My hair care brand Forte is going through an insane challenge.

We're launching in 861 Targets across the US in a few days!

Stay tuned & mark your calendars: Starting February 22nd you'll be able to walk into Target and, for the first time ever, pick up Forte hair products in person.

This is a huge challenge for us because we have to prove to Target we deserve that shelf space.

I hope you'll join us and support the big launch!

This year I want to help you hit your goals. And I mean it.

I want to speak to you 1-on-1 and give advice on whatever you need.

The survey lets me understand who you are and how I can help.

Finish it to stand out.

That's it.

Will pick one of you for a call this month. I hope it’s you!

Here's what I've noticed reading your survey responses.

A lot of you aren't struggling with motivation. You're struggling with clarity.

You know you should be building something.

But there are so many paths that you end up stuck.

And I get it. I've been there.

I wasted years on things that felt productive but moved nothing forward.

So here's what I'd actually do, month by month, if I was starting over.

A mistake ambitious people make is thinking they need to quit their job to go ‘all in’.

They’re wrong.

Step one is proving you can make something people want - while you still have a paycheck.

I was at Google while building my channel on the side.

I was getting low views, no money and no sign it would work.

But for years I posted for free before anything happened.

Having zero budget forced me to figure out what actually worked.

So right now only focus on posting content.

Don’t get distracted by courses, "How to start a business" videos or any planning without publishing.

All of that feels productive.

But none of it is.

When it comes to building a business or social media brand experience trumps all.

But you’ll never realize how important this is until you start taking action.

Your real education starts when you ship something and it flops.

You’re forced to figure out what happened and how to improve for next time.

That’s why months 2 and 3 are about volume.

Post a ton. Study what gets traction. Delete what doesn't.

Gather as much data and scrappy reps as you can.

At this stage don’t get distracted by courses, branding, logos, or other shiny objects.

None of that matters yet.

Just ship fast and ship often.

By month 3, you'll still have your job and be posting consistently.

But the transition from month 3 to 4 is the toughest. It goes against every instinct you have.

This is the mistake I'd never make again.

Early on I tried everything.

I launched a clothing brand - Aetos.

A skincare line - Apricus.

I was making content about style, fitness, lifestyle, dating - anything that felt right.

Then I looked at the numbers. Clothing was too hard to scale. Skincare had big players already dominating.

But my hair content was consistently performing the best.

So I decided to shut everything down, niche down and go all in.

Sure I had other passions but the data told me hair was where I could win.

That decision built Forte Series and is why we’re launching in Target in a few days.

Don’t blindly follow your passion.

"Do what you love" is dangerous advice when you're starting from zero.

Do what gets traction. Love it later.

You won’t regret it.

Context switching kills.

It kills your creativity.

Kills your plans.

Kills your business.

That’s why a rule I follow is all admin and calls happen on Mondays.

Tuesday through Friday is creative work only.

Before this, I'd have a call with my accountant in the morning and try to film after.

The video would come out flat and I’ll never get into flow.

Our brains just can’t switch that fast.

During months 5-6 you’ll start getting new opportunities.

But avoid saying yes to every meeting and “quick chats”. These are indirect no’s to time that can birth your best creative work.

This is what’s needed to unlock strong progress.

By now you’ll have a strong schedule, know your target audience and start gaining views.

Now this is where the real game begins.

Without community, you have nothing.

There are creators with millions of followers who can't move a $20 product.

And people with 50K loyal fans who sell out in hours.

That’s because one chases follower size while the other follower depth.

Right now you should obsess about follower engagement.

Reply to every comment, push them into your email list, setup calls and genuinely try to help every viewer.

That’s literally why I have this newsletter and the Men’s Image Lab community.

The only way to grow an engaged audience is to avoid growth hacks and viral tricks.

And strive for genuine human connection.

This lesson is the reason I haven't taken money out of Forte for years.

Every single dime gets reinvested.

In business to remain competitive, you need to build what can compete.

And by reinvesting you bet on yourself and your team.

With the Target launch I’ve taken out a personal loan for millions to make this deal happen.

If it doesn't sell, it could tank the business.

But it’s a risk that must be taken.

My word for 2026 is "Inevitable"

I realized that breakthroughs are a magic pill outside your control.

But if you become the person who deserves success, then it isn't a question of IF.

Only WHEN.

So understand this. To be successful obsess about your ‘boring’ tasks.

Do them repeatedly.

And build yourself a routine within a system that makes the outcome guaranteed.

If I lost everything tomorrow, that's the mindset I'd rebuild with first.

Whatever stage you’re at, whatever you’re building I think you might resonate with this:

For a no BS look at what it’s like building a $10M brand check out my latest vlog 👇

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