My First Dollar: One Tiny Moment, One Huge Mindset Shift
How a Small Button on Substack Turned Me Into a Professional Content Creator
📍Hanoi, Vietnam
On the same day I planned to publish the post launching my 'Buy Me a Coffee' button, I went touring the Old Quarter of Hanoi. It was a beautiful day, rich with experiences for all the senses. I felt like I was getting lost among the alleyways, and simply - free.
In the afternoon, I felt a subtle pressure and thought that maybe I should postpone the evening tour of the city for another time. Something in me wanted to get home and be ready.
Ready? As if it's a big deal, just a post, exactly like any other day.
Ha! Not at all! This night is different from all nights. This night is significant.
"Remember this day!" I announced to my family festively, as if I'd already won an Oscar.
For me, it was a message to the world that I'm ready to receive compensation for my energy, and that the love I put into my words is worth something.
The hour arrived. The post was published. I sat in front of the computer trying to perform the automatic task of copy-paste (yes, I still have those, because with all my love for Substack - this platform doesn't have automation options) and mostly I felt myself churning with emotion.
I was in uncontrollable restlessness. All the signs of pressure were there, and even attempts to calm myself didn't really work. I was simply excited. Very much so.
An hour passed. Silence. I don't know what I expected, perhaps some parade with trumpets announcing money in my account?
A notification on my phone.
"Someone commented on your post"
I entered and saw a comment of the kind I call "personal posts," due to their length. And yes, I'm guilty of these sometimes too (it's a writers' platform, after all).
I read the comment that tells a wonderful and unusual personal story, one I immediately identified with. I felt like I'd just watched a Hollywood movie in my head, and slowly I felt my heart expanding. Until I reached the line that said "I'd be happy to buy you your first coffee..." and I shook myself because I thought I wasn't seeing correctly.
My heart contracted in an instant and seemed to squeeze all the emotions in my body into a tear.
I can't believe it! Someone I've never met is telling me how much my words touched them, and they're willing to express their appreciation! This is really not something to take for granted! It's even amazing!
Only then did I remember that I don't even have the 'Buy Me a Coffee' app, and when I entered it, I also saw the contributions from my family! And $40 proudly displayed!
Wooooooooowwwww
I was simply in shock, an excitement that is hard for me to express in words, but here I am trying. I realized that I did it! I fulfilled another dream! I achieved another goal! I completed another objective! I earned my first dollar!!!
This had been my goal for a long time, and now, today, it happened.
That same day I told myself that now I'll need to aim for a new goal, because that's the only way to achieve it, but I didn't see it clearly, probably because of the fog of excitement.
The next morning when I woke up, suddenly I just knew. The next goal is the first paid subscription.
I opened my digital vision board in Figma (because being a nomad means I don't carry many possessions with me), and marked measurable goals for what I consider success:
First dollar - ✔️
First $100
First $1,000
First $5,000
First $10,000
Alongside another list:
First paid subscription on Substack
First 10 paid subscribers
First 50 paid subscribers
First 100 paid subscribers
Measurable, realistic goals. I didn't say it would happen overnight, but now I know what to aim for, and I know how to get there.
Next to this list, I placed an image I had seen a few days earlier on Substack - someone who posted a picture showing she had earned her first $10,000.
When I saw that, I was left with my mouth hanging open, and I commented on her post: "Wow! Congratulations! And thank you for sharing this! Now I know what my dream looks like!"
Because that's exactly what I felt - that now I know exactly what my goal looks like. I know what I want most in the world, and I know how to achieve it.
I realized that now, a lot has changed, because I'm no longer looking for how to generate income, I'm looking for how to increase income. And that turns me into a business like any other business.
That's it. It's official. I'm working in this. This is my profession. I write and get paid for it.
It's a seal of approval. It's crazy. It's amazing. It's something I probably should have done much earlier, but like all good things, I'm just glad it arrived.
Yes, I'm making a story (ha ha) out of one dollar (or 40), but my writing also started with one post, and a decade behind the bar started with one shift. Everything begins with one step, and to go far, you need to start walking.
Your support helps me to continue experiencing new worlds and sharing them with you through my words. Sometimes, a single cup of coffee can make a difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Who Am I? | The Journey Through Time | The Daily Journey