What on earth is happening?!
And does everyone on Substack love my boyfriend? *A bonus post.*
This time last week, I had just over 90 subscribers.
My boyfriend is the reason that number has more than tripled. Huh.
*tape fast-forwarding* You’re probably wondering how I got here.
Let’s go back a little bit in the timeline.
Monday
I hit the amazing milestone of 100 subscribers to The Quiet 20s and naturally I’m over the moon. It’s a reassuring confirmation that people actually like my writing and what I have to say. I can’t put into words how happy it’s made me! Obviously, my boyfriend Aidan is the first person I tell - he is the one who’s supported me since The Quiet 20s was just an idea.
I also post a celebratory note, thanking the wonderful people who have made me fall in love with Substack.
Later on, I’m stood over the stove, making a chicken and chorizo jambalaya (one of my favourite dishes) for dinner when Aid walks through the door with a Sainsbury’s bag. “Don’t come this way, I have something for you!”
As is my way, I ask and ask what it is as he comes into the kitchen and kisses me before heading to get changed. He tells me he wants my full attention for his ‘surprise’ and so I have to wait until dinner is simmering.
“Turn around, close your eyes.” I do as he says. Behind me I hear a strange fizzing sound, and I ask what he’s spray painting (in hindsight, this was a stupid question - especially considering we live in a rental).
When Aidan’s done spray painting (read: using our electric lighter) I’m allowed to turn around and see his celebratory gesture on hitting 100 subs as he applauds. Three muffins, each holding a numbered candle, and a card. In the card, Aid has printed out and stuck in his message of congratulations - he bought it on his way home from work and didn’t have time to write. He has listed various facts about the number 100, an inside joke about his bizarre ability to retain random information.
Tuesday
I post a note with the pictures I took of the muffins and card, sharing Aid’s support of the milestone.
Aid gives me an A4 printout of the message he wrote for the card. Printing attempt number one clearly didn’t go to plan.
Wednesday
I wake up to an obscene amount of Substack notifications and an astonishing number of new subscriber emails.
My actual response:
People are responding to both of my recents notes and reactions are overwhelmingly supportive and positive - I mean, I’d expect nothing less from the downright wonderful people on Substack but it’s still lovely to receive!
Throughout the day more and more people subscribe and are commenting on Aidan’s kindness. Can you clone him? He’s a keeper. I want to share him. What an amazing, supportive partner. That’s a husband.
I end up turning my notifications off and making sure I only go on Substack when I have the time to give it all of my effort and engage with people on there. I have to practice what I preach about over-consuming on social media, after all.
Thursday
I start my day at a networking event and check my personal emails during the break in the session. What I see makes me run to the toilet to cry/happy dance. My first paid subscriber!!!
It’s something I never, ever dreamed would happen. That wave of reassurance has happened all over again and it’s a feeling I can’t explain. Not only do so many more people want to read my work, someone actually wants to pay to read it!
To my first paid subscriber
from - thank you, thank you, thank you. You’ve made this 20-something absolutely overjoyed.Work is busy, busy, busy and I don’t get chance to even look at Substack until I sit down in a coffee shop for an hour or so before meeting my mum for dinner. It takes me over 30 minutes to respond to every notification I have - most of them praising Aidan and his general loveliness - and I’m having the best time finding lots of lovely new people on here.
After dinner, I get home and head to my dashboard to write this very post, and see I’ve not only hit the 200 subscribers milestone but I’ve also reached 300 subscribers. WHAT?!
I don’t want to give Aid all the credit but without sharing his wonderful thoughtfulness, I’m certain all of these new subscribers wouldn’t have found me.
I’m genuinely gobsmacked and so humbled that so many people want to read the words I write. That feeling will never get old.
And yes - Aidan is a living, breathing angel.
One thing I really noticed while responding to the wonderful replies to my note about Aid’s gift was just how lucky I am. Aidan and I have been together for almost four years and I’m sometimes guilty of ‘getting used’ to his kindness and thoughtfulness.
Flowers just because, making my lunch the night before work, supporting all of my new endeavours and hobbies (no matter how random) and never, ever making me question his intentions or just how much he loves me.
To be loved by someone like Aidan is something I think everyone should experience, and I’m so glad I got to share a teeny tiny slice of our relationship with you.
A couple of shoutouts
As is my typical way, I started writing this post and it went in a completely different direction than intended. What I do want to say is a huge, enormous, gigantic THANK YOU to every single person who’s hit that subscribe button and/or is reading this post right now.
I have significantly more people following than when I released my last Substack, so I want to spotlight some lovely people on here who deserve some love…
- from and from for being some of my earliest subscribers, recommenders and all-round cheerleaders. They are both excellent writers with great Substacks, too.
- from , from , from and from for being early pals on here and making some of my favourite Substacks.
- from for creating a wonderful, positive space, and () from for inspiring me to take the leap and start this thing after hosting a free webinar.
Again, thank you to every single person who supports my little Substack space - I’m so happy to have you here. If you have any Substacks you’d like to recommend (shameless self plugs are welcome!) then please pop them in the comments.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I found you via your post about Aidan and then I started to read more and instantly connected with your writing. It’s an immense privilege to be your first paid sub and supporter of your work. Keep doing you and turning up and your people (like me and those early cheerleaders) will keep finding you. Well done Soph, what a week! 🩷
This was beautiful. Congratulations to you both! This is clearly his win as much as it’s yours.❤️