What I’ve Been Up To (The Last 2 Years)

The last 2 years have been about focus. Discipline. Execution. I built the kind of life and business most only dream about—not through luck, but by design.

This isn’t hype. It’s the result of showing up daily and doing what matters.

From 30K to 120K: Scaling Attention Like a Savage

2 years ago, I made a decision: focus on social media and business. So I went all in—on content, on presence, on building an unshakable personal brand.

• X: 30K → 120K followers
• Instagram: 8K → 91K
• YouTube: 1.5K → 24K subs

Numbers don’t lie. And in today’s game? If you’re not everywhere, you’re nowhere. So I focused. I executed.

The Blog That Built Me

Calm and Collected isn’t just a site. It’s history.

It started in 2014 as a journal for the grind. A way to document the climb. Today, it’s a hub that’s touched hundreds of thousands of readers—and it’s still evolving.

This blog isn’t for clout. It’s for legacy. For impact. For my future kids to see the receipts and the roadmap. And along the way to connect with people such as yourself on the same path as I am.

Business Wins, Mental Battles, and a Book on the Way

Behind the scenes, I stacked W’s.

• Launched new services for software founders
• Built a global team under one roof in Dubai
• Traveled across Moldova, Oman, Turkey, and Tbilisi
• Hosted 750+ livestreams
• Ran meetups in different countries
• Wrote The Mad Strategy (dropping soon)

But it wasn’t all smooth. I hit mental fatigue. The kind that sneaks up while you’re “being productive.” What caused it? Busy work. So I cut the noise. Focused on results. Doubled down on what actually matters.

The result? More clarity. More freedom. More money.

AI, Leverage, and The End of the Lone Wolf Era

Over the past 5 months, I’ve integrated AI into everything. Even firing 2 members of staff as with AI you can get more output done and increase profits for your company.

From content to backend systems—it’s sharper, faster, and more powerful than ever. If you’re not playing with tools like ChatGPT or Grok, you’re gonna get left behind.

Also: this lone wolf thing? It’s dead.

You don’t win alone. You win with a focused team on a mission that’s bigger than just money. Surround yourself with competent operators who all bring something to the table. Mix in some AI. And you’re gonna run circles around all these people.

One Business. One Channel. One Mission.

Here’s the biggest cheat code I can give you:

Cut the fluff.

You don’t need 5 businesses. You don’t need to be on 7 platforms. You need ONE thing that works. Then you scale it with intensity and zero apologies.

This mindset saved me from burnout—and made me unstoppable.

Evolution of the Brand

What started with mindset posts turned into:

• Side hustle game
• Freelance systems
• Business strategies
• Now? AI, high-level brand building, and scaling smart

We’re leveling up. The blog’s growing with me and every single reader. And speaking of readers, I’ve gotta shout out my students.

My students have crushed it too?

• Quitting jobs
• Taking their girls to Paris to propose
• Dropping out of college to focus on his business
• Another guy being able to retire his wife, quit his job, and spend his free time coaching a baseball team

All thanks to them taking action and building a business. Instead of “hoping” things worked out at some point. They just took on the challenge…yes running a business is challenging…ignore anyone who acts like it’s some easy passive income type of thing. And because they refused to quit, they won.

Some sooner than others. But as long as you win, does it really matter how long it takes?

I wake up every day fueled by stories like these. Because that was me 10 years ago. Now seeing others from around the world do the same is electrifying.

So What’s Next?

More reach. More impact. More freedom.

I’m dropping more content here, more free courses, and The Mad Strategy is on its way. In the meantime you can go grab the new free course I released by clicking here.

Always the best,

Dylan Madden