iPods, Getting Unfat & What I Do In Bed For 10 Minutes Each Morning

This is my first official monthly Quiet Empire Notes & as I write this it’s my 35th birthday.

I’m sitting on my balcony overlooking the ocean, coffee in hand, some classic tunes cranking on my iPod (yes, seriously, more on this in a minute) ready to dive in.

So let’s get into it:

Here’s what’s on my mind / happening in my world as we head into 2026…

New Videos I’ve Dropped Recently

I’ve been creating a fair bit of YouTube content lately.

Earlier this year I made the decision to move to a 2 channel structure:

1) One for the [‘JC’ Brand](https://www.youtube.com/@jacob-t-caris/videos) Where I Go Deep On Specific Topics (It Supplements This Monthly Newsletter)

2) One specifically for my online education business, [Caris Digital](https://www.youtube.com/@LB-OS-WithJC/videos), where I help folks install my Lifestyle Business Operating System & teach the systems, strategies & frameworks I’ve used to sell millions in information online.

The latter was my original channel that I’ve been uploading to for years & has 100s of videos in the internet marketing space.

So with that context, let’s speed-round this. Here’s just some of the videos I’ve dropped lately on these 2 channels:

[How I Re-Engineered My $7m Info Business To Run Without Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-o_bshJ89k)

[Day 1 Of A Digital Time Capsule For My Kids](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YllBc93B7dc&t=19s)

[This Model Quietly Runs My Entire Business & Life (The Quiet Empire System)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXIEFV1GT1k&t=789s)

[How I Lost 35lbs & Skyrocketed My Energy At 34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfHN9Eltlr4&t=1399s)

[The Hardest Video I’ve Ever Had to Film (Thank You, Pop)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kDLlFLL2oY&t=5s)

[24 Hours In Sydney Launching A New Business (Day 1 Full Story)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5bOAooBeJ4&t=3s)

[The 2nd Order Consequences Of The Lifestyle Business OS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyOHaft0M6s&t=15s)

[My Content Strategy For 2026 (Refined Via $7m+ In Info Sales)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qIMcI4oFak&t=950s)

[How My Clients Are Breaking Up With Social Media & Getting Back To Living](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDZg_xPqSEg&t=14s)

[How to create a market of one through raw, unedited content](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAzujvYpVsw&t=5s)

That should give you a bit to sink your teeth into over your Christmas Ham!

Heading into 2026 my plan is to do 1 video per week on the ‘JC’ Channel & 1 - 3 per week on the LBOS (Caris Digital) Channel.

So subscribe to one or both as you see fit & I’m confident I’ll make it worth your while.

Taking Over The Australian ‘Info’ Space

I was recently in Sydney for 24 hours to kick off a new project with my good friend & fellow online marketing nerd, James Conti.

We’ve known each other for several years, he was even a client of mine for a while, and we always spoke about launching something together.

Now that’s happening.

Heading into 2026 we’ll be kicking off a Mastermind for Australian Experts to:

• •Help them install the same systems, strategies & models we use in our own info businesses
• •Create an online space that fits the Australian Timezone for high level coaching directly with James & myself
• •Build a robust offline in person event experience with 3 - 4 meet-ups per year in different unique locations around Australia

Aside from the timing being great for both James & myself, the Australian market needs this right now.

It’s underserved for high quality, timezone appropriate, consulting in this space…

And live experiences will become increasingly important with the continued rise of AI.

This ticks all the boxes, I’m excited to bring it to life with James & I’ll share the full journey with you (the good, the bad & the ugly).

If you’re an Australian & you sell products or services around your expertise (coaching, consulting, info products etc) email me at jacob@jacobcaris.com & my assissant can get you details.

The Weird Thing I Do In Bed For 10 Minutes Nearly Every Morning

Title got your attention?

It’s not nearly as naughty as it sounds.

I picked up Options Trading in October & have been loving it for a few reasons:

• •I can do it nearly all from my phone (except a bit of weekend research)
• •The strategy I’m following is mega simple & time efficient
• •It’s a skill I’ll be able to teach my kids to utilise regardless of their own personal interests, hobbies, desire to go into business etc

The first few months have been very promising & my account is growing at a very healthy rate.

I’ve set up a container to document this journey in detail that is on my list to really kick off in the new year. So stay tuned for more on that.

You’re welcome to email me at jacob@jacobcaris.com if you want the details of the system I’m following, my assistant will happily send it over to you.

A Model, A Vision

Earlier this year I started sharing my ‘Quiet Empire’ model with the world.

Nothing too crazy, no big launch.

Just seeding it in a few posts, videos & closed room conversations with clients.

It’s really starting to take hold & resonate with people.

Nearly every new client, across different arms of my business, has cited it as a core reason for moving forward.

They see the vision, they get it & it’s exactly what they want to build.

An integrated model for:

• •A streamlined & heavily automated online cashflow business that leverages their expertise & experience
• •Consulting, partnerships & space for building a book of interesting projects that allow them to be curious & explore their passions & interests
• •Long term investments that compound with time & increase their freedom & optionality
• •A personal brand where they can document the journey, build a loyal following (not huge, but aligned) & be creative

PLUS do it all while having time & margin for family, physical health, mental health & presence.

