Stop Obsessing Over Format, Start Creating

Stuck deciding if your idea should be a video, blog, or newsletter? In this liberating episode, Dylan tackles the common mindset trap that stops creators from shipping their work: obsessing over format instead of focusing on the message.

You'll discover:

• Why perfectionism about content format often masks deeper hesitations
• A refreshing perspective on creative 'inconsistency' that's actually sustainable
• How to choose the container that gets your idea out the door today
• Why your voice matters more than the vehicle
• The simple question to ask yourself when format indecision strikes

This episode also explores why some quality content still doesn't find its audience, and how being more explicit about who your content is for can make all the difference in connecting with the right people.

Whether you're paralyzed by platform choices or just looking to bring more clarity to your creative process, this conversation offers practical wisdom to help you focus on what truly matters: getting your message into the world.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Tell me you've been there. You have sat down. You open a blankpage or maybe it's the camera app or your podcast
mic. You go to hit record or you start planning out what you're gonna talkabout. And then suddenly you're wondering, should this be a newsletter?
Or is it better as a video? Or is it supposed to be ablog post? Should I just wait until I'm clear on what I'm

(00:23):
doing here? And this leads to a mindset trap that I seea lot of creators fall into. I've lived it myself
many times. And it's the moment where you're making something, butinstead of making it, you're obsessing over how it should be
made. This is an optimistic podcast episode. We have neverhad so many awesome opportunities to get our voice out into the

(00:45):
world. We've got newsletters. We've got videos, short form and longform. We've got images we can take and write nice captions,
could launch a Substack, could be on TikTok, could be on X,threads, LinkedIn, some app that I didn't even know still exists
like Snapchat. The vehicle these days does not matter as much as thevoice. Using myself as an example, in the past, there's been some weeks

(01:07):
where I didn't feel like writing, so then I would record. Other weeks,I would skip the mic, and I would go straight to a Word doc. And
recognizing that the fluidity isn't a flaw, it's what's kept memoving. And I speak with creators who, in the beginning, they get tripped up
on, like, I don't know how to say what I'm saying or how to getit out. Like, should this be an Instagram story? Should it be an Instagram post?

(01:29):
It can be whatever you want it to be. There are no rules to thisthing, but there is something beneath the
question of asking yourself, where should this gothat I think is worth addressing? I'm kinda jumping, but that
hesitation is, I don't know if I should be saying what I'm saying. Like,does anyone is is anyone gonna care? And they will not care

(01:51):
if you don't publish it because nobody will ever hear about it and it justwon't exist, which is a safe place to be. If you do not share something
with the world, nobody can form an opinion on it, good or bad.
Think about how many ideas people have and then never act onthem. I don't know. I have no clue what the number is. And I bet
there's some really great ideas out there that we'll just neverknow about. Maybe the creator got held up on the

(02:17):
format, and, ultimately, they just felt hesitant on sharing what it isthat they wanted to share. So if you're waiting for the perfect container to
hold the message that you wanna ship out to the world, just start making it.
Just start putting it in a container, even if it's the wrong container. Because ifyou put your message in the wrong container, there's no rules that say you
can't change the container later on. For example, you go, hey. I'm gonnamake this video. Cool. You put the video out there and

(02:42):
maybe a couple weeks later, you're like, this would have been better as an email.
Hey. Nothing's stopping you from putting in an email. The key is just to pickthe format that you're drawn to today. That's the one that you're actually gonna follow
through on. And this is an underrated creative strategy. Doing what youfeel like, not what you feel like you have to. Your energy
is gonna change. Allow your format to change too. That's notinconsistency. That is sustainability. The real magic is in the

(03:07):
message. Don't lose it trying to wrap it up perfectly. Instead ofasking what should I do, ask what feels most alive to make right
now. The format can change tomorrow. The platform can shift nextmonth, but the only way to build momentum is to move.
Do you ever feel like you're making good content and it's still not gaining traction?

(03:27):
Yeah. Same. Lately, I've been feeling this weird creative gap. Thekind where I know the stuff I'm posting is thoughtful, unique, and for someone
specific, but it's like the algorithm forgot to hand out the invites. And it's easyto blame the platforms. This is not me being a victim by any means. Here's
what I've realized though. Most creators are waiting for the algorithm to do the jobof audience clarity, but that's our job as creators. If we're not telling

(03:49):
people who our content is for, they'll just assume that it's not forthem. Even the best post could become invisible if the right person doesn't
recognize themselves in it. So I'm making little shifts in my content right now,and maybe you wanna do the same. Less hoping it lands and more
signaling who it's for. Less look how smart this isto, hey, I made this for you. Less being vague to reach as

(04:11):
many people as possible to more being obvious to someone specific.
Not for everyone, but really, really for someone.
Let's be louder about that. And if you wanna see what I mean, I posta lot of short form videos and little insights. If you vibe with the stuff
I talk about, creator entrepreneurship, making without losing yourself, findingmomentum through confusion, then I want you in my orbit. And not just

(04:33):
listening to this podcast. I'm on all the usual platforms, Instagram,TikTok, YouTube. I've got my weekly email newsletter, LinkedIn too, but
we're still figuring that one out. So here's me saying it more directly. If you'vebeen nodding along silently, let's stop pretending like we don't know each other. Pick your
favorite platform. Look me up at the Dylan Schmidt, hit follow, and let'skeep this thing going. I'm not for everyone. I understand that. But if you're still

(04:55):
listening, I can tell you right now what I do make is for you. Socome say hi on your favorite platform.