Hi Reader,
This week I noticed an alert that large parts of New England are in a severe drought, with increasing fire risks because everything is so dry. We haven’t had any rain in weeks—literally.
The days are gorgeous—clear blue skies, breezes, long-sleeve-weather perfection—but all the dry air is killing the fall colors. Leaves are dropping early, and the grass crunches under my feet. 🍂
It makes me think about what used to make me want to quit my business: client droughts. Lack of traffic, or anyone besides my family giving a shit about what I was building. 🦗
It feels like you’re doing everything right (posting, pitching, tweaking your website), but there's tumbleweeds in your inbox. The “gorgeous” parts are there—you finally have time, space, maybe even a solid system in place—but without the rain (aka new clients), it all starts to feel… brittle.
The truth? Droughts happen. In weather and in business. It doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you need to:
- Conserve your energy (focus on the projects that matter, instead of watering everything).
- Dig expansive roots, not just deeper ones (so you’re not relying on a single source of income).
- Stay patient (seasons change—sometimes slower than we want, but they do change).
But here’s the thing: expansive roots don’t mean everywhere roots. You don’t need to chase every shiny “passive income” idea or try to keep up with what everyone else is doing. That’s not sustainable for solopreneurs—and it’s not necessary. What you do need is a few carefully chosen sources of income designed around the season you’re in and the life you actually want.
Because if you design your business based on someone else’s goals or season, it won’t fit. Square peg. Round hole. They might be in a season of “rain” while you’re in a drought, or they might not even show you the messy, behind-the-scenes stuff that would be a dealbreaker for you.
Take social media for example. From the outside, posting a few graphics, pictures & videos each week looks simple—“just batch, schedule, done.” But the reality? Filming, designing, editing, learning how to use AI tools to speed it up (and being bad at them at first), staying consistent… it’s a massive time suck. And if you don’t like posting? Even worse. That’s why I quit social media marketing in 2022/2023 and doubled down on blogging and YouTube. It’s still work—but it’s work I enjoy and can sustain in this season of my business.
You’ve gotta pick what fits you right now.
What you’re good at.
What your audience actually wants.
What works with your life as it currently is—not the fantasy version you think you’ll have “someday.”
That’s how you survive a drought and still move toward the next goal.
Even in a drought, roots keep growing. The trees in my yard don’t give up just because the rain stopped, and that crunchy grass'll be growing thick enough to choke our mower next spring! They’re all just building resilience underground, waiting for the next storm to roll through. And sure enough, when the rain comes back, the leaves will return brighter and stronger than before.
Same goes for your business. The dry spells aren’t the end—they’re just part of the season you’re in. Use this time wisely to prepare for the growth between this season & the next. 😉🌱
