Welcome to the written and visual extension of my podcast, A Millennial’s Guide to Saving the World.
In February 2022, I decided to delete my Patreon account in exchange for a Substack page.
Why did I do that, you ask?
After almost a decade of working in marketing, running a health and wellness blog, supporting myself on sponsored posts, and selling my soul to advertising, I burned out. When I launched my podcast, A Millennial’s Guide to Saving the World, I decided I wanted nothing to do with sponsorships or advertising ever again. I wanted this project to remain as authentic as possible, and that meant answering to no one but myself and my listeners.
Problem was, since I left my career in marketing around the same time I started the podcast, MGSW (and later, the once a year astrology course I teach) became my sole source of income. The question then became… how could I make money on a free podcast if I refuse advertising and sponsorships?
Listener donations to the rescue!
At first I collected donations via Patreon in exchange for perks like exclusive playlists, community group chats, book clubs, workshops, and more. However, over time, I started to feel guilty about the fact that the thriving community I was building was behind a paywall. What about the people who couldn’t afford to donate on a monthly basis?
Enter Substack.
Substack allows for both free subscriptions AND paid subscriptions, so I have decided to make most of what I was offering only to paid subscribers free for everyone.
So how do I expect to make any money now?
Good question. When I moved from Patreon to Substack, my income decreased by 90%. Ouch. However, because I made everything free, I went from 115 subscribers on Patreon to almost 1,000 on Substack. Less money, but more people. To me, this feels like a win.
Now, if you choose to sign up for a paid subscription, it’s because you are supporting the project overall, not giving me money in exchange for community perks. I don’t want you to pay me for the extras, I want you to pay me because you feel that the content I release on the podcast and on Substack is valuable to you.
Think of it like public radio - if you can afford to sign up for a paid subscription (only $5/month) you are not only helping me keep the lights on, but subsidizing those who can’t afford it.
Why support a project like this one?
We are given hundreds of opportunities per day to make important choices that affect our lives and the lives of others. From the type of food we buy, to the businesses we support, to the causes and ideas we dedicate our time to, each and every one of our choices is an opportunity to become an active participant in creating our reality.
As a paid subscriber, you become an active participant in a vision.
Energetically, you are helping to weave a web & send a powerful message about the world you'd like to live in. Practically speaking, you are investing in the time, energy & tools it takes for me to create what I create. From equipment, to travel costs, continuing education + creative & intellectual labor, your support helps to keep A Millennial’s Guide to Saving the World alive and breathing.
As a subscriber, you become a member of a growing community of like-minded weirdos, hungry to help each other in creating the regenerative & reciprocal future we all dream about.
