Ready, Set, Substack!

Musings on why I'm still here after a year

The evolution of the online world has been a journey, hasn’t it? Especially for those of us who've been around since the advent of smartphones, apps, and social media in the early 2000s. I remember getting my first email address in college back in the 1994. Ahhhh, the nostalgia of Flickr, Yahoo Groups!, MySpace, and the exhilarating "Welcome, you've got mail!" from our AOL inbox - the memories, the fun, the possibility.

Those early days were so alluring because of their excitement, freshness, and the canvas of innocence, curiosity, and monumental naivety that painted our very limited online experiences.

Initially, our jump into these apps and platforms was driven by the desire to meet people, communicate with family, to connect with other students and collegues, and to reconnect with old friends. I found myself totally sucked in to AOL chat rooms, I even created my first website using AOL Home Site - remember that!?? And fun fact, I met my husband—a relationship that blossomed across two continents, in an online forum back in 1998.

The role of social media has evolved in epic ways. Who would have guessed we’d replace our cordless house phone with a smartphone that could track our exact location in the world on a map or instantly connect us via video call to our mom halfway across the world.

And all of this tech transcended mere connection; it became a gateway to new careers, businesses, and unforeseen avenues of income. Young people today imagine skipping college to become the next influencer. YouTube is creating billionaires, their wealth based on unboxing videos.

This transformative time even led me to bid farewell to my corporate role as a project manager in 2008, paving the way for a return to uni to study interior design and later, the launch of decor8 - my design blog that grew to have over 1,5 million readers, propelling me into a space where looking back was no longer an option.

Amid my own timeline, the question I ask myself after blogging for so long, is why venture now into the world of Substack?

Perhaps it's a desire to check my pulse, to see whether I'm genuinely alive to the potential of Substack or merely executing the routine of securing an account, a ritual familiar from my explorations with countless new apps and platforms—Circle, Threads, Lemon8, Discord, Geneva, Patreon—all subjected to thorough scrutiny and later, mostly dropped.

Yet, Substack feels real. There is a heartbeat. It stands apart from the others and most of all, it makes me feel like the good old days of blogging are back, only much more poised and polished than my navy blue polka-dot Blogger.com template back in 2005.

Substack exerts a bit of a magnetic pull, evoking the sense of a new era. The future of online spaces mirrors the concept of exclusive clubs and hotel memberships in the realm of fitness centers and hotels. No longer open to all. Only those who are willing to join the club and pay for access—a model successfully employed by the Soho House Group for over two decades - can enter and feel safe and at home. Substack is a bit of that to me.

This shift towards small, closed communities is anything but new. Gamers and streamers embraced this concept early on through platforms like Discord, Patreon, and Twitch. Television networks and film industries branched out with the creation of exclusive platforms such as Magnolia, Apple TV, Netflix, and Hulu Plus.

However, where does this leave the rest of us—the design writers, former fashion bloggers, artists, journalists, surface pattern designers, photographers, architects, and shop owners? We embarked on the blogging journey years ago, creating our own communities though (no paywall, no memberships, yet they still felt exclusive), and while the model still thrives for some, it fails to encapsulate the desire for a holistic platform encompassing a blog, community, newsletter, and the ability to monetize content.

Yes, there is Squarespace—an excellent platform, undoubtedly, but one lacking in community. With its complicated setup and financially demanding fees, is Squarespace the solution to a monetized blog with a newsletter built in? While it offers these features, I think it’s best for websites and blogs but not for combining a blog with a newsletter and paywall. It falls short in offering the comprehensive features of Substack—newsletter, blog, podcast, video publication, and an easily deployable paywall—all conveniently amalgamated in one free platform. I love Squarespace for blogging, but that’s all.

This brings us back to Substack and one of its initial draws—the freedom it offers. If you’re not into funnels and list segmentation, yet you shell out hundreds monthly for newsletter services, Substack provides a free alternative. Ponder that for a moment—only a 10% cut when revenue materializes, a fair and seemingly risk-free trade for all that you get in return.

I’ve been on Substack for over a year and it feels like the right space to publish and connect without trending music, algorithms and ads. The thrill of writing, blogging, commenting, and connecting has been rekindled for me - something I thought was no longer possible as a writer online in a world dominated by TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Substack resonates with me—it's where I find interesting individuals with opinions that make me think - that hold my attention - and don’t give me FOMO or symptoms likened to ADHD.

With all that being said, I'm delighted to share that I'll be leading a Substack Masterclass, starting on Monday, November 20 and running until December 10 so we’re finished before the holiday rush. I’m extending an invitation to you—it includes access to my private community, Blogging Today, right here on Substack, and entry to my classroom where you can learn everything about Substack - more than you ever imagined possible! Curious minds can dive deeper here.

So, what captivates you about Substack? What brings you to this space, and have you found success or imagine you could?

Warm regards,

Holly

P.S. It's important to note that I am not affiliated with Substack in any professional capacity. I neither receive payment nor any form of compensation, whether in gifts or otherwise, from Substack. This post, along with any others expressing my personal opinions about the app, is entirely voluntary and unbiased. I want to emphasize that nothing on my Substack is intended as an advertisement or part of a barter arrangement. I wanted to make that crystal clear. :)