Three Years of The Jones Report

This week marks my third anniversary on Substack, and three whole years of The Jones Report.

The longest I was ever in one job before I went freelance was three years, so this feels like a Big Deal. And in some ways, it feels like I’ve only really just started.

I remember umming and ahhing over whether to start a newsletter. I’d heard of Substack, but in the summer of 2023, it wasn’t exactly part of the vernacular in the UK. When I told friends and family I was thinking of starting one up, I was met with puzzled faces and “what’s Substack?” To be honest, I still get that three years in.

So, why start a newsletter? I’d been freelance (copywriting, editorial writing, and content strategy) for a couple of years, and enjoyed the highs of a very buoyant market and suffered through the lows of a very stagnant one. In the months leading up to starting this online space, I’d had more projects cancelled because of budget cuts than I’d had work coming in.

Speaking strictly financially, I realised I needed one revenue stream that I had a bit more control of (on that note: a huge thank you to all of my paid subscribers. You really do make this newsletter possible!).

But apart from that, I wanted work that I owned. As much as I love my freelance work, it’s nice to have a space where I can type freely without working to a brief. The only direction comes from my own brain and my brilliant readers, who leave insightful comments that spark an idea or a deeper conversation.

I’d also been on the Instagram train for a while. And while I won’t waste time complaining about the algorithm, making reels and performing for a social media platform isn’t really me. I’m much more comfortable with a desk, a keyboard, and my (let’s face it, daily) check-ins on Thesaurus.com.

So, The Jones Report was born. I told myself I’d give it six months and see how it went, and, well, three years in, it’s safe to say I love this space and the community that comes with it.

I may not have tens of thousands of subscribers or earn $500k a month on ShopMy. But sitting down to write this newsletter is my favourite part of my working week, as is reading your comments and being nosy to see what you’re all clicking on most. And knowing that The Jones Report is read in 108 countries blows my mind.

So, thank you. For all your support, your subscribes, your reads, your clicks, your shares. I hope this space can continue for another three.

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How I Found My Personal Style

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November 14, 2024

A few weeks ago, a reader asked if I’d write a piece about how I found my personal style. People have asked me this question before and to be honest, it’s always left me a little stumped. How do you begin to describe something that has evolved — and continues to evolve — through time and age? Something that, while some of it conscious, a lot of it feels like it just… happened?