Build Your Own World (So the Algorithm Can’t Break It)
I’ve always loved shiny new things.
New platforms. New tools. New ideas.
One minute I’m mapping a newsletter on KIT, the next I’m redesigning a course in HighLevel, checking LinkedIn, thinking about YouTube, wondering if I should be on Substack, realising I left a podcast half-edited in Descript.
Call it ADHD. Call it creative curiosity. Call it the reason I’ve grown across:
- YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
And used:
- Kajabi, ThriveCart, Thinkific, HighLevel
- ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, MailerLite, KIT
- Courses, mailing lists, launches, sales pages, brand after brand after brand...
I’ve built things all over the internet.
And for a while, that was the goal: be everywhere.
But over time, I realised something:
I had touchpoints everywhere, but no world.
What Worldbuilding Actually Means
We’re told to grow a brand.
But what most people mean is: gain followers, publish content, start a funnel, show up more.
That’s visibility.
But worldbuilding? That’s something else.
It’s the stories you share.
The things you stand for.
The change you want to make.
And showing up like that—consistently—everywhere.
It’s brand building in its purest form.
There’s a quote I always come back to:
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
— Jeff Bezos
It stuck with me. Not because I want to be in the room all the time—but because I want to know that the room remembers.
When you’ve built a world, people carry your message with them.
No algorithm can take that away.
The Music Industry Clocked This Early
The music industry is loud about the algorithm.
And for good reason.
A few years ago, James Blake wrote a post about how he couldn’t reach the audience he’d spent years building.
Just this week, Kojey Radical said the same thing, screaming into the void of a platform that no longer shows his posts to the people who asked to see them.
These are artists with hundreds of thousands of followers.
And yet? Still at the mercy of a machine they can’t control.
This isn’t just a music problem. It’s a brand problem.
And it’s exactly why you need to build a world—not just grow a platform.
The Two Sides of Worldbuilding
To make this practical, let’s break it down.
There are two sides to worldbuilding—and they have to work together:
1. Physical Worldbuilding (The Infrastructure)
This is the where of your brand:
- Your website
- Your email list
- Your blog or podcast
- Your course platform
- Your owned spaces
These are the places that don’t disappear when an algorithm changes.
They’re the campfires you build—so people always know where to find you.
This is your brand ecosystem. It holds the world you’re creating.
2. Metaphorical Worldbuilding (The Meaning)
This is the why:
- The language you use
- The tone you write in
- The values you bring into everything
- The feeling someone gets when they land in your space
This is what makes people stay.
The emotional resonance. The message beneath the message. The thing you want to be known for—whether you’re in the room or not.
Your infrastructure lets people find you.
Your meaning makes them feel you.
That’s what builds loyalty.
That’s what creates true fans.
That’s what future-proofs your brand—regardless of what Meta or Elon do next.
🔒 Want to Start Building Yours?
I’ve added two exclusive resources below for paying subscribers: Sign up Here
1. Find Your Why (Mini Exercise)
This is the exact exercise I use with clients to define the emotional core of their brand.
No fluff. Just clarity.
By the end, you’ll have a one-line anchor that shapes everything you publish from here on out.
2. My Worldbuilding Stack (Tools I Actually Use)
I’ve tried them all—here’s what I still use to run my brand today, including:
- Course platforms
- Content tools
- Community & CRM
- My favourite “run my life” app for staying sane and strategic
This isn’t a listicle. It’s what’s working for me right now, after years of testing and tweaking.
1. Find Your Why (Mini Exercise)
Click HERE for the resource.
2. My Worldbuilding Stack (Tools I Actually Use)
A lot of creators try to bend themselves around their platforms.
I’d rather build platforms that bend around me.
Here’s a look behind the scenes at what I’m using now—and why:
🖋 Ghost
This blog lives here.
I wanted a quiet place to think in public—without the noise of a trending feed or a “you might also like” suggestion box. Even Substack has started feeling like a marketplace.
Ghost feels like a studio. Quiet. Independent. Built for depth.
🎨 Carrd
Because I’m a visual person—and my work needs to look good online.
Carrd is the easiest way I’ve found to build beautiful landing pages, fast.
I use it for signups, sales pages, and “link in bio” style homes that feel more me than any linktree clone ever could.
💳 Thrivecart
It’s not pretty—but it works.
One-time payment, no subscription.
It handles checkouts, upsells, affiliate options, and course access all in one dashboard. I’ve tried the fancy tools, but Thrivecart is the one I’ve kept.
Mainly for Reels.
Quick, simple, low-pressure content that helps people find me.
This is where I show movement—whether that’s a mindset shift, a behind-the-scenes peek, or a story in progress.
Where my words do the work.
This is my place for thought-led content, industry commentary, and connecting with the kinds of founders and experts who want strategy that feels grown-up.
✉️ KIT
My current favourite by far.
A beautiful, intuitive email interface that’s genuinely fun to use.
It’s affordable, powerful, and doesn’t overwhelm me with dashboards and drip funnels. Email’s where I build the most trust—and KIT makes it easy.
📆 Calendly
My nervous-system friendly way of booking calls.
No back-and-forth, no calendar chaos. Just a simple “here’s what’s available” and done. Especially helpful when I’m running a cohort or launching something new.
🤖 ChatGPT
Not just a tool—basically a team member.
I use it to draft content, get unstuck, test messaging, spark ideas, and write faster.
It’s trained to sound exactly like me—dry humour, grown-up content, and zero bro-marketing energy.
🧠 Notion
The brain behind the business.
I use it to map content, plan launches, track clients, and log all the weird and wonderful ideas that show up at 11pm.
🧰 Loom + Descript
For capturing and sharing ideas quickly.
Loom helps me talk things out. Descript helps me polish them later.
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