You block out time, sit down to batch content, open a blank document or camera app… and suddenly you’re deep diving on a Wikipedia page about soup spoons. That isn’t about talent. As Trevor Grimes says, creativity doesn’t die because you’re not talented. It dies because you sit down to create something and believe you have absolutely nothing to say yet.
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In this solo episode of The Content Crowd, Trevor shares the NoteCard Method, a simple, wildly tactical pen to paper system that became an absolute game changer for his content creation life and a fix for that “I’ve got nothing to post” panic. He walks through how a notebook and a stack of 3x5 or 4x6 cards can give you endless content ideas, make your process smoother, and help you stop treating content like a last minute chore.
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From perfectionism and procrastination to weekly brain dumps, categories, and deck sorting, Trevor shows how to hand yourself 20+ ideas in 10 minutes, recycle and remix posts that pop or flop, and destroy blank-page syndrome with a scrappy, no-tech, high-impact method.
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What We Cover
- Why creativity doesn’t die because you’re not talented, but because you sit down to create and think you have absolutely nothing to say.
- The real reason most creators quit: not content creation, but idea generation mixed with procrastination and perfectionism.
- How Trevor uses a notebook plus a stack of 3x5 or 4x6 note cards to move ideas from his brain to paper and never start from a blank page.
- The weekly 10–15 minute brain dump: one idea per card—stories, questions, lessons, frustrations, hooks, hot takes, tactical breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes moments.
- Using a legend card and simple labels like story, lesson, hot take, how-to, question, and behind-the-scenes (with highlighters or numbers) so you remember you need more than one type of content.
- Deck sorting: pulling specific mixes of cards (story, lesson, hot take, hooks, how-to) to build podcast scripts, long form videos, short form clips, blogs, emails, and posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, X, or Blue Sky.
- Recycling and merging cards so one or two “mediocre” ideas can turn into huge hits once everything is out on paper and you let yourself find a narrative arc.
- Using prompts like questions your audience always asks, mistakes you made early in your journey, stories from your work or creative life, things that annoy you about your industry, and skills or tools you wish somebody told you about sooner to instantly create a 25-card deck.
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Resources Mentioned
- Scrappy ABM – Sponsor that helps you build repeatable account based marketing plays and teaches you how to do them so that you can bring ABM in-house when you’re ready.
- “Do Over” by John Acuff – The book where Trevor first saw a note card method used to create a personal job network and categorize people, resources, and ideas on cards.
- “Chris Talks Cash Flow” with Chris Brown – Conversation about budgets where the note card method for money helped Trevor see how note cards could map content.
- 30-Day Content Sprint / Content Creation Sprint – Trevor’s sprint that helps you come up with 20+ ideas in about 10 minutes and feeds directly into your NoteCard stack.
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Tools & Supplies Mentioned
- Notes app in your phone
- A physical ideation notebook or planner
- A stack of 3x5 or 4x6 note cards
- Sharpie pen and regular pen
- Highlighters or binder tabs for color coding and sorting
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How to Use the NoteCard Method for Unlimited Content Ideas
If you struggle with running out of content ideas, the NoteCard Method is your no-tech, high-impact fix. Here's how to start:
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1. Grab NoteCards (Physical or Digital)
You only need a stack of 3x5 cards (I prefer 4x6), or their equivalent in a notes app.
Use the top card as the legend for categorizing the rest of your cards.
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2. Brain Dump (10–15 Minutes)
Write one idea per card: stories, questions, lessons, frustrations, hooks with no filters or structure. Just ideas that fit into one of those categories.
Bonus: If you are stuck at this part, grab my 30-Day Content Sprint to help you come up with 20+ ideas in 10 minutes.
Examples:
- 5 questions your audience always asks you
- 5 mistakes you made early in your content journey
- 5 stories from your work or creative life
- 5 things that annoy you about your industry
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3. Categorize Your Cards
Label them at the top as one of these:
- Story
- Lesson
- Hot take
- How-to
- Question
- Behind-the-scenes
(Optional: Use highlighters or binder tabs for quicker sorting.)
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4. Shuffle the Deck
Once a week, sort cards by content type or theme based on what you're publishing that week.
Need a podcast script? Pull 2 story cards + 1 lesson + 1 hot take.
Writing Reels/TikToks? Grab 3 hooks + 1 how-to.
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5. Recycle + Remix
If a post pops, turn that card into a YouTube video, email, blog, or podcast.
If it flops? Combine it with another card and create a new angle.
This method gives you infinite content fuel and destroys blank-page syndrome for good.
Try it this week, and let me know how your first stack turns out 👊
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Low-Tech, High-Impact Account-Based Marketing
If you’re ready to trade expensive, tech-heavy account-based marketing for a repeatable, revenue-driving ABM program, check out Scrappy ABM. Led by a team of Scrappy ABM experts, they specialize in low-budget plays and programs that deliver high impact—no shiny tools required. Scrappy ABM has built account-based programs that have delivered millions in revenue, and you can build your first successful ABM program with their help.
Start with a pilot program or launch an account-based podcast. Learn more at scrappyabm.com. Let's get scrappy.
