The Joseph Founder's Log

Before registering my company, I needed to know what my business was going to be. I knew it had to be related to writing and that I wanted to carry out two types of work: writing as a service for other businesses (retainer article/blog writing) and writing that I held ownership of (publishing). That distinction wasn't so clear at the time. In fact, only by opening my laptop today, was such an obvious separation made in this succinct way. There were no specific goals set or plan outlined to achieve them if there were. Everything was a learning experience at this point and I needed some direction. Thankfully, Christina Colmer McHugh, the lead for start up initiatives at the University of Hull, put me in contact with Wes Henstock.  Wes is the Founder of Confid3ntial and he taught me everything that matters when it comes to personal branding. I am going to break down the three statements that drive every action behind Pen Forge Collective and form the company's personal brand. Toda...

For the readers who are actively following this blog, I need to define what authority assets are in the context of Pen Forge Collective.  Authority building content is writing that positions you as a credible, trustworthy expert in your field. Not through self-promotion, but through the sustained demonstration of genuine knowledge. It is not about going viral or building a following for the sake of watching a counter increase. It is about creating written work that shows potential clients, collaborators, investors, and employers that you know what you are talking about. This kind of content takes longer to produce but it also lasts considerably longer. Expect bigger returns when you invest more time into your reputation. There is a question worth asking before you write another post, thread, or caption: what happens to your content after the first 48 hours? For most founders, the answer is nothing. It disappears while the algorithm moves on, the audience scrolls past, and the insi...

We read the stories of renowned business owners after they reach the peak of their success. The story is motivational and it feels like knowledge is being imparted onto us. However, what can we truly learn if they are always being written backwards? Imagine trying to condense the journey to become a top rocket scientist into a 300 page memoir. Would you know how to turn yourself into a rocket scientist after finishing the book? Making sense of the adventure, after the conclusion has taken place, can never capture the changes you went through to get there. This is how I plan to do things differently: instead of waiting to share the secrets and epiphanies at the end of my career, we will uncover them in real time, together.