of me at the time.

The Thread That Connects Everything

You're probably asking yourself, "Daniel, what do you mean by that?"

Here's what I'm starting to see: moving people is at the core of everything I've done.

First business? Health and wellness. I saw health as the unlock for people. Once they realized they could be physically healthy, they started questioning their limitations—asking "If I can be this healthy and I didn't know I could be, what else could I do?" It moved them to hope and possibility.

Second business? Playing drums. People would come in one state and leave in another. More hope, more possibility. Music moves you. It wasn't the drumming that mattered—it was moving people.

Third business? Detailing. Yes, I love cars (you know I'll roll down my windows to listen to a V8). But what I really care about is how a clean car affects the person. There's a certain peace and order created when your car is clean, your house is clean, when things are beautiful and in order. In a world of chaos, I get to give someone peace.

The Marketing Agency Revelation

Over the last seven months, I've been growing a marketing agency (Just Start Media) helping clients clarify their message and share their story with the world. I've worked with multiple clients including: photographers, songwriters, speakers. The more I learn about storytelling and marketing, the more I love it. This is for people who have an idea they need the world to know about, but don't have the bandwidth or desire to share it themselves..

Why? Because the two things that move people more than anything else are stories and music. Those are the two things I've given most of my life to. (a cumulative 17 years)

All this clarity came during dinner with friends. (It's amazing what tacos at 7PM on a Sunday and good friends can do for you.)

How It All Works Together

Here's my ecosystem behind the scenes:

The Flow:

• People meet me in person → find me on digital platforms

• OR they find my newsletter → discover my book → join my coaching cohort → work with me one-on-one → partner with my media company → Or find out about my detailing business

The Book Just Start: It's on Amazon. You should buy it.

The 4-Week Cohort: Just launched Monday and sold out! We're going through the big ideas from the book:

• Dreams

• Action

• People

• Places

The formula is simple:

Identify one dream → identify the most important action → find the right places → recognize the right people already in your life.

The likelihood of that dream moving forward increases dramatically.

"Reply 'Next' to be added to the waitlist for the next cohort."

The Lesson for You

Andre, I know this newsletter has been about me, but here's why it's actually about you:

I didn't have all of this figured out when I started.

There's tremendous tension in sharing this because it may all change. But here’s the thing. I’m okay with changing. Part of me wishes I'd known how all the pieces fit together before I started my newsletter. But Steve Jobs was right: you can only connect the dots looking backwards.

I just kept starting the next thing I was pretty sure I liked.

That first newsletter? 7 hours. Now I can write one in 30 minutes to an hour. It's just training the muscle over time.

Your Turn

Here's what I want you to identify:

🎯 What's one dream you've been putting off?

⚡ What's one action you could take each day to move from idea to action?

🌍 What's a place (physical or digital) that would help you become more of that type of person?

👥 Who is a person who can push you in the right direction?

Do this for one dream at a time. Before you know it, you'll be looking back saying "I can't believe this is my life!"

That is truly a gift.

-Daniel

P.S. If you’ve read my book and haven’t left a review on amazon yet it would mean the world to me if you’d do that. Here’s the link to the book to leave the review: