Celebrating 5 Years of The Profile
263 Sunday emails. 100 Profile Dossiers. Thousands of longform profiles.
This week, we’re celebrating five years of The Profile. FIVE. WHOLE. YEARS. 🤯
That means that since February of 2017, you've received 263 Sunday emails, 100 Profile Dossiers, and thousands of longform profiles.
If you’re reading this right now, I want you to know just how much I appreciate you being part of this community. I started this newsletter so that my friends and I could have better conversations about interesting articles I found on the internet. It has evolved into something much bigger and much more meaningful.
I’ve interviewed author James Clear, legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer, ‘Humans of New York’ creator Brandon Stanton, and four-time obstacle race champion Amelia Boone.
On Wednesdays, I publish The Profile Dossier, a deep-dive on a prominent individual that takes you on a journey from their greatest triumphs to their most gut-wrenching failures. We've learned important lessons from mountaineer Nims Purja, war zone journalist Clarissa Ward, actor Keanu Reeves, and of course, the one & only Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson (who is a Profile reader).
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last five years, it’s this: Discipline pays off.
I’ve always said that I’m not the most talented writer nor am I the best curator, but I am willing to bet that I will outlast and outwork the competition. Shane Parrish recently wrote, “The hardest part is the discipline required to do otherwise ordinary things for an extraordinarily long period of time, even when the results are barely noticeable.” He adds, “Extraordinary results come from ordinary people with uncommon consistency.”
It’s easy to be consistent when things are easy and life is smooth. But when it gets bumpy, do you throw in the towel or do you find a way to continue? I’ve had plenty of reasons to pause — international travel, family situations, and, you know, having a baby. But I haven’t stopped.
Why?
Because I believe in the simple formula of “consistency + time = trust.” The only way you can earn people’s trust is by consistently keeping your word and delivering on what you’ve promised. And your trust, dear reader, is one thing that I take very seriously.
That’s why I’m not worried if people try to replicate The Profile. I just know that discipline and consistency come from a blazing hot passion for your craft. For me, it’s this — studying the most interesting people in the world and sharing my lessons with you every week.
Thank you for joining me on this journey for the last five years. Cheers to many, many more.
🎉 HELP ME CELEBRATE 🎉
It would mean the world to me if you helped me celebrate The Profile’s five-year anniversary by sharing a sign-up link on Twitter here.