It takes courage to do this

Inside today’s episode:

• Turning down the role of a lifetime

• Advice for betting on yourself 

• The Reed Between The Lines season finale
  
  

In 2014, Nipsey Hussle received a life-changing call. 

Dr. Dre was working on his film Straight Outta Compton. 

It’s a biopic about how the rap group N.W.A. rose in popularity and dominated the music scene in the early 1990s.

He hand-picked Nipsey to play Snoop Dogg. For any up-and-coming rapper, it was a golden ticket to stardom, mainstream notoriety, and a fat paycheck.

But he rejected the offer. 

Snoop Dogg called him personally to find out why. Nipsey’s response was simple but profound: 

“I’m not gonna play Snoop Dogg on camera when I’m still trying to be Nipsey Hussle in real life. It would’ve been a great look, it would have been an opportunity, but it didn’t feel like the right move for me.”

His decision paid off.

Four years later, Nipsey became a real estate investor, a brand ambassador for Puma, an entrepreneur who owned his own music label and clothing brand, plus released his debut, grammy-nominated album.

He wasn’t Snoop Dogg 2.0. 

Nipsey Hussle had arrived. 

It takes courage to bet on yourself

It starts with a vision. 

But the hardest part is persevering. 

Because there will be doubt. 
The reward isn’t immediate. 
And the stakes are high. 

But when you stay committed to your vision, despite the obstacles, you grow stronger and more resilient. 

Success — professional, financial, emotional — doesn’t come from easy wins. It comes pushing through the challenges that make most people quit.

If you can do that, you’re almost guaranteed to win.

You just have to believe that everything will work out, even if you don’t have proof (yet).

Betting on yourself is the theme of the Reed Between The Lines season finale 

It’s a special group conversation with an incredibly talented and humble group of entrepreneurs and creators in Chicago.

-Jen Allen  (Founder, DemandJen)
-Eddie Shleyner (Founder, VeryGoodCopy.com)
-RajNation (Founder, Startup Hypeman)

Click play and you can expect:

• A simple tactic Eddie uses to write under pressure and make creative decisions faster — and prevents him from second-guessing himself  (jump to 8:45)
  
  

• Jen’s creative process for creating compelling keynotes that resonate with her audience every single time (jump to 10:14)
  
  

• Raj’s technique for staying inspired and producing differentiated content that his market loves to consume and share  (jump to 42:50)
  
  

• My experience and advice for balancing a side hustle and a full-time job (jump to 34:38)

  
  

👉🏻 You can watch the conversation on YouTube here. 

Or, listen on Spotify and Apple. 

You can also help me by liking this LinkedIn post.

Thank you for supporting me and this project. 

Your feedback has “filled my cup.” 

Wouldn’t be here without you — thank you. 

Holler at you on Saturday,
Devin