Where the money came from this year

Every December I publish exactly where this newsletter's money came from. It started as an experiment in transparency. It has become the most-read issue of the year, every year, because almost nobody talks honestly about how creative businesses actually earn.

So here it is: every income stream, what it earned, what it cost and what I would change.

The big picture

This year the business earned just over one hundred and twelve thousand dollars before taxes and expenses. After expenses, about ninety-four thousand. After taxes, a little under seventy thousand. That is a good living where I live, and it came from five places.

Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, and knowing where every dollar came from is peace of mind.

Maya Ortiz

1. Paid memberships: 58%

Paid members are the heart of the business. About a thousand people pay either monthly or yearly. The yearly plan is the most popular, which I love, because it makes income predictable.

Membership income grew 70% this year. Almost all of that growth came from two things: better deep-dive issues for members, and simply mentioning the paid plan more often. I used to be shy about it. I am not any more.