This feels so awkward.
Almost as awkward as my constant introverted battle with the DMs piling up in my inbox.
I see them. My inner overwhelm kicks in. I decide to answer later.
Two days pass. Six messages.
A week later? Still untouched.
Honestly? I’ve got messages five weeks old right now, unanswered. 🤪
Jumping back into Substack today feels exactly like that.
It’s been over a month since I’ve published after a year and a half of consistent weekly entries…
…but I think I just gotta rip the band-aid off.
So let’s do it. Light, easy, like friends catching up.
Here’s what’s been going on behind the scenes of The Freedom Diaries.
We’ve crossed some pretty cool milestones since I last wrote, mostly thanks to our top funds boosting their monthly dividend payouts!
If you’re new here: I retired in 2024. Our stock portfolio now covers our living expenses. We’re financially independent and don’t need to work. Cool, right?
Three of our covered-call income funds just increased their annual payouts per share by 4–7%.
Before: $8,248.83/month
Now: $8,498.58/month
Our portfolio gave us a $249.75 monthly raise, completely passive.
This is one of my favorite parts of cash flow investing — the unexpected income boosts.
The markets are pumping right now with new all time highs every few days, and this raise came with it.
(We know dividends can drop in a correction… but for now? We’ll enjoy the extra cash.)
One more fun milestone:
In the next 12 months, if nothing changes, we’re projected to earn $101,982.93 in gross distributions.
We’ve crossed the annual $100k mark!
No, not a human one. A business baby.
My husband and I have spent the past 7 weeks in the trenches building something new.
We asked ourselves two big questions:
What were we uniquely skilled at?
How could we use those skills in a way that is AI proof?
AI is coming. The next 3–5 years will look nothing like today, in my opinion.
Jobs, businesses, and skillsets we know now may vanish.
We wanted to build something fun, future-proof, and ours that wouldn’t be wiped out in a few years.
And I think we’ve cracked it.
We’re building something AI-proof.
When we launch, I’ll share the full story. For now, I’ll share a sneak peak. 🤫
I’m bringing 10+ years of content creation, writing, funnels, podcasting, and online marketing.
He’s bringing everything he’s learned from his strategy-based video production company he has run since 2017.
We’re mixing it all with AI agents, automations, and tech to solve big problems for businesses at scale.
We’ve picked our business name.
There is a team working to support us already.
The branding is in the works.
Building this with my husband, for fun, without income pressure (thanks, dividends!)?
Pure joy.
I can’t wait to show it to you.
We have 3 weeks left of our 17-week slow-living trip in Bali, Indonesia.
I was expecting to come back spiritually enlightened and zen, but instead, we flipped our life upside down.
Catch up here 👇
TL;DR: We cancelled our 3-month Vietnam trip, are renting a home base in Vancouver for a year, and voluntarily ending retirement in our 30s to build a future-proof business.
The housing rental market in Vancouver is expensive but flooded with options.
We’ve defined our must-haves:
Office/desk space
Near my parents
Within budget
And must-NOTS:
Tiny living space
One bathroom only
Carpeted living spaces
We’re looking at $3,200–$3,500/month for a 3-bedroom in the suburbs.
We are baffled how many of them don’t have room for a kitchen table because they are so small or don’t include parking.
Last night, I contacted our top 7 picks after sorting through FIFTY+ homes on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Kijiji.
It’ll be fun to do a few tours when we are home. Can’t wait.
That also means… tackling the storage locker again.
(But this time? For good.)
Our stuff’s been in there for a year and a half.
Time to see my mugs, towels and sheets again.
That’s the behind-the-scenes of The Freedom Diaries.
We are still constantly building towards our north star of freedom, but the definition continues to evolve.
And knowing us? It’ll change again. And again.
This is the one life we get. We’re iterating as we go.
Before I sign off (with a sigh of relief—the ice has been broken!), I need your help.
What do YOU want to read next?
More investing how-tos and dividend strategy?
The new business build out?
Freedom and growth mindset?
Something else?
Can you do me a favor?
After giving this a ❤️ (thank you!), drop a comment with what you love reading about.
Your input shapes what I write.
Until next time, I hope you’re pushing toward your freedom too.
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