mornin’ merrymakers 💌🎂 🎉🪩💅🥂
three years ago, i did what every mildly delusional, deeply hopeful internet creator does at least once.
i hit “send” on a newsletter with no real plan.
there were a handful of subscribers. zero strategy. zero niche. just me, a new beehiiv subscriptions, & the vague belief (courtesy of the internet) that you should probably start an email list on day one of building… anything.
today, this newsie is one of the best decisions i’ve ever made.
but somewhere along the way, it stopped being “just a newsletter.” it became a living thing. a weekly ritual. a place where curiosity gets a standing invite and half-baked thoughts are allowed to mature in public.
so today’s note is a celebration. a pause for a little candle on the cake moment. part gratitude, part reflection, part standing back & saying, oh wow look at how what we’ve built together & how far we’ve come.
so whether you’ve been here since the earliest days or you arrived just last week,
thank you. truly.
this exists because you read. because you reply. because you share. because you stay. and that is no small thing at all 💛
in today’s letter, you'll learn:
→ our merry numbers & greatest hits
→ wins worth celebrating
→ lessons learned
→ what's next for year four
→ how you can help
our merry numbers
numbers are a love language to me. so let’s celebrate what’s happened in 3 years:
425K impressions that’s every person in minneapolis seeing something once.
175K words written that's a whole harry potter book 🤯
9.5K subscribers that’s roughly how many employees work at equinox.
211 posts. proud of this streak & consistency more than anything.
51 merry partners that’s about as many brands are in an average mall.
the greatest hits
in case you missed them, here are the newsletters that resonated most with y’all.
my brand deep dive on spirit halloween
my brand deep dive on skims
my interview with stephanie from vody
my tool guide on clip money
my list of what i loved in 2024
my spicy store predictions for 2025
wins worth celebrating
i’m undeniably proud of these numbers & my content, but i’m ever prouder of some of less trackable & tangible benefits this newsletter has brought my life:
the friendships. some of my favorite people in my life right now came from this newsie. people who also love retail or are growing newsies too. they’re the best.
knowing who's reading. i pinch myself when i look at the brands y’all work at like lululemon, gap, lego, target, sephora, nike, j.crew & more!
watching & helping friends start their own newsletters. this thing is contagious. in the best way. especially when done on beehiiv.
dream clients who found me here. free value compounds & it’s been incredible to help subscribers solve their most pressing store problems.
being believed in. i got recognized again as a top retail expert, which is incredible, but i’m even more appreciative of how much y’all believe in me.
lessons learned
along the journey, i’ve learned a lot. here are the most noteworthy :
your replies are everything. every time you write back or tell me a book recommendation really helped you, i jump with joy over the moon.
clarity comes from doing, not thinking. you become a writer by writing. not by buying notebooks. by sitting down & doing it badly until you do it less badly.
discovering your niche is like sculpting marble. you don’t invent it. you reveal it by chipping away. my niche emerged from the doing.
you’re allowed to change. i started writing about greeting cards. now i write about retail. evolution isn’t betrayal or failure. it’s finding your creator-content fit.
writing a newsletter & building a newsletter business are different.
both are great. but if you want the business part, plan for profit, not just publishing posts. there are so many ways to monetize.this is a long game. i started overly idealistic with dreams of building a big business & raising money. now i’m focused on building something that supports my life, my values, & my energy while sharing my gifts.
what's next for year four
based on my annual reflections, i’m making some changes:
getting healthier. i'm niching down even further, with a bigger focus on wellness retail & the brands building in that space.
no more thursday newsie. i loved her, but i don’t have time as a solopreneur to support. so instead, i'm investing that time into these other areas listed below.
actionable guides, swipe files, & spreadsheets. less fluffy brand coverage, more here's exactly how to do this or here’s a template to do this better.
more marketing & content repurposing. this is something i struggle to do consistently so determined to change that this year.
in-person events. i'm dreaming of small dinners where merry makers can actually meet each other. wellness retail people are my people.
rethinking my paid membership to be genuinely, insanely valuable. right now it’s the best way for you to show support but i want to support you more too.
how you can help
if you’re looking for ways to support me on this journey. here’s 4 easy ways to:
click the partner links. it matters more than you think & takes 2 seconds. also if you know a brand that should sponsor this, please make the intro 🥰
share with someone. if you love a particular letter, forward it along, post on social media, or share it in your work slack, this really helps me grow.
just write back. with your thoughts, feedback, or problems. i reply.
go paid. if you can. every member helps me keep going.
thank you for reading.
thank you for clicking links.
& thank you for making this dream my reality.
p.s. if you’ve been meaning to do function health, make today the day. use my link by midnight, they pay me $100, i venmo you $50, & we’ll compare biological ages 💅