It’s pretty powerful shit & you’ll be hearing more about it in the new year. So sit tight.

Falling In Love With Content Again

Until earlier this year I had created content pretty much daily since 2018.

My simple social posts, emails, videos etc have made me millions of dollars…

And the systems, strategies & frameworks that sit behind this content?

Have been leveraged by my clients to make many many more millions.

I’ve never had the biggest audience, I’m not the ‘go viral’ guy.

But I’ve always had a knack for building connections & relationships at scale through my words & videos.

This compels people to want to work more closely with me.

Despite this, about this time last year content & I had a falling out.

I was fatiguing & it was just feeling shallow. Harder & harder to put pen (keyboard) to paper (google doc).

Fast forward 12 months & I’m more excited to create than ever before.

Hell I’m sitting typing this on my birthday because it’s precisely what I want to be doing right this moment.

So what changed?

The media / medium didn’t. I’m still writing, still filming videos.

The lens, the vision & the mission did.

In a big way.

The Quiet Empire Model allowed me the space to reposition & restructure my brand & business interests & get back to the content I fell in love with originally:

Documenting the journey.

Doing what I’m doing right now with this newsletter.

Simply sharing what I’m doing, building, working on, learning, loving, not enjoying etc.

Instead of the forced, needy tripe most people are crushing their souls to dish out on social media to try to appease the algorithm.

I’ll go deeper into how I made this shift in 2026, but it has been a huge change.

And here’s where the dial goes to 10,000…

My lens for content?

A digital time capsule for my kids.

What lessons, insights, stories, perspectives do I want them to have on record so in 10, 15, 20+ years they can:

• •See the path their Dad took to try give them the best life possible
• •Figure out this game of business
• •Work out the challenges of making money, building wealth AND being a present Dad

Plus way more.

This is my lens & now…

The content is exciting again.

I’m creating for them.

The OS Is Changing

When I say ‘The OS’ I mean my Lifestyle Business Operating System I use to run my own online education business Caris Digital.

It’s somewhat meta, but it’s the same system I also help my clients install in their expert businesses. Stick around long enough it’ll make sense.

It’s quite simple, we help our clients:

• •Dial in a core offer that packages up their expertise
• •Build a client acquisition around ads & 1 ‘marketing’ email per day
• •Get clients without sales calls, chasing people in the DMs etc etc

A very simple, lean and, as the name suggests, ‘lifestyle first’ way to build an expert / education business for coaches, consultants, authors & course creators.

The container I help clients implement this system in is called The Lifestyle Business Academy.

This space is changing from a longer format 12 month coaching container, to a hyper focused 90 day installation / implementation model.

I’m excited to take this live to help people install the system faster, get results sooner & get margin back in their life for the stuff that really matters.

Sky-Rocketing My Energy @ 34 with 2 Young Kids

There’s a video above that does a deep-dive on this and I’d recommend you watch it if:

• •You’re in your 30s
• •Your energy feels below what you know it could be
• •You’re carrying a few extra lbs / kgs
• •You want to really level up your physical health heading into 2026

In the space of 10 months I went from:

• •101 kgs down to 84.5kgs
• •Feeling lethargic & sluggish to legitimately the best energy I’ve ever had
• •Building a pretty robust supplement stack driven from extensive blood work

The TL;DR is:

• •High protein diet, low carb, cut the booze for nearly 6 months, hit the gym 5 x per week with 1 - 2 days of zone 2 cardio, sleep between 7 - 8 hours, cold shower every morning

Nothing groundbreaking.

The ‘aha’ was just honestly getting started & not making it more complicated than it needed to be.

It’s been a monster year in the gym & I’m excited to keep pushing in 2026.

The iPod Deserves A Comeback

I’m calling it.

I bought 2 iPod Classics (the original, thick ones) about a month or so ago to trial using.

I’ve been trialling a device free approach to certain elements of my day as I’ve been gently pulling back on screen time.

I wanted to be able to listen to music while in the gym, driving, walking etc without the need to use my phone.

I had a pair of Sennheiser wired headphones arrive around the same time & the combination of the iPod Classic + Wired Headphones has been seriously enjoyable.

When I leave the house to go to the gym in the morning, I bring the iPod & leave my phone behind.

1 hour in the gym, phone free, listening to music on the iPod, wireless headphones.

It’s magical.

There’s something about listening to music on a device that is purely designed for that purpose. No notifications, no distractions, just music.

I’ve loaded all my favourite artists & songs for the gym & they’re on repeat.

I’m calling the iPod comeback! Who else used to have one?

Send me a reply and let me know.

The Evolution of JacobCaris.com

Just a note to say the website is going to be evolving over the coming weeks & months.

I’ve been running everything on Kajabi for the last few years but it’s time for a change.

I’m building out JacobCaris.com as the main hub.

The vision is for it to become the central home for everything. The journal, the videos, the businesses, the story, the Quiet Empire.

More on this soon.

Wrapping Up

That wraps December’s notes.

Each month I’ll be writing one of these with updates, reflections & what’s on the horizon.

Appreciate you being here.

Here’s to a big 2026.

JC