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8
Iain Thackrah
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Why This Episode Matters
Iain Thackrah coached 150 businesses in his first year after leaving a 10-year teaching career, accidentally wrote a book by committing to one page per day for 365 days, and uses Blackwing pencils because the care in choosing tools signals the care in everything else. In this conversation, he explains why writing by hand forces better thinking, why the first page of every journal is often discarded to overcome blank-page paralysis, and why books deserve to be marked up and made your own. For creative entrepreneurs and anyone seeking to build better habits, this is a masterclass in deliberate practice.
Key Takeaways
Write by hand first—always
On a computer, you can change any word at any time. With pencil and paper, the only word you have is the next word. It forces deliberate thinking. Everything Iain writes goes pencil → Grammarly → Hemingway → publish.
The Blackwing pencil philosophy
Mike Coulter gives expensive Blackwing pencils at workshops to show: if this is the care I put into choosing a pencil, imagine the care in everything else. Quality tools demand quality work.
Cut out the first page
The pressure of a blank page is real. Iain's solution: write the first page, continue to page 10, then go back and cut out page one. Every journal he owns is missing its first page.
Write in your books—they're yours now
Authors don't have the final say. Add "yes, and" or "yes, but" notes. Make the book yours. A pristine book is just another copy. A marked-up book contains your thinking layered on theirs.
Accidentally write a book: one page per day
Iain wrote one story per day for 365 days, edited down to 100, and created a book. The same content was his social media for a year. Small daily habits compound into significant outcomes.
Conversation Outline
00:00 — "If you just take a book at face value, you're missing most of the value"
02:00 — Writing process: pencil → Grammarly → Hemingway → publish
04:00 — Why writing by hand forces better thinking
06:00 — The Blackwing pencil story: quality tools signal quality care
10:00 — Subscription to limited edition pencils—and the fear of missing out
14:00 — Cutting out the first page to overcome blank page paralysis
16:00 — Writing in books: "yes, and" / "yes, but" notes
19:00 — Errol Gerson's book: having two copies—one pristine, one for use
21:00 — Behavioral psychology as a dangerous and powerful tool
24:00 — Raising two daughters: showing by example, not mandating
28:00 — Exposing girls to female role models in cycling and sports
32:00 — Optimist vs. realist: hope for the best, plan for the worst
36:00 — From 10-year teaching career to coaching 150 businesses in year one
40:00 — Finding creative entrepreneurs: the craft is incredible, business skills need building
43:00 — Find Iain: iainthackrah.co.uk and 3.175.com
Iain Thackrah
→ Business Coach for creative entrepreneurs
→ Author — accidentally wrote a book with one page per day for 365 days
→ Former teacher for 10 years at all-boys school in UK
→ Coached 150+ businesses in first year of coaching
→ Founder of 3.175 — coaching company
→ Publisher of Errol Gerson's book
Show Notes & Links
Mentioned In This Episode
→ Blackwing pencils — premium pencils with a rich history, $40-60 on eBay before revival
→ Mike Coulter — creative director who introduced Iain to Blackwing
→ Seth Godin — "The Practice" being read during conversation
→ Grammarly — editing tool in Iain's writing process
→ Hemingway App — makes writing easier to read by lowering the grade level
→ Errol Gerson — book Iain is publishing
→ BJ Fog — behavioral designer, Mike Coulter trained by him
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