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John Paul Hernandez

@hellojohnpaul.bsky.social
65 followers 50 following 244 posts

B2B SaaS content writer. Follow me for writing and marketing tips.

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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
At my son's birthday party, I spotted a neighbor reading Hail Mary. I stopped him. We talked for ten minutes. Turns out we had more in common than a book. The book you carry in public is the best conversation starter you're not using. New essay: www.curioussardine.com/p/reading-in...
curioussardine.com
Reading in public
The best conversation starter is a book
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Ring’s new AI feature be like: British pregnant lady walking past your garage with a Shih Tzu and a Stanley cup in her right hand.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Confuse people, lose people. Content should be clear, with every word earning its place—while holding attention and staying relevant. Clunky human writing or AI clang loses readers and customers. What works instead: Write like your audience speaks. And tell stories.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
I messed up. I told the doctor I had white collar syndrome, not white coat syndrome. But maybe that’s a thing too?
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
For the practical and pragmatic: In business or career… If you want to read between the lines, study poetry. If you want to understand nuance, increase empathy, and grasp sonder, read literature.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
We need more used book stores.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
I thought paprika was just a coloring agent; bland. Turns out: I just never tasted real paprika. That realization led somewhere bigger: a bad pepper is a symptom of what industrial food has cost us; in flavor, nutrition, & connection to what we eat. open.substack.com/pub/curiouss...
open.substack.com
What a bad pepper costs us
On spice, soil, and the slow erosion of what we eat
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
We are so excited to welcome our baby boy to the world! ❤️
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Analog coffee sessions are the best sessions
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Knowledge from books accumulates not just in your daily memory but also in your subconscious. These learnings mature in your mind. You’ll have conversations and perform actions that feel second nature, yet you initially have no idea where they came from.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
In many ways, Alcarràs parallels what’s happening with AI and the Information Age. The film is about agriculture and the green tech movement uprooting traditional ways of life. But it feels raw and familiar a few years later, as AI has changed so much.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Mass-market paperback books might be disappearing. But used, damaged books—and the notes they carry—have always been here. And they might be the perfect replacement. open.substack.com/pub/curiouss...
open.substack.com
What a damaged, used book taught me about reading
Used books, margins, and footnotes—and why it’s the scribbles that add another dimension
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
“Novel-writing can be a cold-blooded business.” -J.L Carr
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
The reader who uses footnotes reads a different book.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
ThriftBooks is such a hit or miss for the “acceptable” copies. They should have a lower category called “deplorables.”
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
I predict AI movies will cause a new effect: the desire for better stories that don't have explosions in every scene. Great writing and dialogue. One of the reasons I picked up a @mubi subscription because I'm so tired of shallow movies.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
With the age of AI, there’s more content out than ever. That’s why your 1st line matters more today… with nuance. Before, an opening only had to be a good hook. I studied 500 best selling lines to learn. But it changed. Now it needs to connect with your soul. open.substack.com/pub/curiouss...
open.substack.com
I studied 500 opening lines. Here’s what separates humans from machines.
On earning attention through human storytelling
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Duolingo should have sponsored the halftime show. Missed opportunity.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
I did a 72 water fast for the first time. This was my experience. www.curioussardine.com/p/how-going-...
curioussardine.com
How going 72 hours without food freed me from control
And why you can’t optimize your way out
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Check out this piece on Substack SEO I published with Sprout Social! You'll learn how to publish valuable content while optimizing for discoverability. sproutsocial.com/insights/sub...
sproutsocial.com
Substack SEO: A guide to grow newsletter reach and visibility
With the rise of social search, Substack SEO acts as an opportunity to boost discoverability. Find out how to improve your SEO on Substack and search engines.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Today, technology often serves dopamine. Our sleep suffers, as do our mental and physical health. Instead, technology should focus on optimal living. It starts with e-ink. curioussardine.substack.com/p/why-e-ink-...
curioussardine.substack.com
Why e-ink is the only tech that won’t make you sick
Platform designs are engineered to hijack your attention. E-ink gives it back.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
If you're not thinking about Reddit visibility, you're missing a huge audience. I just published 10 strategies for actually showing up where people are searching—including how to avoid the mistakes that get brands shadow-banned or downvoted. sproutsocial.com/insights/red...
sproutsocial.com
The 10 best Reddit SEO strategies to maximize your brand’s visibility
Reddit SEO is about building trust, driving discoverability in Google and AI search and proving ROI. Learn how to optimize with Sprout Social.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Surprisingly, it wasn’t AI tools that 10x’d my productivity—it was a digital typewriter. Using a smart typewriter like the Freewrite helped me get ideas out clearly and completely, without distractions or premature influence from algorithms, feeds, or prompts.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
I think content is restarting its market cycle. AI pushed us back to the early blogging phase: more volume, more noise, less differentiation. I wrote about why this happens, what comes next, and how brands can adapt if they want real traction. johnpaulhernandez.com/the-state-of...
johnpaulhernandez.com
The state of content: where we are now and where we’re going - John Paul Hernandez
What is the state of content after AI-generated articles and AI search? It's nothing new. The industry restarted. Learn how to build a modern strategy.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Rust appears everywhere: playground equipment, grills, screws in outdoor furniture... Anything exposed long enough will eventually show it. And yet, when we instinctively fight rust, we often miss what it represents. www.curioussardine.com/p/why-rust-i...
