#479 Nick Gray - If You Don’t Control Your Online Presence, You Don’t Control Your Career

Jan 20, 2026

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Nick Gray (Founder of Museum Hack and Author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party) is back — and this time the conversation goes beyond cocktail parties.

(If you wanted to listen to our first episode together, you can ⁠find it here⁠.)

Brian opens with a real-world test: hosting his first two-hour cocktail party, inviting “weak ties” into his home, and watching the surprising social physics play out (including 18 follow-up messages the next day). From there, Nick shares what he’s been building lately — from an AI-assisted museum donor database (Patron View) to a simple but overlooked edge most people still don’t use: proactive reputation management through a personal website.

They dig into the mindset traps that quietly stall growth (like “adding too much value”), how to filter advice without getting pulled into noise, why focus is a real leadership skill, and why your digital footprint matters more than ever — especially if you’re job hunting, hiring, networking, or just trying to control what people find when they Google your name.

If you’ve been “meaning to” build a better network, a stronger personal brand, or a more intentional online presence… this one is your push.

Chapters:

00:00 — Nick returns + both are married now (plus Brian’s cocktail party win)02:27 — Why the two-hour format works (and why people actually leave on time)03:38 — Nick’s recent focus: Patron View, personal websites, investing, and events04:30 — Rapid Fire #1: If you could only use ONE business tool…05:23 — Rapid Fire #2: WhisperFlow vs SuperWhisper + voice-to-text workflow07:23 — Rapid Fire #3: What Nick had to unlearn (stop “adding too much value”)09:00 — Rapid Fire #4: How Nick filters advice (context + “too far out of the game”)12:49 — Rapid Fire #5: A lightbulb moment that changed Nick’s trajectory (Cloudflare)14:35 — Why website speed matters (SEO, user behavior, bounce rates)15:16 — Nick’s mantra: “Focus” + designing environments to stay locked in17:14 — Pomodoro timers + why coworking pressure beats solo discipline17:58 — Reputation management: why Nick’s search results are strong (and why yours aren’t)19:49 — Why everyone should own a personal website (and what it should include)23:43 — What to write if you’re “not a writer” (surface area + conversational access points)27:18 — The real reason people avoid building a site (fear + identity + “who am I?”)36:21 — Job hunting reality: recruiters, AI filters, and how a website gives you an edge38:46 — The 2-step action plan: domain name → simple site (Carrd/WordPress)
40:41 — Why being proactive matters (do it before you “need” it)42:07 — Where to find Nick + his $29/mo “done-for-you” website option

Find Nick Gray Online:

Website: https://nickgray.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgraynews/

Twitter: https://x.com/nickgraynews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickgraynews/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nickgray

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nickgraynews

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newfriend

👋 It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!

Website: https://brianondrako.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/

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