Living the Dream

...Or at least, I'm trying to. Will you help me? 🙏

Every morning for two years I would watch the sunrise over Boston and wonder if I’d ever be able to write full-time. Now, I have that chance!

When I was in college, I briefly thought I wanted to work in sales.

In the summer between my junior and senior years, I interned at a financial services company in a department that sold mutual funds.

Every day, I saw up close what it took to pitch and close deals. Every day, it reinforced that I would be a terrible salesperson.

Seventeen years later, that’s still the case. I’m not great at asking for money, but I realize now, as a creative, it’s a part of the process.

Which brings me to my humble ask: Will you support Hello, Adversity in the year ahead by upgrading to a paid subscription? If you find my perspective valuable, it would mean the world to me to have your support.

The current tiers are:

Monthly ($6/month)

Annual ($50/year)

Founding ($150/year)

You can upgrade here:

An Investment in the Future of Hello, Adversity

When I began Hello, Adversity in 2023, my immediate goals were to see if I could write every week and if anyone was interested in what I had to say.

Fortunately, I’ve succeeded on both accounts.

As this newsletter grew, I realized what it could become. I also realized that helping others persevere through tough times is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And if I can turn it into a career, even better.

If you are still on the fence, there are three reasons that investing in my future is a great decision:

1. Excellent karma.

2. You will help me expand the reach of this newsletter and help even more people cultivate resilience.

3. The benefits. 👇

Speaking of benefits, here’s what you’ll receive with a paid subscription:

Monthly and Annual subscribers receive:

1. Access to the Hello, Adversity Notebook - For many years, I’ve kept a digital notebook where I capture quotes, book passages, video links, images, and other tidbits that have helped me persevere through adversity.

   Over time, I’ve organized these notes into topic-specific one-pagers, such as failure, confidence, agency/taking control, etc. I refer to this resource all the time when I’m going through a tough time or need source material for a future article.

   Paid subscribers gain access to this resource! Use it for inspiration if you need help dealing with a specific type of adversity, such as failure or low confidence, or if you simply want to learn new strategies and resources to add to your skillset.

   New topic sheets are being added monthly. Here are two examples from the notebook: Confidence and Perseverance. Click on the black arrows to toggle sections open and closed.

2. Monthly post for paid subscribers — This is a special bonus post that I send out at the end of each month. In this email, I share book and article recommendations and other reflections from the past month. Here’s an example of one of these posts.

3. Hello, Adversity workshops (available later this year) - In the next couple months, I will start hosting quarterly workshops where I’ll present on an adversity-themed topic with a Q&A at the end. The plan now is to host workshops on asking for help, overcoming impostor syndrome, dealing with comparison, how to handle failure, and other topics.

   Paid subscribers will receive complimentary access and the full library of recordings. I will provide more information in the weeks ahead as I get these up and running.

4. A copy of my book (available later this year) - In yesterday’s newsletter, I mentioned that I’m writing a book on 101 lessons I’ve learned about resilience. It’s an actionable guide full of easy-to-implement strategies to help you navigate tough times. Paid subscribers will receive a complimentary digital copy of my book.

Founding members receive everything listed above PLUS the opportunity to have a thirty-minute call with me. On this call, I can help you gain clarity on a challenge you’re facing, offer book suggestions, or chat about anything else adversity-related.

A final note of thanks

Any support you’re able to provide is greatly appreciated. If you’re not able to upgrade to a paid subscription at this time, no worries at all. If you’d still like to support me, simply sharing my writing with your network would mean the world to me.

Thank you for being a subscriber to Hello, Adversity. It is a privilege to write for you every week.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Just reply to this email.

Chris