Announcing "Act Two"
My new company
*Ahem* Today’s an exciting day.
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my new company: Act Two.
It’s a six-week online program to help you complete a creative project and launch your Second Act. Here’s why we’re building it:
My co-founder Dan Sleeman and I spent the past five years building Write of Passage, a popular cohort-based online writing program that served 3,100+ students from 75+ countries. We had a 98% referral rate, and many alums have commented that the program changed their life.
We’re proud of this work. But something bigger is brewing.
On one hand: So many people feel they were made for more. They’re ready for a change – looking for professional or personal work that lights them and makes them feel alive.
On the other hand: AI is flipping the world on its head. Uncertainty looms: Will my job be affected? How will creativity change?
At the intersection of these two trends, we see a massive opportunity to help people.
Enter Act Two. In six weeks, alongside a community of curious, driven peers, you will:
Start and finish a creative project
Share it with the world
Kickstart your Second Act
Let’s break those down:
- Start and finish a creative project: What if you gave yourself the space and time to actually finish that creative project you’ve always been thinking about? Whether it’s writing, filming a video series, launching that podcast, launching a v1.0 of a software product, a book outline, a learn-in-public journey, making your first online dollar…whatever you’ve been waiting to do, now is the time to start. In Act Two, you’ll also learn to use the latest Internet tactics and AI tools to give you a creative edge.
- Share it with the world: Sharing your work on the Internet has immense leverage. But still so few people do it! In the past year, I’ve found paid work, interviews with millions of views, no-strings-attached grants, and podcast appearances, all from sharing my creative project (learning Chinese) on the Internet. Starting to share your work publicly will unlock opportunities you could’ve never dreamed existed.
- Kickstart your Second Act: You know you were made for more. A personal or professional transformation won’t happen overnight – but it all begins with one big step. Give yourself six weeks to drop the excuses, make something, and share it with the world. No more wishing, no more waiting. Just bold action. Once your project actually exists, and is in the world for others to see, you’ll have newfound momentum and evidence of your skills, which will make you a magnet for new opportunities – for your work, personal creativity, or a blend of both.
Act Two is a six-week program designed to help you take action and kickstart your next chapter. In completing your project, you’ll work alongside hundreds of curious, driven peers, picking up leading-edge Internet methods and AI skills along the way. Here’s more about the value students get:
- Accountability. Act Two is anchored in action. Every incoming student gets a 1:1 call to discuss their project and scope. Then, each week, everyone will take one bold step toward turning their creative vision into reality. Six weeks, six bold steps, one completed project. Each new action will be started in hands-on, 90-minute weekly live sessions. There will be bonus, live “AI Labs” and async feedback to help keep you on track.
- Know-How. Education 1.0 (pre-Internet) was about knowledge. Education 2.0 (past 20 years) was about learning skills. Act Two is pioneering Education 3.0: developing the agentic mindset necessary to thrive in an endlessly changing world. It’s a meta-skill. Hence, our core curriculum revolves around META: the Mindsets, Eliminations, Tools, and Actions you need to smash your mental barriers and get your work into the world. You’ll learn to use Internet tactics and the newest AI tools specific to your creative field. Each week you’ll learn from visiting “Internet Practitioner” guest experts a few rungs ahead of you.
- Community. Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of curious, driven peers working on their own creative vision. People who care about what you’re working on – and are willing to give you thoughtful, intelligent feedback. People who can brainstorm new ideas, help you overcome mental roadblocks, and celebrate wins of all sizes – big and small. That’s what you’ll find in Act Two. We like to think our last program, Write of Passage, had the best community on the Internet. We believe that Act Two will take that title and run with it for years to come.
The first cohort launches September 3rd. We’re currently capping enrollment at 100 students. If you’d like to be part of this “Inaugural 100”, share your email address at the link below, and we’ll be in touch with further details. We can’t wait to see you inside.