Drew goes solo this week to unpack themes from his recent newsletter, "Working Until You Die." He explores the difference between working because you want to and working because you have to, and why the "just figure it out" hustle mentality can leave you grinding at 70 with nothing to show for it. Drew gets honest about his own financial reality this year, why he's turning down 35-40% of incoming gigs, and how intentionality beats reactivity when building a sustainable creative career. This one's part pep talk, part wake-up call.

Key Takeaways:

- Hustle culture is a trap that keeps you in survival mode

- Intentionality beats reactivity when building something sustainable

- Do the honest assessment: what's working, what isn't, what has potential

- The goal isn't to stop working, it's to have the choice to keep going

Stop saying yes to everything and raise your prices

Related Links & Resources

No Set Path Newsletter: thedrewenglish.substack.com

Email Drew: nosetpathpodcast@gmail.com

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

Drew tries something new this episode, reading his latest newsletter aloud and adding real-time commentary. The result is a raw, honest exploration of what it means to build something creative without having all the answers. He gets personal about a professionally difficult year, shares why polished content might be losing its edge, and makes the case that your rough edges might be exactly what your audience is looking for.

Takeaways

Messy is a feature, not a bug -

In an age where AI can generate "good enough" content instantly, your unique perspective and real experiences become your greatest assets. People are searching for authentic voices, not another optimized piece of content.

The fear versus reality gap is where opportunity lives -

We're all afraid that showing our struggles will cost us credibility. But the paradox is that vulnerability creates connection, and connection is what makes people actually care about what you're building.

You are not your thoughts -

Just because you're questioning everything and considering a thousand possibilities doesn't mean any of it defines you. Working through uncertainty in public can benefit others going through similar transitions.

Community matters more than perfection -

The people who keep showing up for you aren't responding to your best work. They're responding to your most real work.

Related Links

No Set Path Newsletter: thedrewenglish.substack.com

Contact Drew: nosetpathpodcast@gmail.com

Referenced: "The Obstacle Is the Way" by Ryan Holiday

Past Guest Mentioned: Blake Pfeil

Sometimes, your path leads you right back home. This week on No Set Path, Jordan Koschei joins Drew English to talk about how his journey through design and tech inspired him to give back to the Hudson Valley through his passion project, ConnectHV. It’s a story about creativity, community, and coming full circle.

Join the Newsletter

Join the No Set Path Newsletter HERE - https://thedrewenglish.substack.com/

Takeaways

Professional identity doesn't have to fit into neat categories - you can exist between disciplines and create your own path

Staying rooted in your community and building a life first, then fitting work around it, can lead to more fulfillment than chasing traditional career ambitions

Remote work and post-COVID shifts have created critical mass for creative communities in places like the Hudson Valley

Building platforms and communities is about being a temporary steward, not an owner - the goal is for the community to outlive and outgrow the creator

Creativity is fundamentally about play - as adults, we're just doing fancier versions of the same exploratory, world-building activities we did as children

The most sustainable creative work happens when you remove outcome-based thinking and create for the joy of making something

True platforms enable others to create value that far exceeds what the platform itself generates

Work-life balance requires ruthless prioritization and automation - family first, then letting everything else fit around it

Community building in the digital age still requires real-life interaction and grassroots connection

Links & Resources

ConnectHV - https://connecthv.com

ConnectHV About Page - https://connecthv.com/about

Tracks Coffee (Beacon, NY) - "No Sleep Till Beacon"

Monkey Joe Coffee (Kingston, NY)

Connect with Drew

Drew's IG: https://www.instagram.com/drewenglishh/

Drew's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewenglish/

Drew's Website: http://www.drewenglish.com/