A recent TikTok scroll fed me a snippet of Roger Federer’s Commencement speech at Dartmouth, and it has been living rent-free in my head ever since. It’s one of those simple, not-rocket-science truths. 

Federer is, by all accounts, a legend in tennis. In the 1,526 singles matches he played in his career, he won almost 80% of those matches. But what percentage of points did he win in those matches? 

54%.

That’s only 4% more than what he needed to win the match.

Just 4%. 

A number you could count to on a single hand. 

That’s all. 

By Federer’s own account, the best in the world are not the best in the world because they’re winning every single point, or even an overwhelming majority of points. But they’re coming back into the field to continue to play. Point after point, they show up. They learn to deal with the lost points because it is the most inevitable thing in the world. 

When you’re in the game (tennis, work, life), the point you’re currently playing is the most important thing in the world. Of course it is - it’s the current challenge in front of you, the current goal, and you’re singularly focused on winning it. You have to be. 

But once the point has been played, regardless of whether you win it or lose it, it’s behind you. And you have to let it pass fully; you have to overcome the hard moments and accept them as they are. 

You cannot dwell on each shot. You cannot dwell on the losses. 

You must accept it, cry it out if you need to and force a smile. And then you must get out there and play the next point - because that’s the only way to eek out that tiny, 4% gain. 

The best in the world aren’t the best because they win every point. They’ve just become really good at losing and moving past it, and they chip out just enough of an advantage to win the game. 

Especially for those of us with so many irons in the fire - both in our day jobs and side hustles, the key is dusting off our knees fast, moving on to the next point with gusto and confidence, and slowly but surely letting those small wins stack on top of each other. 

It’s easier said than done, but it’s well worth the reminder ❤️

— Irina, Saron, and the team behind DiscoLink

Coming up: AMA with Jonathan Stark

On October 29 at 9 AM PT/12 PM ET/4 PM UTC, ​Jonathan Stark will be joining Saron for an AMA to dive into how he used value-based pricing to double his yearly income, and how you can do the same.​

Jonathan is a former software developer on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing. He is the author of Hourly Billing Is Nuts and the host of Ditching Hourly. He also writes a daily newsletter on pricing for independent professionals.

​>> RSVP HERE << ​

​For nearly fifteen years, Jonathan worked as a software developer building products for clients as a consultant and, like most consultants, charged an hourly rate. Then, one year, he decided to do things differently. Instead of charging hourly, he tried value-based pricing, and that year, he doubled his income.

He’s now on a mission to spread the word about the power of pricing your expertise instead of billing for your time.

​Jonathan is also a successful founder in his own right, growing his one-person business into a range of different products and services. He writes a daily newsletter to over 10,000 subscribers, he’s written five books that have been translated into seven languages, he offers private high-ticket coaching services, and a more accessible community for people who want to make more money as solo consultants.

​​​Topics we’ll cover:

• ​How he doubled his income that first year of value-based pricing

• ​How to think about consulting when you have a full-time job

• ​How to write proposals that close

• ​How to negotiate

• ​How to make money without working more hours

• ​How to increase your income without hiring

• ​How he grew his newsletter to thousands of subscribers

• ​Why he decided on a daily (!) newsletter and where his ideas come from

• ​How he created a content strategy around his business​

​>> RSVP HERE << ​

​​This event is hosted by DiscoLink Club and is free and open to the public- feel free to invite anyone who you think would find it interesting!

Hot off the press from DiscoLink 🪩

In case you missed our AMA with Nadia Odunayo – the full recording is now live on our YouTube Channel. 

Hear how she bootstrapped The StoryGraph into a thriving startup, and the insights + experiences she shares from her journey.

Be sure to check it out here and let us know what you think 🪩🧡

Don’t Miss Out

Our bookmarks from the week - good reads, listens, and general inspo from all around.

Live from DiscoLink Club

DiscoLink Club is a community of professionals in tech who are building side hustles.

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