Nurture connections

Who knows where they will lead?

Wow, what a week it has been!

Very occasionally, something I write resonates hard and goes a little wild (by my standards). I’m thrilled to have welcomed a significant influx of new subscribers off the back of last week’s piece: How to build a successful Substack from scratch and today I’ve written on the topic of nurturing the connections which often begin with pieces like this.

That piece of writing seems to have struck a chord with many people and has been shared a lot of times. There are more comments than I think I’ve ever had (80 at the time of writing) and I’m enjoying the conversations I’ve been fortunate enough to have with many of you via these comments.

When I published this piece last week, I knew that I wanted it to be available to everyone and not behind a paywall. It’s true that sometimes I do put my work behind a paywall and that is for a variety of reasons but, on this occasion, I felt like I had something important to share with others and it seemed pointless if those that were most likely to benefit from it weren’t able to read it.

And why would you pay to subscribe if you didn’t know anything about me and my writing? You’d be unlikely to do that.

What draws in readers is human connection and giving time to their thoughts and opinions.

At the bottom of last Sunday’s piece, my final sentence was: Do come and say hello in the comments. And you absolutely did! It was wonderful.

I always make a point of trying to reply to all comments, even if it takes me a while to get around to it. This week I’ve had the time and what has resulted is some very interesting conversations and discoveries.

One such discovery was a fellow career changer who was once a teacher, now also exploring a more creative life. This person told me that she had been working with a coaching client who didn’t believe that going from being a teacher to an interior designer was a viable option because it was too random. Not so! said the coach who showed them a screenshot of my bio.

I loved hearing this. Not just because it massaged my ego(!), but because it demonstrated that visibility and showing up is SO important in our society. Once we own it and say: ‘this is me and this is what I do’ and are entirely unapologetic about it, we start to inspire others and become the examples and role models that the world needs.

Another reader told me that they were finding some aspects of Substack challenging and I suggested a few possible ideas they could try. I don’t know if my suggestions will help, but I was very happy to share what knowledge I have picked up in the year and a bit that I’ve been writing here.

A couple of conversations moved into DMs because they were a bit more personal in subject matter, but again I was happy to continue them and be of help where I could.

Like this piece, last week’s came with a voiceover. I love recording voiceovers these days and have come a very long way from detesting the sound of my own voice.

I find that recording a voiceover helps me to proofread my work, gives subscribers options for consuming my words and, most important of all, provides a very human connection.

I was delighted to read in the comments that several people did listen – thank you for letting me know this. It confirms what I thought: that some people prefer to listen over reading. I often do - especially when I’m out on a walk when I actively seek posts that have a voiceover option.

On that topic: a reminder that I’m hosting a free voiceover workshop next Sunday 6th October at 4pm UK time. You can register here: https://lu.ma/3ytk5ywv

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The internet and the rise of home working has perhaps made us become more solitary in our day to day lives compared with twenty or thirty years ago. There are many benefits to these newer, more flexible ways of working and running our lives, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need human connection. It doesn’t always come in the form of spending time in the physical presence of others, though may often result in that once connections feel they have been well established online.

I think that’s where writing online has an important role. Through our writing we share things with others: opinions, stories, vulnerabilities, truth… that connect us. Trust is often built in this way and sometimes that leads to real-life connections. I love nothing more than receiving an email from a paid subscriber who tells me that they are going to be in London and asks if I would be interested in meeting up. I always say yes.

It has happened more times than you might think over the past year and each time it has been wonderful. Most recently I met up with

Sarah Best

who was back in the UK for a short period of time. We met for a coffee and went to an interior design colour workshop I’d been invited to.

It was brilliant to meet Sarah in person and we felt we already knew each other well before the irl encounter, which meant that there was nothing awkward at all about the situation. This would never have happened if Sarah and I hadn’t connected here; initially via a comment on a piece of my writing.

What began as occasional comments, turned into an email exchange when Sarah asked if I would like to collaborate on something. I always say yes to these kinds of requests and so we organised a Zoom call to chat some more and see where our ideas led us. Eventually we recorded a conversation which I included in my podcast series as a bonus episode (listen here). And then several months later, Sarah let me know she was going to be in London and so we arranged to meet.

You can see that there was an evolving connection there that developed steadily over time. It really does take time to build human connections; they can’t be rushed. It’s a similar thing with our writing and creative work: we mustn’t rush it, because if we do, we might miss the point entirely.

And so, today I want to encourage you to reach out and develop a connection. It might be as simple as leaving a thoughtful comment on a piece of writing that strongly resonated with you or replying to an email you’ve been putting off for a while. Or perhaps it’s reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.

Maybe nothing will happen, but you just never know and it might be the start of something wonderful!

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Would you like more?

If you like my writing and are interested in receiving more, you can upgrade your subscription to a paid (£5 per month/£50 per year) or founding membership (£150 per year). You will receive the following benefits:

• Two posts per week (here is this week’s paid post)

• Invitations to all Create Ensemble online sessions

• Opportunities for one to one meetups from time to time

• Access to everything I’ve ever written here (most pieces are accessible to paid subscribers only) and the ability to comment on all posts and podcasts.

Founding subscribers get all of the above plus:

• a one-to-one 45 minute Zoom call with me or an in-person meet up if you’re based in or near to London. The time can be used for one of the following:

  • Substack audit: I give my honest opinion on your Substack and give you suggestions to improve your growth on this platform.

  • Interior design consultation: I help you to solve a design challenge in your home.

  • Career coaching: a chat helping you to figure out how you can make a career shift happen.

I’m Hannah Ashe, a multi-hyphenate based in London. I left my full-time teaching job in July 2023 to pursue a more creative approach to work. These days I earn my living from a variety of sources including interior design consultancy, music teaching (saxophone, piano, composition and theory), writing, podcasting and building this Substack. Do come and say hello in the comments!