How He Got 100x More Views + What Growth Can’t Fix with Mitchell Cohen

Mitchell Cohen runs the marketing agency Triple Lever and writes the Making Connections newsletter, where he explores human behavior and business. He previously led content and growth teams at AppSumo. In this episode, Saara and Mitchell talk about growing an audience, building a consistent creative practice, and trusting yourself through career transitions. Mitchell breaks down the tactics behind an AppSumo video that received more than 100x the channel’s typical views and the human psychology that made it connect. They also explore what happens when that same drive to observe and optimize turns inward: how ambition can become a tyrant in our own minds, why willpower isn’t always the answer, and how self-love and compassion soften that voice. As Mitchell asks, if you’re optimizing all the business outcomes but you’re miserable, what game are you actually playing? Subscribe to the Rich Souls newsletter for more from guests: ⁠https://richsouls.substack.com/⁠ Chapters 00:00 Meet Mitchell Cohen 01:18 Leaving Chicago and Taking a Leap 04:49 Working with Noah Kagan 07:04 Starting Making Connections 10:43 Making Consistency Easier 13:54 Finding Ideas and Publishing Them 19:36 Creating for Yourself vs. an Audience 22:41 The Psychology of Content Growth 27:20 Creative Freedom vs. Audience Growth 32:04 Building Self-Trust and Intuition 37:45 Does Work Have to Be a Grind? 41:49 Be, Do, Have 47:34 When Growth Becomes Another "Should" 49:48 Designing a Supportive Environment 55:08 Self-Love and Letting Go of Outcomes 58:59 What Would 10% More Self-Love Be? 01:02:39 Our Goggins Eras and Self-Judgment 01:09:25 New Environments and a New Season 01:10:54 Connection, Curiosity, and Courage 01:15:18 What Makes Life Feel Rich Connect with Mitchell Making Connections newsletter: ⁠https://making-connections.beehiiv.com/⁠ Website: ⁠https://mitchelllandon.com/⁠ Instagram: ⁠  / ⁠   LinkedIn: ⁠  / mitchelllandoncohen⁠   Mentioned in This Episode Atomic Habits by James Clear: ⁠https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits⁠ Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon: ⁠https://austinkleon.com/steal/⁠ The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer: ⁠https://untetheredsoul.com/untethered... The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris (sample chapters and resources): ⁠https://thehappinesstrap.com/free-res... Jim Collins on The Tim Ferriss Show (episode transcript): ⁠https://tim.blog/2019/02/20/the-tim-f... Situated by Angela Duckworth: ⁠https://www.simonandschuster.com/book... Letters From Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: ⁠https://elizabethgilbert.substack.com/⁠ Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: ⁠https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/book... The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz: ⁠https://www.miguelruiz.com/the-four-a... Connect with Saara Substack: ⁠https://richsouls.substack.com/⁠ Instagram: ⁠  / ⁠   LinkedIn: ⁠  / ⁠   Saara’s Stack (foundational tools) To Be Magnetic (self-hypnosis, 8 years deep): ⁠https://login.tobemagnetic.com/a/2148... Waking Up (the intro course taught me to meditate): ⁠https://wakingup.sjv.io/qW6KAn⁠ Morning Pages (via The Artist’s Way), magnesium bisglycinate, Moleskine journals, breathwork (via The Opening) Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. #richsoulspodcast #mitchellcohen #saaralampwalla