Yo! Welcome back to The Reeder Newsletter — your weekly dose of content strategy and growth advice. First time reading? Subscribe here.
When I launched my podcast, I wasn’t chasing downloads or trying to go viral.
I just wanted to build trust at scale.
The kind of trust that doesn’t come from a click or a like, but from giving people real time with your voice, your thinking, and your point of view.
That’s why I partnered with Share Your Genius. They don't just help their clients launch or uplevel shows. They help turn a microphone into a trust-building machine.
Because when you consistently show up unfiltered and human, you earn something most content can’t deliver: belief.
If you’re trying to grow trust in the market—not just awareness—start with your voice.
Fuel your content engine with Share Your Genius.
PS: I trust them so much that I've hired them at Gong, Clari, and now they're my exclusive partner for Reed Between the Lines.
Welcome back to The Reeder's Q2 Board Memo.
This is the second installment of The Board Memo — my quarterly, tell-all business update behind my 6-figure business.
If you missed Q1, you can see it here.
Q2 in a few words: We proved our business model works.
I broke revenue hit records, pipeline stayed strong, and life was good.
Except it wasn't.
Q2 had a make it or break it moment.
I was staring at my laptop one Tuesday afternoon, completely overwhelmed by a calendar packed with everything I'd set out to do.
Consulting projects.
Advisory calls.
Brand deals.
Speaking gigs.
All the stuff I dreamed about when I quit my 9-5 one year ago.
But there was a problem: I didn't want to do any of it.
Not because the work was "wrong." But because something in my headspace was completely broken.
I remember feeling intense anxiety from the moment I woke up.
Tired despite 9 hours of sleep, lethargic and scattered, focused on everything and nothing all at once.
Coffee barely made a dent. And I hadn't bothered going to the office for two weeks — sweat pants and WFH it was, again.
Am I depressed?
It's happened before. Could be happening again.
Then it hit me: I couldn't outwork this.
I needed to zoom out. I needed a fresh start, and I desperately needed to remember my why.
So here's what happened when I finally did.
Spoiler: Q2 became our highest-grossing quarter ever.
But the real breakthrough wasn't just financial.
Ready? Let's ride. 🌊
Q2 By The Numbers
Let's look at the money first—because the story they tell surprised even me.
Quarterly Bookings: 151% to goal ($X71,750)
That's a 45% quarter increase in revenue from Q1.
This is massive. It proves our business model isn't just working — it's ready to scale.
Annual Bookings: 60% to our annual target ($X40,750)
We're ahead of pace with 60% booked and only 53% through the year.
Q3 Forecast: ~100% coverage ($X90,500)
We don't have a pipeline problem (thank God!). Most of our pipeline is middle- and late-stage, coming from a mix of new clients and cross-selling.
Strong lead flow from inbound and referrals continues. Reputation remains the best marketing strategy.
Customer Satisfaction: 100%
Back-to-back quarters where every client gave positive feedback and a testimonial.
80% renewal rate (one client ended because she opted to bring the program in-house, and shared a positive testimonial).
One CEO of a Series B SaaS startup crossed 6 million LinkedIn views this quarter.
Tangible client success continues to drive everything else.
Marketing Metrics:
✉️ Newsletter subscribers
- Q2 goal: 14,614 [+10%]
- Q2 actual: 13,195 [flat]
💻 LinkedIn followers
- Q2 goal: 93,741 [+3%]
- Q2 actual: 92,692 [+1.5%]
- Shali Q2 followers: 20,865 [+35.9%]
Content Views:
- Devin Q2 views: 969,400 [-9%]
- Shali Q2 views: 3.5M [+47%]
Yes, our CFO has a casual 20K followers on LinkedIn. 🔥
The Plot Twist: How Overwhelm Led to Overflow
Here's what doesn't make sense: Q2 was my lowest energy quarter and my highest revenue quarter.
How?
The answer changed everything I thought I knew about building a business.
In Q1, I was grinding. Jamming as many things as I could into every week. Never finishing Friday feeling accomplished—always guilty and behind. I'd skate right past major wins in a rush to the next item on my to-do list.
