TOC #231: Saying goodbye to the TOC...
(May 27, 2025) SARA'S SUMMER OFF: there's a new TOC in town!
Why am I so nervous right now?!
Maybe because this is completely new for me…
Maybe because I don't know how you're gonna react…
Maybe because we've been together for 4.4 years and I've never once made a change…
Maybe because I'm potentially pressing pause on a massive part of my online identity…
I don't know. But I'm nervy.
Specifically, I'm nervy to tell you that the Tuesday Table of Contents as you know it is… changing.
Dun dun dunnnnn……
JK fooled ya it's rly not that dramatic at all — I'm just trying something new for the summer! And I'm actually quite excited to do it!
(I am low key nervous tho. That part was true.)
As you likely know, I've been sending this newsletter every single week for two hundred thirty one weeks straight. That is quite literally the longer and stronger than any romantic relationship I've ever had in my life.
Lately, though, I've been craving a little more structure.
When I first started this newsletter in January of 2021, my “one marketing tip, once a week” slogan was at its truest form. I literally just shared a very brief intro, and a marketing tip.
Then, I added in something from my copy swipe file, something from my portfolio, a blog post of mine, and a book recommendation.
After that, I started including my writing stories — and that's when my newsletter really started to blow up. Subscribers are like a moth to a flame when there's entertainment involved, and for the last 4 and a half years, I've been thousands of readers' Tuesday morning entertainment.
That part is something I don't ever want to change.
But, this year, *I* feel different.
I've been feeling this way for a while, actually.
For a very long time — since I got divorced and moved back to Massachusetts from Canada — I've been go-go-go, solo parenting, hustling my cute little booty off, trying to make as much money as possible, turning every idea into a business decision.
To borrow from the marketing bros: I was grinding.
Even when I took time off (y'all know I don't exist in July — we'll get to that piece in a bit), I was still plotting my next thing and feeling the mental pressure of everything riding on me from keeping my tiny human alive to keeping my reputation alive to keeping myself alive.
Then, at the end of last summer, I bought myself a house.
She's a beautiful house, over 100 years old, in a gorgeous suburban town, with a stunning front porch, a white picket fence, a lush green backyard big enough to play in, and walking distance to all the necessities: farmers market, playground, ice cream, the gym, coffee shops…
I still pinch myself when I think about how well everything worked out (and how I manifested the fuck out of getting exactly what I wanted, but I won't get all woo on y'all rn).
Before moving in, I didn't realize how much I was craving STABILITY.
Before moving in, I didn't realize how untethered I felt; how physically and mentally exhausted I was.
Before moving in, I didn't know how much having a definite, secure, mine-because-I-earned-it home base would impact my nervous system.
And ever since, I haven't felt a desire to ~hustle~ like I did before.
I don't know if it's because my bills are set in stone — my mortgage payment is my mortgage payment for the next 29 years — or if it's because I know where Woo will go to school for the next 11 years or if it's because the one thing I was striving for for so long is finally mine, but…
I'm at peace!
And, to be honest, I've never run my business while also feeling at peace. It has always been adrenaline fueling me.
You know when your body finally feels safe, and you start to get sick? Or you start to sleep all the time bc you're super tired?
Maybe you don't know the feeling I'm talking about. I honestly kind of hope you don't, because that would mean you've had a pretty chill and easy time in this life, and that's what I wish for you LOL but if you've ever been through anything difficult, this might resonate with you:
I finally feel safe, so my body is finally allowing me to slow down.
And who am I to ignore that? Especially when it's been six years (or more, honestly) since I've felt this way?
So, here's how that's relevant to you, and this, and us:
I'm starting a new series in the Tuesday Table of Contents called:
☀️ Sara's Summer Off ☀️
Because GUUUURL I deserve a productive and peaceful slow season, and so do you.
To be transparent, I went back and forth on what I wanted this series to look like for so long (hence why I'm writing this email at 9:42am on Tuesday as opposed to yesterday, in time to schedule it for my typical 6:26am delivery - sry).
Part of me wanted to talk about all the ways to bring in more business during a slow season, because my students have allll been asking about that lately. Everyone is experiencing a slower inquiry period, and usually people chalk it up to summer, but I think it's just ~the world~ being fucked.
Another part of me wanted to go all #girlboss on you and talk about the ways you can grow your business + sustain your momentum while you're offline (this is my usual narrative, as a Summers Off girlie, which you may remember).
