Taking the Road Less Traveled

On the southern coast of the Sn?fellsnes peninsula in Iceland is a place called Londrangar . Londrangar are a pair of large rock remnants carved out of cliffs where this part of Iceland meets the Ocean.

It’s one of those places where you immediately stop when you see it, as though you’ve seen it in your dreams, or that you wonder how such a thing could have been sculpted.

Our group arrived there via car last Sunday afternoon. The parking lot was near capacity, and just as we arrived so did two large buses full of tourists.

We watched as each person lowered themselves from the bus and headed for the large pathway to the Londrangar viewing area. As we parked and headed that direction, hundreds of people were directly in front of us. All six of us felt a bit deflated at the experience.

As we stood by our van, my wife noticed another path to our right. It was a handwritten sign on a post next to a natural path (see above picture). We decided to take it.

It was a beautiful half mile walk over grass and small rocks that led to one of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen. It was a bit rockier. A bit more of a hike that the other path. But worth it. At one point I turned around and looked up, seeing hundreds of people fighting for a clear view, all while we had a section of the island all to ourselves.

This situation had a large impact on me through the rest of the trip.

The line to get into Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavik.

The line at the downtown gift shop.

The line for our flight back to Pittsburgh.

At first glance, there was usually a long line and limited options. But by just taking a second to look around, there was generally a better option. Oh, sometimes you had to walk a bit more. Or there was a crowd in the way and you couldn’t see the way through. But there was a way. The rest of the trip, we took that more challenging, but definitely better route.

The road less traveled.

A while back my youngest became interested in working inside a major league baseball organization. While at spring training earlier this year, we were able to strike up a conversation with a front office executive. He said, clear as day, that to make it into MLB marketing and communications you needed a four-year degree. Then, you needed to work your way through multiple other roles in sports organizations to give yourself a chance.

Sounds reasonable, right?

Maybe. Maybe not.

What if you were able to built an audience around something related to that baseball team. It could be an enewsletter to fans, or a TikTok channel, or Insta feed. Whatever. But you deliver amazing information to a group of people and show that you can build a fan base for yourself.

Let’s say, you had 10,000 fans as followers.

Do you think an MLB organization would “overlook” that you don’t have a degree if you had proven yourself as a successful content creator? The answer is yes.

But that’s not the obvious answer. That’s not what the average person would do.

Most of us would do it the way everyone else does it.

What do you want to achieve in life?

You can either take the path that most everybody takes, or you can look around to see if there is a different path. That path may be more challenging, but your odds of success will increase dramatically just by doing something in a different way.

So the next time you are ready to make a decision, hold back for one second. Is there a different path? Just by being aware and asking yourself that question you are in the vast minority.

Average is okay, if that’s what you want to be. But do you really want to be average?

Next-Level Podcasting

I’ve finally upped my podcasting game to video. Using a tool called Descript , my five-minute Content Inc. podcasts are now in video.

You can check out my latest video here on YouTube .

Here’s my process:

1. I record the episode using my desktop computer and camera, then upload it to Descript.

2. I edit the video BY TEXT by working with the transcript (which Descript creates for you), not the raw video. I’m not a technical person, so editing the video in text makes it pretty easy.

3. I read each episode, so I use Descript to fix my eye contact.

4. Descript has several caption types, so you’ll see I add that as well.

Let me know what you think.

In addition, Spotify recently added the ability for any podcaster, no matter what hosting platform you use, to upload their video. All you have to do is create a Spotify for Podcasters account , claim your podcast, and then upload the video version of your podcast after you publish your audio podcast.

Now, if you don’t have a podcast and would like to have one, here’s a crazy solution. Google just launched NotebookLM , where it can take a PDF and create a two-person hosted podcast from it.

I was a bit skeptical, so I decided to upload this Orangeletter issue on watching Gene Wilder’s documentary and see what it could produce. I have to tell you…I was pretty blown away.

NotebookLM took what would have been a four-minute solo podcast into an eight-minute two host podcast that pulled additional information and a back and forth that seems pretty realistic. Here’s what it produced . Just listen to the first minute or so to get a feel.

And this was from just one article. If you want to level up, you can add multiple PDFs and give direction before you create the audio file.

Like David Bowie said about the Internet , it’s both amazing and terrifying at the same time.

Move Iceland Up on Your Travel List

I posted my "Iceland Travel Tips" on my Facebook page , but thought it might be helpful to include here as well. Enjoy!

I just returned from Iceland, and one word perfectly describes it: majestic. Despite being about the size of Ohio, Iceland offers experiences unlike anywhere else. We checked off several "firsts" during our trip:

? Walked on Vatnaj?kull, the largest free-standing glacier in the world

? Spotted three humpback whales on a whale-watching adventure

? Soaked in a hot springs spa

? Explored a stunning ice cave

? Tiptoed behind a breathtaking waterfall

? Witnessed the magical Northern Lights

? And of course, tried an iconic Icelandic hot dog (pro tip: get the crispy fried onions and all three sauces!)

Unfortunately, we missed seeing the Puffins, who leave Iceland by late August. Maybe next time!

With a population of less than 400,000 (about the same as Cleveland, Ohio), Iceland hosts 2.5 million tourists a year—yet it doesn’t feel over-commercialized. It's incredibly easy to get around by car, and we drove over 500 miles while exploring this beautiful country.

If you're thinking of visiting, here are a few tips:

?? Waterproof Gear is a Must – Invest in good waterproof hiking boots, pants, and a rain jacket. You'll need them for the rugged terrain, waterfalls, and unpredictable weather.

?? Rent a Car – Driving the Golden Circle and visiting the peninsula are must-do day trips, and having a car makes it all easy.

?? Budget for More – Prices are 30% higher in Iceland, but all places accept credit cards, and conversion happens automatically.

?? Flights are Accessible – There are direct flights from many U.S. cities. We flew out of Pittsburgh, so check for airports within a 2-hour drive to avoid connections.

We went during the off-season, and it was fantastic—fewer crowds! I can't imagine how busy it gets in summer. Something to keep in mind when planning.

Every experience was truly unique and hard to rank, but here are a few highlights:

Whale Watching – Picture the pie-eating scene from Stand by Me —the ocean was rough, and about half of the 200 passengers on our boat got seasick. Thankfully, our group made it through with no issues!

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall – My friend Kevin and I stood just feet away from water crashing down 200 feet—it was unforgettable.

Black Sand Beach – With its dark sand and towering basalt cliffs, the setting felt straight out of a movie.

So many amazing memories. We can't wait to go back again.

If you would like me to talk about something specific for next issue or ask me a question, just reply to this email.