Last summer in London, I was strolling through Covent Garden when I came across two magicians.

The first was just ending his show. I joined the small crowd watching. He finished his final track, gave a bow as people dropped money in his hat, and everyone moved on.

I saw the second a few minutes later.

He was doing card tricks to a similar-sized crowd. But the difference was that he was recording his performance on his iPhone, and had Instagram handle plastered on his box of tricks.

I stopped to watch. I’d just seen Derren Brown (my favourite magician), so my standards for theatrical flair were pretty high. He was good, but you could tell he wasn’t an expert. Still, people clapped and paid. Then he made his ask:

“Check me out on Instagram.”

People pulled out their phones. Me included. He had 700 followers and a private booking link. I dropped him a follow. I’m sure others did too.

The two magicians reminded me of a stupid mistake I’d made.

The mistake of staying silent

Both magicians were working just as hard, but the second was turning his performance into seeds of opportunity. Every day he turns up leads to more followers, more proof, more potential for private bookings.

This might not make much difference in day-to-day. But in 10 years, they will be in vastly different places. One will be on the streets, the other might be filling out stadiums. Because the media is a magnet. With enough attention, you can turn your passion into a profession.

It’s such a fantastic opportunity. And one I ignored for years.

When I was a dentist, I wanted a creative career. I was obsessed with learning, yet felt like my knowledge was going to waste. For years, I sat on the sidelines watching other people build their brands. I had hundreds of voice notes and half-finished articles, but when it came to sharing, my mind would slam against the same old problems:

• Who was I to share these ideas?
• How on earth would I ever build an audience?
• What would my friends and family think?

So I ended up in creator-hell limbo—dreaming, but never doing.

The magical effect of media

Eventually, the fear of wasting my life became greater than the fear of looking stupid.

So in 2020, I hit publish.

At first, nothing happened. The only person reading was my mum. It took 13 gruelling months to hit my first 1,000 followers. But I kept showing up. I kept sharing what I was learning. I kept building connections.

5 years later, and zero days of content missed, over 250,000 people read my work.

This number still blows my mind. If you told past Kieran that this is my life now, I would never have believed you. But that’s the magic effect of media.

Used well, it can be an incredible catalyst for your goals.

For example, it’s always been my dream to be an author. So I am writing my first book, Magnetic Writing.

But I’m not passively waiting for it arrive. I’m beginning to talk relentlessly about the book. On social media, my newsletter, my YouTube channel, podcast interviews, and more.

And sure, it’s scary to promote something you haven’t finished. Especially something you care about. Part of me says I should keep building in private. At least this way, if I screw up, no one will know.

But then what? Listening to fear is just delaying the disappointment.

So I set a target:

I want to make sure no one in my audience is surprised when I launch. And hopefully, people are excited to read. I can’t promise excellence, but I can promise my absolute best effort. If you enjoy it, then you’ll help spread it with me.

I begin to build a name as an author.

That’s how the media works. You earn an audience’s trust through value, and they reciprocate with attention. This leads to a reputation, and a reputation swings open many doors.

The advice I wish I was given when I started

There’s a reality running where I’ve stayed a dentist who didn’t decide to share his thoughts. One where I didn’t think anyone would care. But the truth is, you don’t write because you’re interesting. You become interesting because you write.

The longer you delay, the more you’ll doubt.

So let me ask you:

What do you want?

What is that thing you wish you were known for? What do you think would be a badass way to spend your time? What do you love to talk about?

And what would happen if you decided to write about the journey?

Perhaps you already are.

If so, I bet you could do it more. Tell a great story about your journey, and don’t hide in the shadows.

Every word adds up.

Kieran