I’ve met with over 30 people one-on-one for SEO & Directory consulting sessions in the last two months.
And I can confidently say: some of y’all are ridiculously knowledgable, talented and hard-working.
Which is why this newsletter is sharing a thought I've been returning to - some of you should teach what you know.
Seriously though. I’m a guy who was doing high school math in college.
Some of you are:
- Digital nomads
- Real estate investors
- Marketing agency owners
- CEOs of venture-backed startups
- Business owners with dozens of employees
And the list continues.
If you're reading this, chances are that you’re a cut above the rest.
Most of you have spent years mastering something difficult and the common thread between all of you is simple: you want optionality.
Whether you’re building directories for money, freedom, or just to learn SEO, it all boils down to wanting more options and being willing to work for them.
Why Directories Work (and Why They’re Not the Only Way)
Since I started my first business 8 years ago, I've never let go of the importance of solving for distribution first.
Smart people + great products ≠ business success
Distribution gives you options. Options to monetize, take on new opportunities and build businesses that you'd never even expect to start.
But if no one knows your thing exists, then the road to success will test your will and enthusiasm to continue playing a game where the difficulty setting is already set to hard.
That's why I like directories. They're distribution-first business models.
But here's the thing: directories are incredible vehicles for owning distribution within a “Google-able” niche. There’s a logical process: research keywords, look at the data, build, rank, repeat.
But the best form of distribution in the world? A personal brand or cultivating some type of audience.
You can't Google "how to create a personal brand" and expect success the same way you'd approach a directory project.
Yet there are a million micro-niches where the individual is the niche.
And another million that don’t even exist yet.
If I started making YouTube content based purely on keyword volume around “directories,” I would’ve never started.
Here's a fun example. There’s a woman on TikTok who decided to learn how to rap because she was tired of being a scientist.
How many people would possibly care about a burned out scientist who is learning how to rap?
I guess 168,199 people (plus me).
The crazy thing is that she started posting barely three weeks ago, on September 24th, 2025.
No data model could’ve predicted that.
Why Some of You Should Teach
Because I've spoken to a few dozen of you, I can see how hard many of you are working towards building directories to own your distribution.
But faceless distribution channels like directories lack a level of built-in trust that a personal brand unlocks.
As a guy who genuinely wants to see you win, part of me can’t help but try to convince some of you to channel that same work ethic into building an audience around something you already know and are good at.
I know from my conversations that:
- Most of you want to remain faceless on the internet
- Some of you are retired/retiring and just want a little supplemental income
- Many of you live a life full to the brim with a career, partner, and kids.
And those are valid.
But I still think some of you should do it.
Some of you already have the knowledge and expertise to unlock more options in life.
It’s probably bad for business to say this, but directories aren’t for everyone and that’s okay.
Instead, you could teach something you know, film it, and toss it on YouTube - that’s the most simple way to do it in my opinion.
I’m still shocked every time 3,000+ people watch my videos.
And even more shocked that I was able to build a business with “just” those 3,000 people.
As a friendly reminder, Filipe started with social media first. Then he built a six-figure directory. Not the other way around.
My Why
I want options too. It's kinda the reason I started down this road of entrepreneurship 7 years ago.
More specifically, I always dreamt of being 35 and making breakfast with my kids every morning (which is funny, because I don’t even have a girlfriend yet!).
And I'm 99% sure that, for me, growing a small, but loyal, audience will be the way I achieve that.
P.S. I’m not trying to become the guy who pivots from directories and SEO to “here’s how to grow a YouTube channel.” Just sharing some passing thoughts on the bigger picture AKA why we’re all building directories in the first place.
