Searching for Revenue at the End of the World

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Hey honeys and hustlers,

Energy operates in cycles, businesses operate in seasons. My recent article on recession indicators seemed to hit close to home for many of you, so I thought I’d share what you may be missing out on if you’re not able to join Corey, Michelle, and me on Substack Live. We’ve recently been discussing how we’re preparing our businesses for the upcoming summer season.

Many of you may be familiar with the term “cash flow,” but I had no idea it could fluctuate throughout the year when I first started a business. I’ve noticed that the beginning of the year is typically slow for me in terms of income and projects. As the weather gets warmer and budgets for organizations get finalized, I start getting busier. Over the summer, people are typically taking vacations or planning work around their family schedules, so online engagement may dip. As the fall comes around, especially for nonprofits and social impact organizations, things are pretty busy through end-of-year giving or election season.

So I thought I’d share a few takeaways and highlights from our conversations on what I’m working on, in case that may be helpful for you (and hopefully entice you to join us during our next live stream!).

Springs Showers, May Flowers

Some seeds I planted this spring that I hope will bloom this summer:

• Doing direct pitches for sponsors of season 6 of Honey & Hustle. We have big plans for the new season, so I’m being proactive about raising funding.

• Preparing for the 1-year anniversary of Melanin MVP. This includes building a website, putting together a podcast trailer, possibly working on a merch drop, and publishing our first documentary film under that brand.

• Publishing at least 1 digital product, CommunityOS (waitlist is live now). This will be my first signature product, and a good foundation for the digital products to come.

• Focusing on growing my newsletters and community. Engagement may not be the highest in July, but that doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent. Consistency still pays dividends.

• Writing some newsletter articles in bulk. I’ll be traveling a bit and enjoying the warmer weather with friends and family, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be leaving you guys hanging. I’ll be doing a mix of some evergreen topics and some creator profiles. There are also some fun guest articles coming so I’m excited for those.

• Planning my away time. I’ll be going on vacation with my family and taking a solo vacation. This means not scheduling meetings, content days, or work events during these times so that I can be fully present.

If the summer months are typically where you struggle to stay consistent or set yourself up for success in the second half of the year, here are a few suggestions that might be helpful:

• Focus on content creation in bulk. You could maybe try scaling back on social platforms (focus on one), while you create content for multiple platforms that will go live in the fall.

• Consider setting aside a portion of your current revenue for future needs, whether that's hiring assistance during peak periods or investing in tools that can streamline your workflow.

• Plan your own strategic breaks – stepping away from your business isn't just about rest, it's about gaining perspective and returning with renewed creativity and energy.

It can be easy to put our heads down and just keep working at full speed, especially if client work is picking up. But I’ve noticed that I often get a little burned out around August when I do that, instead of honoring the summer season as a time for rest, relaxation, and preparation. Things may be uncertain right now, but they will get better, and my hope is that you’re able to smell the flowers when they bloom in your life.

I’m rooting for you!