I went from 2,000 to 12,000 subscribers in a week and here’s my advice:

The saying, “it takes 10 years to become an overnight success” rings true.

This graph makes it look like it happened overnight, but let’s take a peek behind the scenes.

Not pictured:

• 5 years of a PhD program, learning scientific writing and becoming a cognitive neuroscientist.

• 1 year clinical fellowship, working with clients, understanding brain health pain points, delivering assessments & training for brain potential and performance.

• 5 more years of becoming a subject matter expert so I can break down complex topics in an easy to understand way and practicing science communication (public speaking, creating social media content, producing training videos).

• I launched my Substack in January of this year and have been consistently writing newsletters once a week.

I invite you to celebrate with me, not hitting a number on a chart, but the culmination of over a decade of preparation and dedication to a topic I love and believe in with my whole heart.

I am beyond excited at the opportunity to reach (and I hope positively impact) thousands of people. The time for brain health is now.

Stay tuned, I’m just getting warmed up!

—

To the writer feeling discouraged:

If you believe in what you are doing, stick with it.

You don’t always get to see the fruit of your labor.

• Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime.

• Emily Dickinson published very few poems while she was alive.

• Gregor Mendel is now known as the father of genetics but his research wasn’t understood or appreciated until after he died.

Working hard doesn’t always guarantee success. But dedication builds skill and character and that type of growth worth celebrating.

I see you and I’m celebrating all the work that no one has seen (yet).