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Hi there. Thanks so much for signing up for this newsletter – I appreciate it more than you can know.
I never dreamed that I would be producing content for an audience all my own – or that the audience would become a community. That is the magic of technology and progress, and although a lot of us this age are scared of it (me included), I have to look at the good things that are happening when I find things are moving too fast.
To think that I had to work at a newspaper to have an audience seems quaint and archaic now. And to be able to focus on what impacts me the most – I’m in this too after all – while helping people process it is deeply satisfying.
I’ve been writing this newsletter for 2.5 years now. I launched it over on Mailchimp and moved to Substack in December. There are now more than 5,000 people getting it, and they are in 50+ countries all over the world. I probably should have started it on Substack in the first place; I have no idea why I didn’t. Probably because it was new, and I was scared of it.
Anyway, the time has come to charge for some of my content, so I can keep doing this and also so I can grow, and provide more information for the people who need it.
So here is the rundown:
What you get with a free subscription to Hotflash inc:
• The kind of writing on peri/menopause and midlife you can’t get anywhere else
• A free weekend newsletter and other occasional posts
• Automatic entry to the perimenoposse
• First notification of events and other special news items
What you get with a paid subscription to Hotflash inc:
• More of the kind of peri/menopause and midlife writing you can’t get anywhere else
• A mix of feature articles, Q+As with important people in the sphere, essays and lists
• Early, ad-free access to the Hotflash inc podcast + notes
• Exclusive video content
• Access to the Hotflash inc archives
There is a lot of polarity in this conversation; a lot of influence. A lot of terrible content, a prevailing narrative and many agendas, not all of which are immediately apparent.
I’ll be pointing some of this out in my writing.
I’m not promoting anything or beholden to anyone other than facts and truth. I’ve no agenda other than balanced coverage and context; no bias other than the normal kind you get from being a human. (Although I really, really like Pycnogenol for hot flashes, dry needling when my neck gets stiff and a skinny margarita with lots of salt on the rim when it all gets a bit too much)
I’m not overly devoted to one form of treatment or product or person over the other, although I will tend to champion those that I or members of the perimenoposse have tried and found effective. There are a few doctors I’ll probably never mention, because I don’t trust them. I’m always searching for the truth and if there is anything that I’m skeptical of – even in science – it’s someone else’s narrative.
I promise that when I do form partnerships or affiliations, I’ll be completely transparent about them.
I’ll do everything in my power to listen and respond to you, and to earn and keep your trust as long as I do this.
Oh, and I’ll try to take 2 vacations a year, during which I’ll pause subscriptions.
That’s it: I’m not going to do subscription drives or anything like that. This isn’t PBS (that’s for the people in the US :) I’ll probably just remind you from time to time that I have the paid option, and you can ignore it.
This will grow and evolve as we move forward. And remember: I love and care about you and your midlife journey whether you are a paying subscriber or not.
Thanks so much for reading and for being here with me. AMx
I appreciate all of your work & your perspective contextualizing it all. Thank you!
I love your writing and your work. Thank you!