How I've Built a Creative Business in Two Years (With 5 Key Strategies)
"Behind the Scenes of Box Cutter Co." Issue No. 2
With millions of ‘Creators’ worldwide, the path to full-time income is rare and takes time. Fewer than 10% make sustainable revenues in their first two years, and many take four years or more.
I’ve been mired in this reality for over two years now.
Longer-term readers know the story of me walking away (cold turkey) from a well-paying traditional career as an administrative leader in the public sector in the spring of 2022.
I set out to build creative businesses from scratch, mainly focused on digital writing. I wasn’t entirely sure how, but I was driven deeply by an Anti-vision: never return to toxic workplaces and an office work life.
This past year, I consistently entered five-figure months. I don’t take this milestone for granted, but these numbers tell only part of an evolving story.
In this issue, I share where I’m at now, how this journey compares to Creator Economy benchmarks, and the strategies I’ve used to make this transition and replace (and surpass) the good salary I left behind.
(Note on benchmarks: Creator Economy ‘standards’ are often based on small samples, and experiences vary. That said, these points can give some perspective for those navigating similar paths.)
Milestones (And Takeaways) After Two+ Years
Almost exactly a year ago, I shared this in the first Soulpreneur Series issue (October 2023):
“When I left my career [April 2022] and started as a Soulpreneur, we set a modest goal — reach $5,000 per month within 12 months.
Ideally, over the longer term, I’ll get back to revenue levels close to what I left behind in salary — within 18-24 months (~ $10-11k per month).”
Like we were 12 months ago, both Lisa (my wife) and I operate creative businesses with services at the core and earning the majority of our revenues.
I primarily write for and think with Indigenous and non-profit organizations and some individuals. I also write and design educational content for business owners and other organizations.
I also still teach part-time for a Canadian university. The courses I support are all online (Communications), and I also do some course development.
1. Services as Steady Foundational Revenue
My monthly income from writing and Ghostwriting contracts is now consistently over $10k and, in some months, closer to $20k (when I take on smaller, shorter-term projects and contracts).
I’ve surpassed our initial goals and targets.
My work with one of my first clients has grown steadily. Over the past 18 months, I’ve assisted them in securing over $750,000 in funding and have built a steady communications campaign and social media presence.
For many creators, especially those just starting, achieving this income level can take many years. However, I’ve been able to overdeliver on projects and build good relationships with clients.
Takeaway #1: Services and contracts are often the key foundational blocks in the early years.
Focus on developing your adaptability and understanding of client needs, especially if you provide consulting and Ghostwriting.
Each contract is income and opportunities to deepen your skills. I use things I learn from building my own online persona to support clients — and vice-versa.
2. Substance Over Metrics (It’s Just a Giant Game)
When building my online personas, plus Box Cutter Co. and then Humanity Academy — I focused on establishing connections across platforms rather than ‘accumulating’ followers, likes, or subscribers.
Social media is a giant game and playing field for ideas, thoughts, and opportunities. It’s also a collection of marketing and communication channels. As such, I engage a multi-platform, ecosystem-like approach.
3. Multi-platform for Resilience vs. Single Platform to Sink
I believe a “one platform” approach — as some promote — is a naïve and dangerous strategy. Sure, there may be an odd example of this working for someone — but that is survivorship bias.
We simply don’t hear enough stories of people who fizzle out or get blown up by a shadow ban, algorithm change, or platform ownership change (e.g. X).
Each platform I post and engage on — LinkedIn, Substack, X, Kit, Medium, etc. — is a testing and connection ground. I experiment with ideas, engage various perspectives, and watch for what sticks (and hopefully determine some whys).
This multi-platform ecosystem approach has expanded my reach and refined my strategy for authentic content — a theme I explore more below.
My Multi-platform Approach
👉 Substack
You can see that Substack is part of my multi-platform approach. I’ve been on here for almost two years. This newsletter is now at 800 Subscribers, including 6 generous paid subscribers.
👉 LinkedIn
LinkedIn is one of my main focus areas. When I started over two years ago, I had about 1,000 connections. Now it’s nearly 5,000
One of my first contracts came about when someone reached out on LinkedIn. Since then, I’ve been contacted several times to submit proposals for Ghostwriting and other Communications projects.
I also post in different LinkedIn Groups—some private and some public. This allows me to' niche’ posts to specific audiences.
For example, one post rocketed to over 100,000 impressions last year, which represents about 10% of my total impressions for the year.
Takeaway: Focus on relatively consistent, purposeful content and engagement. Treat comments as learning opportunities, not applause.
Look for recurring questions to guide your next post. Don’t stress the details too much — especially in the early days.
👉 X (Twitter)
I’ve gone from under 100 to over 1,200 Followers.
I’ve built without chasing viral posts or BS strategies. Instead, I test ideas here. I often post short thoughts there that are then expanded into longer posts or articles on other platforms.
Takeaway: Use X as a “testing ground” to gauge interest in specific topics. Track which posts lead to further engagement. Expand posts to longer form content.
👉 Medium
I’m approaching 8,000 Followers and well over 100 email subscribers.
This didn’t happen overnight — I’m now at almost 350 published articles over 18-20 months. Last month was my best earnings month — just over $900.
However, I see Medium as another testing ground for ideas, thoughts, and themes. I’ve also received interesting comments and messages from potential clients and partnerships.
I’ve played with longer and shorter posts. I’ve explored publishing with various ‘Publications.’ I’ve also created other writing accounts (e.g. The Learning Journals Initiative).
I just recently started the Box Cutter Co. Publication, and we’ve had the Humanity Academy publication for about a year.
My stats also show that many Medium stories score well on Google. Sure, if someone visits from a Google link, I may not earn money, but I do earn further exposure.
Takeaway: Each story on Medium is an experiment and testing opportunity.
(Side note: As a faculty member supporting Communications courses, I’ve started to see more Medium articles cited as sources. However, I have yet to see a Substack post or issue cited as a source.)
👉 ConvertKit (now Kit)
I’ve played around with Kit for about 18 months now. We currently use it to support Free 5-day Educational Email courses.
I have two connected to Box Cutter Co. (some of you have taken them). And, we have seven connected to Humanity Academy.
Kit is excellent for these types of resources; however, I may soon shift all of them to Thinkific. We have two paid courses active on Thinkific.
We previously hosted the Humanity Academy newsletter on Kit but recently moved it to Substack. I didn't like the platform's design or other features, and it’s not cheap.
I also leverage Instagram (& Threads) and some activity on Facebook. I’ve also played with YouTube and posted some videos to Box Cutter Co. and Humanity Academy. However, these are the least engaged platforms in my ecosystem (with plans to engage more in the future).
This multi-platform approach provides resilience, flexibility and reach, allowing me to avoid dependence on any one platform and stay adaptable.
For example, Medium has been a constant churn of changes, occasional drama, and driven by one constant: unpredictability.
There are also different audiences and readers across platforms. By posting in different places and platforms, I can leverage this and watch for various data types.
Engagement as Research, Not Validation
Lesson #1: Engagement as a “Research Lab”
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Box Cutter Co. to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.