How I DM-ed My Way Out of a Rut (And Landed a Gig)

Hey there!

I sent a whopping 80 cold DMs in just 2 days.

Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself.

I mean, who does that? Well, apparently, I do.

I took my frustration (of not finding any work and getting low engagement on twitter) and turned it into a productive frenzy.

Here's how it happened:

One day, I found myself in a rut and realized I was pretty much on the verge of making some not-so-great life choices.

So, I did what I always do in such situations - I had a chat with my friend Adi (seriously, the guy's a saint).

As we chatted, Adi made me realize that I was complaining about not landing clients while doing nothing to actually change that.

So, while waiting for my flight (which was 3 hours late), I decided to take matters into my own hands.

While others around me were lost in the world of reels, TikToks, and selfies, I crafted the perfect cold DM to woo potential clients.

Then, I scoured their profiles and followers to find the ideal targets.

Here's a sneak peek at the DM I sent:

After sending the first one, I thought, "Eh, why not send more?"

And boy, did I send more.

I was on a roll - 45 DMs on day one, and another 35 on day two.

Now, don't get me wrong.

90% of the responses were polite "no thank you's." But they still agreed to check out my work, which was nice.

And, as fate would have it, ONE DM was the golden ticket.

I landed a gig at an agency. (I'd share more details, but then I'd have to kill you. Just kidding!)

So, moral of the story?

When you don't feel like doing something, just give it a go for 2 minutes. Chances are, you'll build enough momentum to keep going.

Works for workouts, long walks, writing a book, you name it.

Ask yourself: What areas of your life are you procrastinating on? Just start taking tiny steps, and watch that momentum build up.

Now, I've got a question for you:

I know I've been slacking on tweet and thread breakdowns, but I'm having a blast sharing my stories with you. So, what type of emails do you prefer?

Hit 'Reply' and type 'Story' if you enjoyed this email and want more like it.

Or type 'Breakdown' if you're into more tactical stuff.

I'll be waiting!

Yours in momentum-building,

Kush "The DM Machine" Shah.