Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast

Episode Summary

Episode: Early 20s Syndrome: 9 Money Mistakes Keeping You Broke
Host: Nicolas Cole
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Special Guest: Mike Chatfield – Sci-Fi & LitRPG Author

Episode Overview

In this episode, Nicolas Cole hosts a content-creation marathon and sits down with prolific sci-fi and LitRPG author Mike Chatfield. While the podcast promises a focus on money mistakes people make in their early 20s, this particular session (as per transcript) leans more into the behind-the-scenes business of digital writing, lessons from creative entrepreneurship, annual goal-setting, and craft wisdom from two industry veterans.

Listeners get a transparent look at Cole’s business trajectory, recent experiments, and the drive behind his creative and professional goals for 2026—along with candid reflections on the ongoing learning curve of writing and entrepreneurship.

Key Discussion Points

1. Massive Content Creation Day & Behind the Scenes (00:00–02:55)

• Cole kicks off the episode amid an ambitious content day: six long-form videos, 20 shorts, and a slew of ad content.
• Mike Chatfield is introduced as a LitRPG author with 60+ published books, now transitioning from indie to traditional publishing with his upcoming tour for "The Two Week Curse."
• Emphasis on the importance of volume and relentless output in creative work.
  • Quote [01:34]:
    Cole: “Just to reset your bar. Okay. Not six—six D. But also... volume wins. You know, just free time. Right, right, right. Volume wins. Volume wins.”

2. The Creative and Business Journey – 2025 in Review (02:55–05:33)

• Cole offers a transparent recap of his business’s 2025 numbers:
  • Revenue: $8,155,862
  • Ad Spend: $964,230 (a sharp increase on prior years)
  • Team Growth: From 12 to 34 members
• Honest reflection on scaling pains—investments in team and content, expanding platforms, and learning hard lessons.
  • Quote [03:37]:
    Cole: “This past year was definitely a year of paying down some ignorance debt. There were a lot of things that we went into it thinking, oh, this will be so easy. And I have to keep reminding myself, anytime you think something's easy, it's not. It's gonna be hard.”
• Major investments: increased webinars (monthly, moving to twice a month), and a major three-day challenge event.
• Eyes set on business maturity and utilizing new team capacity in 2026.

3. The Writing Process, Collaboration, and Craft (05:42–08:29)

• Cole and Chatfield bond over writing milestones.
  • Chatfield notes the immense work behind every book, plus extra effort on creative details like custom graphics and book design.
  • Emphasis on iterative improvement—learning “two, three things from each book.”
  • Quote [07:08]:
    Chatfield: “When I started writing, I was just like, I'm just gonna keep writing more and more books and if I learn two, three things from each book, then it just gets better.”
• Cole gifts Chatfield his first non-fiction memoir about ranking high in World of Warcraft, reflecting on nostalgia and how creative works age.
  • Quote [07:37]:
    Cole: “Every year I reread it and every year I look back, I'm like, whoever wrote that was cooking at the time.”
  • Quote [08:07]:
    Chatfield: “Like, we all have these like, segments of our lives. Where we look at, we're like, man, that was such a cool segment of our lives.”

4. Lessons in Content & Marketing (08:29–09:51)

• Cole recaps advice from Hormozi’s workshop:
  • “Your ads will perform better if you base them off what's already working organically.”
• A look into the day’s production process, teamwork, and learning curves during filming.
  • Focus on improving efficiency and minimizing mistakes with the expanded team.

5. Personal & Business Goals for 2026 (09:56–end)

• Cole transparently lays out his goals for the coming year:

  • Writing:
    • Log 700 hours of creative writing (2 hours/day)
    • Publish 2 fiction novels
    • Publish 2 nonfiction books (one, “Writer Career Paths,” due in March/April)
    • Next “Art & Business of Writing” book in the pipeline
  • Business:
    • Aim to break $10M+ in revenue (reach eight figures)
      • Quote [10:56]:
        Cole: “I really want to cross that eight figure mark... Even just for myself. Like, know, okay, now I know what goes into building an eight figure business.”
  • Personal:
    • Continue health investments: personal training, physical therapy, peptides, vitamin IVs, NAD, and sleep optimization
    • Priority on family—hopes to become a dad in 2026.
      • Quote [12:32]:
        Cole: “Me and my wife have been trying to get pregnant, you know, and I’m really hoping that this is the year. I would love to become a dad this year... I feel like the only thing that's really left is, you know, start a family and take that next step.”

• Cole reflects on his sense of readiness—having built business skills, self-trust, and systems to sustain high output and avoid burnout.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote or Moment | |-----------|----------|-----------------| | 01:34 | Cole | “Just to reset your bar. Okay. Not six—six D. But also... volume wins. You know, just free time. Right, right, right. Volume wins. Volume wins.” | | 03:37 | Cole | “This past year was definitely a year of paying down some ignorance debt. There were a lot of things that we went into it thinking, oh, this will be so easy. And I have to keep reminding myself, anytime you think something's easy, it's not. It's gonna be hard.” | | 07:08 | Chatfield| “When I started writing, I was just like, I'm just gonna keep writing more and more books and if I learn two, three things from each book, then it just gets better.” | | 07:37 | Cole | “Every year I reread it and every year I look back, I'm like, whoever wrote that was cooking at the time.” | | 08:07 | Chatfield| “We all have these like, segments of our lives. Where we look at, we're like, man, that was such a cool segment of our lives.” | | 10:56 | Cole | “I really want to cross that eight figure mark... Even just for myself. Like, know, okay, now I know what goes into building an eight figure business.” | | 12:32 | Cole | “Me and my wife have been trying to get pregnant, you know, and I’m really hoping that this is the year. I would love to become a dad this year... I feel like the only thing that's really left is, you know, start a family and take that next step.” |

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–02:55: Content Day setup, team introductions, and Mike Chatfield’s prolific author journey
• 02:55–05:33: 2025 business recap—revenues, ad spend, team growth
• 05:42–08:29: Book design, craft process, author gifts, reflections on creative output
• 08:29–09:51: Marketing lessons and production wrap-up
• 09:56–end: Cole’s personal, creative, and business goals for 2026; closing reflections

Episode Tone & Takeaways

Tone: Open, enthusiastic, self-reflective, and collaborative.

Takeaways:

• The podcast provides an unfiltered view into the disciplined, iterative process behind successful digital writing and business growth.
• Themes of scaling, learning from mistakes, the value of pushing creative output, and prioritizing personal health & growth are woven throughout.
• It’s not just about building a business—but building the skill and capacity to sustain creativity, lead a team, and move forward intentionally.

This episode is especially insightful for:

• Aspiring digital writers and authors
• Entrepreneurs scaling creative businesses
• Listeners interested in the interplay between creative process, business metrics, and personal growth