In Q2, I was forced to simplify.
I implemented one rule: One marketing project per week.
That's it.
Instead of juggling five half-finished initiatives, I pick one thing, do it well, then celebrate the win before moving to the next.
Two speaking events this week? Prep them properly and knock them out. THAT's the win.
The result was my best quarter ever came from doing less, not more.
And I have less stress and pressure going into Q3.
The Identity Crisis Behind the Breakthrough
The revenue spike wasn't the real breakthrough.
The real win was this: I finally untangled my self-worth from my productivity.
The hardest part of implementing "one project per week" wasn't the logistics. It was fighting my own brain.
It's letting go of the "old wiring" of start-up life.
After hypergrowth days at Gong and high expectations at Clari, I'm still struggling to adjust to a slower pace and define my new style of work at The Reeder.
The ghost of corporate conditioning haunted me.
Saying no felt like quitting. Slowing down felt like death. Anything but clear forward progress, and I felt worthless.
The breakthrough came during my first vacation as a full-time founder.
We went on a two-week, five-city family road trip through California: From San Diego to Santa Barbara, Monterey, Mendocino, Rocklin, and Sequoia.
I was more uncomfortable than at my first middle school dance.
What if everything falls apart? What if I miss opportunities?
But somewhere between reading John Steinbeck overlooking the Pacific in Monterey and watching my kids build Lego castles, something shifted.
My kids were playing and peaceful. My wife was curled up by the fire. They were so happy, and I finally was too.
I realized I'd built a world for them — but hadn't given myself permission to join them until now.
In this moment, I wasn't trying. Wasn't forcing. Was just letting this happy moment unfold and be.
That's when it hit me: This is what I do it for.
Not more followers. Not more money. Not more people knowing and liking me. Just for these moments.
I felt the pressure slide off. I was back to my true self, and free and allowed to just be.
What Happened When I Slowed Down
Everything got easier.
- Speaking revenue grew (major goal for this year)
- Grew my brand deal with Adobe and landed a speaking gig with them
- Recorded Season 3 of Reed Between the Lines in Vegas
- Added a new offer (LinkedIn Growth Cohort) that was a huge success in record time
I went to Amsterdam with the Unmuted team and had the best business trip of my life. You might've seen this video or this one on LinkedIn.
I also landed Q3 speaking opportunities: CM World (San Diego), Highline (UserEvidence, Jackson Hole).
Every win felt different this time. Instead of rushing past them, I celebrated them.
I'm feeling the momentum. And the wind in my beard feels great.
What I'm Doing Differently in Q3
The simplicity breakthrough isn't just a Q2 story—it's becoming my new operating system.
One marketing project per week.
Close the loop before opening a new one. I can't afford to have multiple projects running concurrently.
More non-work activities.
Basketball, golf, poker, family game night and summer bonfires. The hardest part is allowing myself to do these things without tying my self-worth to career progress.
Better boundaries around opportunities.
Just because I can doesn't mean I should. I only one Q3 client spot is available. That's a good problem to have.
What This Means for You
The hardest part isn't building something big. It's believing you're still enough when you're not building anything at all.
Here's your permission slip:
You can slow down. You can do less. You can celebrate wins instead of sprinting past them.
Why?
Because your self-worth isn't measured by your productivity.
One Ask
If this resonated, forward it to one friend who needs to hear it.
Building something meaningful is hard enough. We don't need to make it harder by forgetting why we started.
Have a thought or question? Reply and I'll respond.
Holler at you later,
Devin
P.S. - Season 3 of Reed Between the Lines drops soon. If you're not subscribed yet, now's a good time.
Pen by Devin Reed
Founder, The Reeder
Follow me on LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram
When you’re ready, here’s how we can team up
Consulting & Advising
I'll help you build a content strategy that grows your brand, audience, and pipeline.
Book an intro call →
|
|
Brand Partnership
Tap into my audience of 100K+ to grow your reach and lead flow.
See details →
|
|
Speaking
Bring me in for energy, insight, and tactics that stick — from keynotes to team workshops.
Let's chat →
|