curioussardine.com
Why rust isn’t the enemy we think it is
How repair, restraint, and time shape what we choose to keep
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Writing hack: If you want to write about something that feels too complex or you lack direction, don’t plan or write about it yet.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
These were some of my favorite reads in 2025. What were some of yours? www.curioussardine.com/p/the-books-...
curioussardine.com
The books that carried me through 2025
How fiction, history, and presence shaped a difficult and good year
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
I propose "Prompthead" as a slur for people who always use ChatGPT to think.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
New essay ➡️ Stepping back, and resisting gut reactions, often allows clearer thinking and better decisions. Read how to think with context and awareness and what happens when you push through without all the information. open.substack.com/pub/curiouss...
open.substack.com
The discipline of not acting
Why knowing when to pause matters more than knowing what to do
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Honestly the real answer to digital detoxes and fixing your dopamine levels is reading for 2 hours straight. No distractions.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Jekyll & Hyde wasn't about a monster. It was about us. Stevenson wrote about what happens when a world only allows us to live as one acceptable version of ourselves. Today, that pressure feels quieter... A new essay on performance and the selves we hide. www.curioussardine.com/p/jekyll-and...
curioussardine.com
Jekyll & Hyde was never about a monster. It was about us
How performance, social pressure, and algorithms split us into the selves we show and the selves we hide
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Atomic Habits in 50 years. A Penguin Classic. As it should be.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Pinterest = a visual search engine hiding in plain sight. In this piece, I unpack how it fits into the future of SEO, social, and AI-driven discovery. Also: smart takes from Jeremy Moser (USERP) and Nat Miletic (Clio Websites). Read if search is on your radar. sproutsocial.com/insights/pin...
sproutsocial.com
Pinterest SEO: 8 steps to master the visual search engine
Stop guessing. Use 8 essential Pinterest SEO tactics to optimize Pins, boost engagement and secure your brand's authority in visual search.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Posted a new piece: Why great ideas often come from the wrong people. It’s a meditation on curiosity and how unfamiliar viewpoints reveal truths institutions sometimes overlook. Outsiders aren’t a threat to knowledge—they’re often the ones who move it forward. www.curioussardine.com/p/why-great-...
curioussardine.com
Why great ideas often come from the wrong people
How amateurs, outsiders, and the simply curious expand what experts miss
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
There were the AI-isms where you could tell a sentence or two came from AI. But now, in my own experience reading content, I feel an immediate aversion the moment I spot one, then bounce away or scroll past without reading the rest. Anyone else?
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Every small habit you practice today will have huge consequences 6 months from now. Good or bad. And it’ll take the same amount of time, or more, to reverse it.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
I just wrote a new piece: How I Like My Coffee. It’s about the quiet wisdom hidden in a cooling cup—how hot, warm, room temp, and cold each reveal something about the rhythms of life and the transitions we usually miss. Let me know what stage you enjoy most. open.substack.com/pub/curiouss...
open.substack.com
How I like my coffee
A meditation on taste, time, and small descents
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
We waited twenty-one hours during the blackout in Spain; far longer than most. What stayed with me wasn’t the outage, but how differently people responded to it. That moment became my newest Curious Sardine essay. www.curioussardine.com/p/what-a-twe...
curioussardine.com
What a twenty-one-hour outage taught me about panic
And why modern "connection" produces disconnection
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
I think a mobile coffee cart like this would be amazing (and I would argue quite needed). The differentiator is moving away from a minimal or Gatsby-style design for mobile coffee trucks and opting for a bright, traditional artisan look; instead of grab and go, it’s sip and stay.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
www.curioussardine.com/p/the-math-o... Just published The Math of Missing. It’s about how falling short isn’t the opposite of success, but part of the path; each miss teaching you something about your aim, your patience, and yourself. What’s a miss that changed you?
curioussardine.com
The math of missing
Why missing your shot is part of the equation
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Reading a book about the sea, as I’m lounging on the Space Coast, waiting for the Blue Origin launch.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
I don’t judge a book by its cover. But I do buy a book with a beautiful cover—no questions asked.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
I forgot how good The Martian movie is. Need to read the book.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
When we frame ignorance as opportunity, then the scales tip. Ignorance isn’t the refusal to learn: that’s arrogance. Ignorance, combined with self-awareness and humility, leads to growth.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Ignorance isn’t the opposite of wisdom; it’s the doorway to it. New essay: The Gift of Ignorance Why admitting what we don’t know expands life in surprising ways. www.curioussardine.com/p/the-gift-o...
curioussardine.com
The gift of ignorance
When we admit we don’t know, life expands in surprising ways
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Cancel all your subscriptions to Netflix and other services. Then subscribe to substacks. Your mind and your soul will thank you.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The nature of moss reminds me that life grows, it tangles, and it evolves through the cracks of uncertainty. The difference in thriving in these times is whether you choose to control the uncontrollable or let go.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
If you struggle to write on Bluesky, try talking instead. Dictate your thoughts while you walk.... no pressure to perform, just think out loud (this is your first draft). You’ll find your true voice more quickly.
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John Paul Hernandez @hellojohnpaul.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
The nature of Spanish moss is to find its place by way of wind or bird. But once it lands, it grows and spreads. Perhaps we, too, should never cement ourselves in one place, interest, or job, but instead seek the spaces where opportunity and purpose meet. open.substack.com/pub/curiouss...
open.substack.com
The strange history and quiet wisdom of Spanish moss
How an unruly plant surprisingly thrives
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