Scaling back to move forward: Embracing change in the new year

Three years ago, I hit “send” on the very first edition of this newsletter. At the time, I wasn’t sure where it would go or if anyone would even read it. In retrospect, it was a crazy time to take on a new endeavor—I was still working full-time at Yale while trying to build up my private coaching business. I was exhausted after a year and a half of pandemic parenting two young kids. Literally the last thing I needed was more work to do, but I felt that I had a lot to say and needed a creative outlet.

So—against the odds—here we are, three years and countless issues later. By far, the best part of writing this newsletter has been the connections it’s allowed me to foster—the readers who have turned into clients (who, honestly, are some of my favorite people to work with), the people I’ve had the opportunity to interview, my OG Substack writer’s group, and those of you who comment or drop a line to say a particular edition resonated or was helpful. So, with utmost sincerity, I send my deepest thanks to each and every one of you for subscribing—thank you, thank you, thank you!

Like any milestone or anniversary, this one has brought reflection. Occasionally, a friend or family member will ask me some variation on the question: “How have you managed to publish every week for three years?” The answer is “That’s just what I do”. If I have an ‘assignment’—even one that’s self-imposed—you better believe this Type A, recovering perfectionist is going to complete it.

And though I highly prize my own reliability and dedication, I wonder if it’s time to re-examine. If I’m completely honest, the weekly cadence can sometimes feel like a slog, and I’ve been starting to ask myself why I’m doing it. The most truthful answer to why I write every week is “because Substack told me to” (this is clearly not a good answer.) Back when I first started writing—and Substack put a lot of effort into fostering a robust writer experience—the standard advice was that writing weekly articles was the best way to build a subscriber base. Now that everyone’s inbox is flooded with multiple Substack newsletters, I’m less convinced that this is true.

A new year, a new approach

So, I’ve decided it’s time to make a change. Moving forward, I’ll be cutting back on the number of newsletters I write. That doesn’t mean this space is going anywhere. It just means I’m giving myself a bit more breathing room so I can show up here with fresh ideas and energy instead of feeling stretched thin.

Moving forward, I’m going to plan to publish every other week. On these week, you’ll get an even fuller cup of ambition—with read/connect/reflect folded in—and on the off weeks you’ll get the gift of one fewer email in your inbox (and who doesn’t need that??)

I’m also making changes to the paid subscription model. Moving forward, a standard paid subscription will now be lowered to just $30/year. Unfortunately, Substack won’t allow me to charge less than $5/month for monthly subscriptions, so I would encourage all monthy subscribers to switch to the annual plan, since it’s a better deal!

Some folks have said that they would like to continue contributing at a higher rate (if this is you, you are seriously amazing and I appreciate your support more than you know!), so I will still have a founding subscription available at $100/year, but now you can pay less than that (somewhere between $30-$100) if you would like. Paid subscribers will no longer receive weekly sips (these will be incorporated into the main newsletter), but will receive access to my newly revamped advice column called “WorkTherapist” (more info on this soon!)

If you’re like me, scaling back can feel... uncomfortable. I’ve always been someone who prides myself on being reliable and consistent, and the idea of doing “less” doesn’t come naturally. But I’ve realized that letting go of a little can make room for a lot: more creativity, more balance, and, frankly, more joy.

One more change…

As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t been active on my Instagram page. I made the intentional decision to decrease the “noise” in my life and deleted the Instagram app from my phone a few months ago. (Side note: This has been an *amazing* life decision. I waste less time, buy less stuff, feel more present, etc. If you’re looking for a new years change, I highly recommend it!)

However, I have missed the opportunity to connect with you in a non-newsletter setting, so I’m going to try to be more active on LinkedIn this year. So, I invite you to please connect with me on LinkedIn and we can hang out there, instead!

Looking ahead

As I step into this next year of the newsletter, I’m excited to see how this shift will feel. My hope is that writing fewer newsletters will help me focus on making the ones I do write even more engaging and meaningful.

Once again, to all of you who’ve been part of this journey—whether you’ve been here since that first issue or just joined recently—thank you. Your time, your replies, and your support mean so much to me.

And—because it wouldn’t be a true ACOA newsletter without some reflection built in—I invite you to consider:

What’s something you could let go of this year to make your life a little easier?

Here’s to embracing change, finding balance, and creating a little more ease in the year ahead. Cheers.

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