When I started this substack, I always had it in my mind that this, my 52nd issue, would be my last. At the time, I thought it was already a pretty lofty goal; committing to a weekly writing schedule for an entire year was crazy to think about, but I figured it would’ve been enough time to document the whole restaurant opening and then some! 😬
I started writing this newsletter for many reasons, one of which was this intense desire to share my personal experiences. I had hoped that sharing a bit of myself was going to help build a community around me, but what I didn’t expect was for my writing to touch some of you the way that it has. Getting texts, comments, and emails about how you look forward to Wednesdays at 9:30am or how much you liked a specific issue or how something I wrote made you feel means the world to me. I feel so seen and heard and I can only hope that this newsletter makes you feel less alone, feel more OK with who you are, and feel more empowered to do the thing you’ve always wanted to do.
Another reason for starting the substack was to document this very transitional phase in my life (i.e. trying my hand at freelancing while opening a restaurant). I was about to do two very big and very risky things, both of which I’d never done before, and trying them all at the same time. And I hoped that writing each week would be a way for me to look back on this time in my life, to help me remember every ache and every feeling of elation that comes from putting yourself out there. But what I didn’t expect was how multiple (big time) food publications found Xiao Ye through it! These writers were able to read our personal stories and learn about our journey, and somehow they felt compelled enough to write about us and/or feature us! This is not something I planned for but, in hindsight, it makes A LOT of sense! Having the creation of Xiao Ye documented, from naming to design, gave all these other writers so much content to work with. And because all the content is written by me, they’re able to find out so much of the backstory before they even reach out. Diane, our copywriter, has said from the beginning that we need to tell our own story before someone else tells it for us.
Lastly, I had some high, high hopes of making enough money from this newsletter to supplement my freelance gigs. Spoiler: It doesn’t (LOL!).
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