Writers should get paid for doing what they love. Let's talk about how to make that happen.
thedavidmcilroy.substack.com (https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
502: He sent me a 30-Second video. No pitch. No catch (with Drew English)
➡️ NEW FREE TRAINING: Are you failing, or are you just early? New free 38-minute training on the six signals that show you the difference. Comes with a downloadable scorecard so you finish with a concrete number, not just a feeling. Watch it here (https://david-mcilroy.kit.com/six-signals).
Season 5, episode 2 is here!
Drew English and I had never spoken before this live. We’d only traded messages, and it all began with a short video from him with nothing to sell attached. He’s a self-taught cinematographer, a former wannabe rock star, and the host of the No Set Path podcast. He talks about career chaos with total calm. What a great chat!
What we covered:
- How Drew went from wannabe rock star to Apple store employee to working cinematographer, with a used camera, YouTube University and a $5,000 summer job in the middle.
- The podcast he started out of boredom in a basement during COVID, and the studio it grew into that he never has to market.
- The simple message that got him into my DMs, and the one part he found hard about sending it.
- Why he thinks plenty of people building a personal brand are actually building something else in disguise.
- What happened to a six-figure cinematography career, and the hybrid way he’s rebuilding around the life he actually wants.
- How he weighs paid work against showing up online, and the one thing that always comes first.
- The sci-fi worlds, the surprising Paris film and the vintage hobby he uses to switch off, plus the reassuring thought he left us with.
You can find Drew at No Set Path (https://thedrewenglish.substack.com/) on Substack, where he also hosts the podcast of the same name.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe (https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
2 Oct 2026
501: He thought his first online payment was spam (with Virgil Brewster)
➡️ NEW FREE TRAINING: Are you failing, or are you just early? New free 38-minute training on the six signals that show you the difference. Comes with a downloadable scorecard so you finish with a concrete number, not just a feeling. Watch it here (https://david-mcilroy.kit.com/six-signals).
Season 5, episode 1 is here!
Virgil Brewster blows up launches for a living. He built a course business to seven figures with two partners, sold it, drifted into semi-retirement, and then got pulled back in when people kept asking him for help. He is easily the most energetic guest I’ve had on, and this one flew by.
What we covered:
- The story of Virgil’s very first online payment, back when he ran a boutique personal training business in Ibiza, and why he was convinced it had to be a scam.
- What that first dollar does to your brain chemistry, and the two-second window of pure magic before your head starts chasing the next one.
- How he balances raw ambition with being content where he is, including the millionaire at an event who taught him more than he expected.
- His honest answer on avoiding burnout, from doing one task a day to the slightly terrifying activity he uses to quiet his mind.
- Why he puts 5 to 10 percent of his income into learning, and the decade of trying to DIY it all before that penny dropped.
- The two mistakes he sees people make with every launch, and why charging money for something half-built is the smartest thing you can do.
- His glass-half-full take on where the creator economy is heading, and the one-liner he left us with that’s worth writing on your wall.
Go and subscribe to Virgil’s publication, The Launch Room (https://virgilbrewster.substack.com/), and follow along with what he’s building.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe (https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
24 Sept 2026
You're not bad at it - you just haven’t done enough of it yet.
➡️ NEW FREE TRAINING: Are you failing, or are you just early? New free 38-minute training on the six signals that show you the difference. Comes with a downloadable scorecard so you finish with a concrete number, not just a feeling. Watch it here (https://david-mcilroy.kit.com/six-signals).
The Season 4 finale is here!
No guest this time. Just me and a shorter solo episode to close out season four. I answered some listener questions about podcasting and going live, gave a behind-the-scenes look at where the podcast is at, and walked through the changes coming next season. I even discovered a feature live on air that I had no idea existed…
What I covered:
- Where my podcast actually stands after two years, including the download count Substack quietly lopped over 20,000 off overnight.
- Why my episode numbers look like I’ve recorded 421 of these when the real figure is nowhere near that.
- The biggest change for season five, and why the recordings are opening up to everyone instead of just paid members.
- The new perk paid members get, which means your question gets asked even if you can’t make the live.
- My honest answers to listener questions on echo, cheap mics, and recording outdoors without it sounding like a wind tunnel.
- Why I still find solo lives hard even now, and the simple fix that takes the pressure right off.
- The evergreen traffic source I keep banging on about, and the feature I only realised existed halfway through this very episode.
Season five kicks off next week with a cracking guest lined up. If you’re a paid member, keep an eye out for the prompt to send questions in advance, and if you fancy pitching yourself or someone else as a guest, my inbox is open.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe (https://thedavidmcilroy.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
Who has been a guest on How to Write for a Living
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dina Marais
Ciler Demiralp
Alex Mathers
Yana GY
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
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