Celebrating one year on Substack
What a difference a year makes
Hi friends! On 6 July 2024, I clicked publish on my first ever Substack post. 138 published posts later, what a year it’s been. (If you’d like to browse, check out the A-Z).
Before I dive into that though, I want to say a massive THANK YOU to you all!
Hi, I’m Holly, a certified coach and Breathworks mindfulness facilitator. I’m here to help you lead a life full of zest, zen, and purpose. Come join the supportive Zestful Zen community. ✨
Thank you!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reads Zestful Zen!
Maybe you’ve been with me from the beginning, as I made my first forays into writing and publishing. Thank you for taking a chance on me, and for staying the course. You gave me the encouragement to continue.
Maybe you’ve only read one post that touched you. I’m so happy you got some value from it. Thank you for giving me that time to speak to you. Making a difference for one person is why I’m here.
Maybe you kindly take time to like and comment on posts, offering insights and sharing your experiences. Thank you for your generosity. Your engagement lets me know that my posts have impact and I truly enjoy our conversations.
Maybe you’ve shared a post that resonated with you or recommended Zestful Zen to your own readers. Thank you for this generous endorsement and support. It means the world to me and helps the Zestful Zen community grow.
However our paths have crossed, THANK YOU!
How I can help you
Wellbeing resources, personal growth tips & inspiration: subscribe to Zestful Zen.
Jump into the A-Z now to browse the extensive back catalogue.
Career and life coaching to overcome obstacles and achieve your personal goals.
Mindfulness courses: build mind-body connection, lower stress, be more present.
A year of growth
I’m not a writer by background, but the warm, supportive Substack community gave me the confidence to try it – experimenting with sharing my voice publicly in a way I never had before.
Bit by bit (one newsletter post at a time), I’ve overcome my imposter syndrome and begun to embrace this new identity. I AM A WRITER.
With guidance from others, I’ve also dipped my toe into different writing styles.
’s Winter Writing Sanctuary helped heal me during a period of raw grief and inspired me to try poetry.
’s Writer’s Circle pushed me to try memoir, and the helpful feedback I received from her and others in the circle has expanded my idea of what’s possible – perhaps I have a book in me, after all?
And now I’m trying to build up the courage to create and submit a piece to WRITE UP before midnight (nothing like a looming deadline to get me going!)
The more I’ve written and experimented, the more I’ve felt my creativity spring back into life, after years of dormancy. And as my writing confidence has increased, my personal growth has blossomed in tandem.
A year of learning
I’ve learned so much from writing over the past year.
Finding my voice. Observing what resonates most with readers (and accepting when I haven’t hit the mark).
Adjusting my style and formatting for online reading.
How to manage all the tech! (I’m not quite there yet…)
And I’m taking baby steps on Notes. Still finding my way there.
Alongside building my Substack, I’ve had big transitions in my career.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as I’ve explored my creativity here, my confidence and imagination has grown in other areas too.
I’ve invested much of my time in coaching colleagues and leading wellbeing initiatives at work. This stuff really matters to me, and I’ve been robust in making space for it.
I deepened my personal mindfulness practice, and intensified my studies, getting certified as a Breathworks mindfulness facilitator, enabling me to lead bite-sized 6-week introductory courses.
I’ve completed my teacher training modules. Once I’ve supported a course and taught my own 8-week course under supervision, I’ll be an accredited Breathworks teacher. Qualified to lead Mindfulness for Stress and Mindfulness for Health courses.
As my knowledge of Breathworks principles and mindfulness practices has grown, I’ve felt more confident to share tips and practices with readers, allowing me to better deliver my mission: helping you to lead a life full of zest, zen and purpose.
Of course, it hasn’t all been high points. I’ve had posts that flopped, and an abortive attempt at launching a paid subscription tier. I wasn’t ready and it showed.
So, I went back to the drawing board and refocused on what matters to me most – building a community of likeminded souls.
I’ve got lots of ideas floating around on how to best do this, so I’ll be doubling down in the coming months.
A year of community
It’s the community on Substack that I value most of all. When my mum became ill and passed away before Christmas, and I needed to take a step back, I was overwhelmed by your support.
I know I’m preaching to the converted here, but Substack is just such a lovely place to be. Full of kind, generous, supportive souls.
I’ve felt so welcomed in all the spaces I’m a part of, whether it’s the warmth of the Zestful Zen community, or the generous sharing and championing of each other I’ve experienced in Sparkle on Substack and Hype Yourself, to name just two publications.
Witnessing the awfulness of ’s Deletegate, it was nonetheless heartwarming to see the community rally and help Lucy rebuild. We had her back.
I’ve been inspired and energised by the generous pledges to WRITE UP. It’s affirming to see how much support (and demand) there is for grassroots creative events.
Substack has allowed me to meet wonderful souls in-person, including at the awesome DanceStack, hosted by the amazing . I fan-girled a little that the Sparkle Queen joined us too!
As I continue to build the Zestful Zen community, these are the feelings and spaces I’d like to emulate: creating a warm, welcoming, supportive home for curious souls who want to lead a life full of zest, zen and purpose.
I hope you’ll stay with me on this journey and let me know what you’d love to see in our community. I’ll be holding space for you.
Self-reflection and journal prompts ✍️
How have you grown over the last year/six months?
What have you learned over the last year/six months?
How would you like to grow over the next six months?
What would you like to learn over the next six months?
What does community mean to you? Where do you find community?
How has community helped you to grow and learn?
Share your perspective ✨
I’d love to hear your reflections on growth, learning and community. What supports your growth and learning? What do you want to focus on? How has community helped you?
Ways you can support my writing 💖
Help our community grow: subscribe for free or recommend Zestful Zen ✨
Help people find this post: Like ❤️, comment 💬, share - spread the love. 💕
Buy me a coffee ☕️ (or a brownie if I’m being naughty…) 😁
Happy Stackiversary, Holly! What a beautiful celebration 🎉