# 14 A small and meaningful request
I've been avoiding sending this
Hello beautiful readers,
Ever since the idea to monetise my writing entered my mind a few months ago, I have spent hours, often around 5 AM, deliberating over the perfect approach.
How can I show my readers the value of this work, enough that they’d feel comfortable paying for it?
I’ve started using the mini microphone set I purchased a few months ago from JB HI-FI to interview people in my community. I’m investigating different perspectives and experimenting with new storytelling formats. I want to challenge myself as a writer to integrate more voices, more complexity. No AI.
This, I thought, might prove my value.
Then on Saturday, in the midst of moving house, I unravelled. I had been precariously holding it together. Almost everything in my life feels uncertain. Career, finances, love, and now, my house.
I had proudly organised the pack up and move by myself, relatively pain-free. Then I walked outside on the first morning in my new place and couldn’t see my car. It had been towed.
It was an unfortunate but necessary tipping point. A lump emerged in my throat as I headed back to the house. I instinctively called my sister, Elly. For some reason, I had been avoiding asking my family for support during the move. The baby of the bunch trying to prove herself, I think? To be examined another time.
Elly assured me it really wasn’t a big deal and that she could help me out financially if I needed.
Then some unexpected words blurted out. I feel, sob, like, sob, I’m failing.
She told me I was definitely not failing. She said it was very brave and courageous to forge a new career path that feels more aligned with who I am.
I felt lighter and calmer after hearing this. By the end of the conversation we were laughing. I’ve hardly got it all worked out, she joked.
I had an urge to write about this experience.
And then another thought. Maybe if I shared something like this, an emotional low point that was so personal, yet universal, it might prove my value.
Last night I had a pint with one of my oldest friends and shared with her the various ideas and dilemmas swimming in my head.
Once you start working for yourself, anything you put time and energy into quickly becomes a potential source of income. It’s fun and creative, and also challenging. I have to resist falling into the same extractive ways of working that burnt me out in my old job.
I’m struggling to keep up with social media content, I said. But I know it’s how I connect with clients and build my business. I can feel it distracting me from what I love doing the most. Writing.
People mention Poochie Writes to me randomly all the time, she said. The other day my housemate said she knew about your writing before she’d even met you.
I smiled. I’m really proud of my subscriber list, I told her. I’ve built it up so organically. I’ve got 264 readers now.
Even if half of them paid me $5 a month, it would become a really decent stream of income. Then I could dedicate more time to it, I said.
As a friend (and fellow business strategist) she encouraged me wholeheartedly.
And so, here is my small and meaningful request.
If you’ve appreciated my writing over the last two and a half years, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription of at least $5 AUD per month. The price of a coffee (if you’re still drinking full cream).
Please click here to upgrade to a paid subscription. Note: This will require you to create a Substack account. Give me an email if you need any help.
Your contribution means a lot to me. And rather than proving a new and improved version, I’ll just keep showing up as myself.
Lots of love,
Emma / Pooch
