…because you don’t have to be rich to enjoy the mountains.
After a decade of living in muggy, humid Houston, I can say with great certainty that moving to Colorado at the end of 2020 was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. For the first time, my dogs could roam freely over a cornucopia of grassy landscapes and mountainous terrain. The weather was beautiful, and there’s always something to do.
After unloading most of my belongings and paying a hefty fee to haul the rest across state lines, however, I was broke. …
I wish someone had warned me about #2.
No one wants to fail, but when you’re a writer, a new writer, one bad decision can feel detrimental. It doesn’t matter if it’s an unhappy blog reader or an irate client, the smallest hiccup internally registers as a colossal botch.
You become your own worst critic, telling yourself that you know nothing about business and that you’re just not cut out for the job.
The anxiety of a few bad experiences can be so crippling to a novice writer that they’re ready to wave the white flag before they’ve even had…
…is this what a midlife crisis feels like?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate children.
I could for sure be someone’s cool auntie and be great at it. When it comes to making my own babies though, that’s an entirely different story. As a child of parents who conceived too early in life, pregnancy and the concept of sex were about as offensive as saying “Voldemort.”
They’d tell me “if you ever get pregnant, you’re out.”
Or, I’d be forced to have an abortion.
I know they meant well. They didn’t want me to struggle the way that they had, and their relationship was often quite turbulent…
…you know what they say, sex sells.
From 2010 to mid-2019, I’d been using the Hubpages platform off and on to generate passive revenue in the form of ad clicks. Not only did I make very little money, I wasn’t able to be as transparent with my writing as I really wanted to be due to the site’s “family friendly” nature.
Upon finding Medium, I was elated.
Not only were earnings based on reading time rather than ad clicks, I could tell the stories I wanted to tell. …
…If you want to earn on Medium, or any other platform, you MUST do these things.
After a full year of writing on Medium, I’ve done some digging on what works and what doesn’t. There are plenty of top earners on the platform who have successfully spun straw into gold by producing a couple of solid, viral articles. They’ve got a handful of theories on how it happened, but the reality is that it all boils down to one common denominator…consistency.
Volume is what turns a casual reader into a subscriber, no matter the niche. The people who enjoy your work and hit the “follow” button are doing so because they’re hoping to see more.
A…
With the changes in algorithm, it’s time to step your game up.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past month, you’re probably aware of the sudden shift in Medium’s algorithm. Top writers like Shannon Ashley and Shaunta Grimes have reported a steep decline in their earnings, and they aren’t the only ones.
It seems that the old curation system has been done away with. Those writers whose stories were chosen for distribution were frequently at the top of the reading list. Articles that were published months, even years ago on the Medium platform could still easily find their way out to new readers.
Now, it seems that the website…
Cheers to the hurdles of my 20's.
Well, as of last week…I am 29 years old.
Although 2020 hasn’t gone at all like I’d anticipated, it’s revealed an entirely new perspective on the fragility of life. Between the pandemic, civil unrest, massive wildfires, and a co-worker suddenly succumbing to a blood clot in his lung just two days after his cancer diagnosis, there is always a looming reminder that our time on this Earth will inevitably come to an end when we least expect it.
Ironically, this year has also been one of significant personal development and accomplishment.
I was able to finally make the out-of-state move…
…because posting a few risque’ photos in a dimly lit room isn’t going to get you anywhere.
In 2016, I met a girl who we’ll call Leah through a mutual friend. Leah was the definition of care-free.
A smoke shop employee by day, and an exotic dancer by night.
However, the most interesting form of income came from how she earned without clocking in…her Onlyfans account.
Being a former strip club waitress, I’d seen new dancers rake in over $800 within a two to three hour period. …
…because no one should spend two-thirds of their life working 40 hours a week for someone else.
There is a lot of generalized advice out there in regards to how we earn a living.
“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“A degree will solve your financial problems.”
“Work hard for one good company for 40 years so that you can retire at 65.”
“Having X amount of money in a savings account will ensure stability during hard times.”
Unfortunately, most of that is bullshit.
Work is work, and no matter how much you love it there are going to be days when you’re just not up for it. …
If you’re thinking about getting a hamster for yourself or someone else, read this first!
While hamsters appear to have a cute and cuddly exterior, they may not possess the qualities that one would expect in a pet. Despite the “nature of the beast,” they’re frequently bred and advertised as “starter” animals for young children.
Unsuspecting and ill-informed, parents flock to pet stores every year around the holidays to get their kids a fluffy new friend. Not long after, many hamsters are returned for one reason or another.
They bit a child, they’re attacking another companion that resides in the same habitat, or they’ve suddenly fallen ill.
Here are a few things to think about…
