“Write of Passage is not school – learn for learning’s sake and then apply. Don’t focus on being perfect.“
- Some of my favorite blogs/online writers are: Adam Grant and J. Kelly Hoey
- Best book I’ve read recently is: Portrait of a Turkish Family by Irfan Orgai
- My personal blog / EM newsletter link is: Blog: https://www.puttingittogether.blog Newsletter: https://jennykim.substack.com (Trade-offs and Triumphs)
- My current job title is: Deputy General Counsel, Political Law, Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC
Why did you first sign up for Write of Passage?
There had been changes at work, and I had not done actual non-work related writing for over twenty years. I decided that it was time to change that, and I was skeptical, but I signed up for Write of Passage. Too many times, I had tried to set up a website/blog and then failed, so I decided that I needed some help.
And I needed to find who “Jenny Kim” was again, and what better way than through writing and exploring?
What did you like most about the course?
The things that I enjoyed most about the course:
- The pre-recorded lectures, especially the step-by-step instructions around building a website, newsletter, and your own mailing list
- David Perell’s live lectures
- The break-out rooms
- The Saturday CrossFit sessions (although I did not get much done during that time period other than generate a lot of unfinished writing)
- Sunday Alumni mentor sessions with Charlie Bleecker
- Meeting the other students in the breakout rooms and building some lifelong friendships along the way
- Learning and implementing the idea capturing system – still working on mine, but at least I have a way to do this.
What’s your #1 takeaway or lesson learned from WoP?
Your personal monopoly will not happen overnight – just be patient, be consistent, and continue to produce as much quality as you can.
What surprised you about the course?
How much I enjoyed this online course and the sense of community.
How has Write of Passage impacted your creative output?
I try to be consistent in producing at least 1 published essay a week, but that has not always happened. However, I have been consistently producing a weekly newsletter (Trade-offs and Triumphs) since August 3, 2020.
I am part of a daily morning writing group with two other Write of Passage alumni (Dan Greenwald and Abhi Verma) – we call it “The Morning Season.” Each morning, we write for about 55 minutes and then hold each other accountable.
What advice would you give to a new Write of Passage student?
- Be open to everything.
- Attend all the live sessions, even if you do not complete the assignments.
- Participate fully in Circle – comment on fellow students’ ideas and writing, learn how to edit and practice editing
- Embrace the POP method
- If possible, get your website set up ahead of time and don’t try to make it perfect – like all projects, it will evolve with time
- Once the list of alumni mentors come out, follow all of them on Twitter and subscribe to their newsletters – try to understand them and enter their world, and then decide which mentor-led group you want to follow.
- Write, even when you don’t want to write.
- You are not the dumbest person in the room – everyone has something to teach someone, everyone has something to learn from someone.
Any final thoughts or recommendations about the course?
Write of Passage is not school – learn for learning’s sake and then apply. Don’t focus on being perfect.
