How content creation completely changed my life

I'm writing this from somewhere between the red rocks of Colorado near thee grand Junction. I just finished one of the most beautiful drives of my life up the Million Dollar Highway from Durango.

First off, thank you.

The support on my first vlog has been incredible.

Seeing those view counts climb in the first couple days... it honestly means more than I can put into words.

I'm just really grateful to be doing what I'm doing right now.

Which brings me to why I'm changing up this newsletter.

Starting now, I'm shifting to a weekly newsletter format.

I'm currently solo traveling full-time, working on my second vlog, building out the complete Catalyst program, and honestly... just had the time to think a lot.

When you're alone on the road, driving through landscapes that make you feel simultaneously small and infinite, your mind does this thing where it cuts through all the noise.

And I want to share that with you.

Here's what I talk about in that first vlog (if you haven't watched it yet): how and why I decided to travel full-time this winter, and more importantly—how it's actually possible.

The truth is, I didn't let myself travel for a long time.

Not because I couldn't afford a trip. But because I couldn't afford to not be working.

Think about it:

When you're a freelancer in Toronto, and a client hits you up for a shoot, and you're in Bali or Utah or wherever - you're losing money. You're losing opportunities. You're basically putting your income on pause every time you leave the city.

That's the freelancer trap I talk about all the time.

At the beginning of my journey, I knew I wanted financial freedom. But not for the reasons most people talk about online.

I didn't want a Lamborghini. I didn't want to flex on Instagram.

I wanted autonomy.

And I knew the first step toward that kind of life was financial freedom—but the right kind of financial freedom.

Not just making money. But making money that didn't require me to be in a specific place, at a specific time, doing specific tasks for specific people.

That's why I started my online business last year.

Last year, I invested in a few different programs from the best Creators in the world. I learned from other creators who had already figured this out. And I built something that could travel with me.

Now, I'm in the middle of the desert, working on Phase 6 of the complete Catalyst course - the full system that takes you from being a creative freelancer (photographer, videographer, artist, whatever) to having a complete online ecosystem.

The ironic part?

This travel content is keeping me MORE inspired.

I'm solo traveling, so literally all I do is think, write, and work. No distractions. No "busy" client work eating up my days. Just deep, focused work on building something meaningful.

These past couple weeks, I've been dedicating myself to completing the full six-phase Catalyst program:

It covers everything: writing newsletters, creating YouTube content, building authentic audiences, monetizing without being salesy. The whole ecosystem.

And I'm building it while living the exact lifestyle it's designed to create.

Right now, I'm not accepting any new clients. I'm just focused on:

The full program is launching in the next few weeks, and I'm genuinely so excited about it.

If you're curious about how all this is possible - the mindset, the business model, the daily reality of working from the road.

I talk about it in detail in my first vlog.

It gives you a real behind-the-scenes look at the adventures I'm on and why this whole thing matters.

You can check it out here:

Thanks for being here.

Talk soon,
Ethan

P.S. If you're wondering what specific adventures I've been on or want more details on how the business actually runs while I'm traveling, that first vlog goes deep. Plus, it's just beautiful cinematography if you're into that sort of thing.