The $60k Mindset Shift: Substack as a Job, Not a Hobby
The Mindset Shift That is Slowly but Surely Changing My Life. Substack gave me my life back & it can do the same for you!
Guys, I have never been happier in my life and I know it shows. You feel it, I feel it, I’m inspired, I’m healthier, I’m doing what I love—it’s just a visible, tangible thing and I have you to thank, if you’re here reading this right now.
No, like seriously thank you. 🥹 Energy is real. The glow up is real. I am as happy and grateful as can be.
Little Jordan would be so proud. 🥹 Yes, that’s current day me with baby me!!!! I guess AI is good for some things. ;) LMK if you want the prompt to create one of these and I’ll share it in the comments!
Because here’s the thing. At the risk of sounding dramatic, Substack has given me my life back. Let me tell you why.
A few months ago, mid-July to be exact, I decided to start treating my Substack like a job, rather than a hobby. Yes, I will tell you what I mean by that, just hang tight! And when I started doing that, this is what happened:
I started to see the rewards. And I hesitate to share numbers so bluntly and out in the open, because to me, writing is not about the money. I would write for free and I have for YEARS (13 years of daily blogging, actually), but is it not every writer’s dream to actually be able to sit down and write all day while also being compensated for it?
I know it’s mine! And in the era we’re in now, writers can get paid outside of the traditional models of book deals, writing for a publication, trading our voices for ad dollars, or hustling for freelance gigs. We can build our own platforms & thrive directly from our words, and quite frankly, our gifts!
The truth is, money = freedom. Freedom = time.
Time = choice. Choice = power.
And power, to me = creativity and living in my dreamworld all the time which is all I’ve ever wanted!
And on the note of gifts, I know it’s so taboo in this world we live in to admit that we’re good at something. But hear me out… we NEED to be seeing and recognizing when we’re good at something, so we can spend time doing it, honing it, bringing value to other people’s lives with it, and also… put the energy into it to get even better at it!
I say this without ego because there are a ton of things I am *not* good at. I have a podcast that’s been in the top charts for ten years because I am good at talking to people and storytelling, but I wouldn’t say I am a naturally good podcast host. I never wanted to be a broadcast journalist. I don’t love interviewing people—I love talking to them.
There are a million other things I am not inherently good at, but if there is one thing I have loved doing since before I even knew how to write, was WRITE. No. really, look what my mom commented on my Instagram today:
Like, I actually was writing before I could even write. I would spell words backwards on the page just to get them out of my head and onto paper. I live and breathe writing—it’s how I express and how I feel, and I am sooooo over the old false narrative that I should act like I’m not at least a littttleee bit good at it just because that’s a more palatable way to be.
Would a doctor say “I’m a terrible doctor,” before taking you into the operating room for a surgery? NO! They would say, “Don’t worry, you’re in amazing hands, I love what I do.” That’s how I think writers should own what we do. Don’t worry, we’ve got a good story to tell you, just buckle up and enjoy the ride because we have a lotttt to say and get into today.
Ya know?
And something tells me if you’re here, you probably care about writing too. Also, you may not love writing itself but you do care about having a personal brand, sharing your message or your teaching with the world, and finding a way to express it in the best way that can bring you value, help other people, inspire other people, or simply make your life / others’ lives better by doing it.
I truly believe everyone should have a Substack. Not just writers.
So with that, let’s get into it. My top 10 tips for how to treat your Substack like a job rather than a hobby, so you can reap the rewards and live in your truest light, exactly as you deserve!!! Let’s get into it!
