Over 30 years of writing has taught me this… — In April 2022 I walked away from a long-time career in the public sector. For almost 15 years I worked my way up the ladder first in higher education and then in healthcare and then back to higher education for a brief stint. …

It’s my biggest month yet after about 16 months on the platform — I’ve been on Medium for 16 months (or so). For the first six months, very little happened. I did not secure the 100 Followers (previously) required to join the Partner Program until 8 months in (mid-December 2022). Then things picked up speed! I made about $4.50 in December. $17 in…

Life will bring challenges that happy positivity will not assist you in forging through — The image above is a screenshot today of a wildfire smoke forecast website based in Canada. The colours correspond to the thickness and particulate matter in the smoke. Numbers refer to the amount of forest fires burning. We live between #43 and #83 near the centre of the map image. …

It has now been almost 14 years and here are a few reflections — My wife and I met on eHarmony in early 2009. We lived 600 km (400 miles) apart in rural western Canada. We were both single parents with a 2-year-old each. We were also both running small businesses. We knew there was a distance to bridge, and in more than just…

Which is also forecast to double over the next 3–4 years — The “Creator Economy” is generating about $250 billion US annually with approximately 200 million creators globally contributing to this digital ecosystem. It’s a diverse ecosystem including writers, bloggers, influencers, course designers, and more. Fascinatingly, about 70% (~140 million) have Follower counts between 1,000 and 10,000 — and only 2% (4…

Growing a business to fit our lifestyle — not vice versa — Rapid expansion — the hailed Holy Grail of Startup culture! Taking a closer look at some recent corporate upheavals — like Elon’s rants about advertisers and X (Twitter) plus Altman’s ouster and rehire at OpenAI (owners of ChatGPT). I say: “No thanks!” Just as overgrowth in ecosystems leads to collapse (think of rabbit and…

And how to unpeel some of our systems of beliefs — Our belief structures are the foundation of virtually every decision we make — large or small — conscious or unconscious. Behind every choice and decision you make is an infrastructure of values and beliefs. From where we shop, to career paths, to friendships and marriages. From raising kids to the…

5 strategies I’m engaging for growing income and audience — Ten months ago, my earnings on Medium were less than a cup of coffee. This past month they’re more than our weekly grocery bill. Back in late December, I started in the Medium Partner Program. Back then a writer needed 100 Followers before they could join. To get there took…

10 strategies from one digital writer’s playbook — Every one of us — at some point — started at Zero. Here on Medium, we all start at Zero. Zero connections Zero Followers Zero articles Zero dollars If you’re on Substack, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, or wherever… you also start at Zero. And to be clear, this is not…