You already have everything that you need...

As we head into the Christmas season, I've been thinking a lot about something that holds too many people back.

Permission.

Here's what I've learned about permission in the creator economy:

The people asking for it rarely get it.

The people giving it rarely deserve to.

I’m not suggesting you be reckless.

I’m trying to teach a fundamental truth about success going into 2025:

The gatekeepers are gone, but most people still wait at the gate.

Let me explain.

When I started managing the Sidemen, there was no playbook.

No rulebook. No "right way" to do it.

Traditional management companies said we were doing it wrong.

Traditional brands said creator businesses wouldn't work.

Traditional media said YouTube wasn't real.

The thing about asking permission from traditional players?

They're invested in things staying the same.

The most powerful lesson I've learned working with creators is this: Success doesn't come from waiting for the right moment, the right credentials, or the right permission.

It comes from starting before you feel ready, learning while you build, and fixing things as you go.

If the Sidemen waited for approval, they'd still be gaming in their bedrooms.

This might sound obvious.

But I watch people paralysed by permission every single day:

• "I'll start when I have more experience."

• "I'll launch when everything's perfect."

• "I'll begin when someone gives me the green light."

The truth?

• The internet doesn't care about your credentials.

• Your audience doesn't care about your qualifications.

• The market doesn't care about who approved you.

They care about what you create. What you deliver. What you build.

The permission paradox is simple: The longer you wait for permission, the less likely you are to get it.

But the moment you start without it, you suddenly don't need it anymore.

I'm not saying burn every bridge and ignore all advice.

I'm saying understand the difference between legitimate caution and self-imposed limitation.

Between necessary preparation and perpetual procrastination.

This changed everything for me:

When you wait for permission, you play by someone else's rules.

When you start without it, you write your own.

Look around at who's winning right now:

• Creators building businesses without MBAs

• Artists reaching audiences without labels

• Entrepreneurs scaling without investors

• Writers finding readers without publishers

They're not waiting for the gatekeepers to open the gates.

They're building their own doors.

So as we wrap up 2024 and look toward the new year, here's my questions for you:

• What are you waiting for permission for?

• Who are you waiting to give it to you?

• And what would happen if you just... started?

Because here's what I know for sure:

• The best time to ask for permission was never.

• The second best time is never.

• The best time to start is now.

While everyone else is writing New Year's resolutions, you could be building something real.

Just make sure what you're building is worth people's time.

That's the only permission that matters.

Chat soon,

Jordan

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