But the part you're actually getting is the part of me that simply wanted to switch things up, have even more fun with the TOC, and allow myself to do something new for the first time ever.
So, yeah, we'll talk about getting business during a slow season, and how to build a business that works for you when you're offline, but we'll also talk about copywriting tips, and confidence, and where to get the best lobster roll in New England, and that time I was investigated by an undercover spy at work.
If you were at my newsletter strategy workshop (the one where I taught you how to plan an entire year's worth of content in under an hour!) you'd know that one of my biggest tips for staying consistent with your newsletter is making sure you have a format to stick to, because it makes writing sooo muchhh easierrrr.
ESPECIALLY when you have a day that you don't feel like writing what you planned on writing (or a day where you don't know what to write at all…).
& while I've had a specific format this entire time, I've never been that strict with it aside from story / tip / whatever else I feel like sharing.
I'm looking forward to Sara's Summer Off having a bit more structure while also having a bit more fun!
This series is starting TODAYYY through Labor Day, then I'm taking the TOC back to normal, but I hope you'll stick around and have fun with me this summer. 🩵
BEACH CHAIR FRIENDLY BACK-END TASK
As aforementioned, I ✨ don't exist in July ✨ and haven't for years — but this year is the most true nonexistence I've ever experienced, because every year prior, I've had to do at least a liiiittle bit of work.
Last year, I had a death in the family early in the summer, so it pushed some client work timelines back and I had to write website copy from the beach. The year before, I only took a couple weeks off, not the entire month. You get the picture.
But THIS YEARRRR I'm off off (minus Success Story, but that doesn't even feel like work to me bc I love it so much), so I'm using this time to focus on some back-end tasks I've been avoiding I haven't gotten around to, and this new segment of the TOC is highlighting whichever one I'm working on during a given week, so you can do the same!
This week's is (obviously?) planning out my newsletter format + strategy because, now that it's Sara's Summer Off, the content's gotta match 🤠
→ Click here to learn how to plan a year's worth of aligned newsletter content!
SOARING THROUGH THE SLOW SEASON
This segment's for my girlies going THROUGH ITTTT with the “slow season” struggle, doing everything in your power to will more inquiries to your inbox.
Every week, I'll share one strategy for you to try to get more clients.
We'll officially kick off next week, but for now, let me just remind you of the strategy that is the simplest, most underrated, most ignored strategy ever:
FREAKING TALK ABOUT IT. If you don't tell the people that you're selling something, they're never gonna be able to buy it. If the people don't know you're available, they won't inquire. If the people don't know you exist, they WON'T KNOW YOU EXIST.
I have a whole private podcast episode on this if you want to listen!
UNDER THE COPYWRITING UMBRELLA
Something I used to do allll the time is share my copywriting swipe file, or articles about copywriting, or cool things in the marketing world in general. I'm excited for this lil segment!
I reserve the right to use this segment for resources or projects of mine or resources from others, so this week's selection is from my friend Abbey's newsletter a while back - as Website Girl, I feel it is my duty to share this with you. Here's how to compress images for your website to increase load speed. 🫡
SHELLING OUT MY BEST SUMMER RECS
I'm working on a MASSSIIIVVVEEE master doc of literally every single Cape Cod recommendation ever, organized by town and activity, so you guys will be privy to a LAWT of that content, but today, I figured I'd share with you the TikTok playlist I've been saving about Maine!
Side Character & I have been talking about going up for a weekend so ur gurl's gotta prepare — and every time I'm going anywhere, I alwaysss look up the best food / places to stay on TikTok.
→ Click here for the Maine recs I've been saving!
THE LOVE-YOU-BYE LOVE NOTE
I HOPE YOU LIKED MY CUTIE LIL NEW NEWSLETTER !!!!!
Hit “reply” and let me know how you felt about it or if there's anything specific you want to see or learn or read or experience in the TOC this summer !!!!
Here's what you need to know before you go:
You can expect this newsletter by 11am every Tuesday
We'll be chillin in this format until Labor Day
I take requests 😏 I really want this to be valuable for you so if there's something you want to read, seriously let a bitch know
LOVE YOU BYE XOXO
P.S. I'm off for summer but I am booking September and October for website copywriting projects! All the details about my services (with pricing!) is right here 🩵
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