How to Build Something Meaningful Without Sacrificing What Makes You Unique
A Week in the Life of a Working Traveller - Week 4
Noosa Heads is a beautiful coastal town at the top of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Known for its stunning beaches and lush national park, it’s the kind of place where you can grab fish and chips for $5 and watch the sunset from the beach, or sip a $25 cocktail at a waterfront restaurant doing the exact same thing.
Home to some of the best surf breaks in the country, time seems to slow down here… unless you’re trying to find a parking spot in the middle of the day, in which case, may the odds be ever in your favour. 😆
I’m here for the weekend visiting some friends, and I’ve always liked Noosa since my first visit a few years back.
On one hand, it’s got that barefoot, salty-hair, surfer town vibe, where people stroll around in board shorts, sandy feet, and not a care in the world.
But then, just a few streets over, you’ve got designer boutiques, five-star restaurants, and multi-million-dollar holiday homes with ocean views so ridiculous they look photoshopped.
It’s like Noosa can’t quite decide if it wants to be a laid-back beach shack town or a high-end luxury retreat.
And that’s kind of how I feel about my approach to growing The Working Traveller.
The ‘rules’ say I should niche down. Pick one thing—50+ nomad fitness, side hustles, travel hacks, overcoming loneliness—and go all in. That’s the fastest way to grow, the smartest strategy, the tried-and-tested formula.
And yet, I don’t want to. I’ve done that before. And all it led to was endless brand reinventions as my ever-curious mind searched for new, interesting things to talk about.
This time, I’m doing it differently.
I’m writing about what excites me. My experiences, my journey, my lessons as a 50+ nomad figuring out life on the road—mentally, physically, and financially. I want to talk about all of it.
Because all of it is what makes this life so damn interesting.
And if that means I grow slower, so be it.
This week, I saw a Note that really resonated with me. It said:
I totally felt that.
Not because I don’t care about my audience, I do. But because I know that if I try to strategise my way into building this platform, I’ll lose the very thing that makes me want to show up and write in the first place.
So, I’m taking the slow route. Playing the long game.
I’m writing about what matters to me and what I hope matters to other 50+ nomads and older travellers who want to live their best years yet.
And I trust, that over time, the right people will find me.
But let me tell you, posting into the void is brutal.
Right now, I’m getting zero engagement on Notes. My articles are getting 150-200 views per post, but barely a whisper in response.
And I knew this would happen.
Because building something from scratch is always the hardest part. Getting from zero to 100 is infinitely more painful than getting from 100 to 1,000.
And so, these are the updates and learnings from Week 1 of my 20-week Substack sprint…
1. Follow the Rules or Follow Your Heart? The Choice is Yours.
If you want to grow fast—really fast—then the tried-and-tested strategy is simple: niche down.
Pick one hyper-specific topic within a larger niche, position yourself as the go-to person for it, and go all in.
I know this because I’ve done it.
Back in 2010, I built my first successful online business by teaching people how to grow Facebook Fan Pages.
Then, I pivoted and built another business teaching people how to grow email lists.
And then, another one, helping people start Amazon FBA businesses.
Each time, I followed the rules. I picked a lane, stayed in it, and scaled fast.
But I also outgrew every single one of those businesses.
Because I wasn’t just one thing.
So, here’s what I’d recommend if you do want to go the niche route:
➡️ Pick a brand name that’s broad enough to evolve with you.
➡️ Start with one clear topic within that niche, grow an audience, then expand.
➡️ Keep your options open so you don’t box yourself into something you’ll want to escape from later.
But here’s the other option…
Ignore the Rules. Write About What You Love.
The reality is that there’s no right or wrong in this game, just what works for you.
Yes, niche-down strategies work.
Yes, broad, passion-driven content works too.
The key to either is Consistency.
If you’re solving problems, sharing value, entertaining, educating, or even just giving people something to think about, you’ll find your audience. It might take longer, but they’ll come.
And at our age, life’s too short to obsess over what the algorithm wants.
Do what excites you. But do it consistently.
Who I’m Learning From on Substack
Even though I’m not playing by the traditional rules, I’m still learning from those who are crushing it. Here are a few Substacks I’ve been following and why:
✅ Derek Hughes (The Irresistible Writer) – Brilliant, no-fluff writing advice that focuses on connection over clicks. His tips make me rethink how I structure and refine my content.
✅ Wes Pearce (Escape the Cubicle) – If you want to grow on Substack, Wes is the guy to follow. He shares insights on what’s working, what’s not, and how to turn a newsletter into something sustainable.
✅ Tim Stoddart – A raw, real-time look at entrepreneurship. Tim shares both the wins and the struggles, which is refreshing in a world of “highlight reel” business content.
✅ Retire to Thailand – Written by friends of mine as they plan their move to Thailand. Having lived there myself, I love following their thought process, excitement, and challenges.
✅ The Midlife Nomad – A therapist’s perspective on midlife reinvention, exploring the deeper mindset shifts behind nomadic life, freedom, and purpose.
Substack is proving to be a fascinating space. Part publishing platform, part social network, part intellectual watering hole.
And while I might not be getting much engagement yet, I do believe in the compounding effect of showing up daily.
Watch this space!
Facebook: Slow Growth, But Growth
The second major focus of my week has been Facebook.
I’ve gone from my previous reported monthly earnings of $0.65 to $2.39 in less than a week (with 6 days left to go). 🥳
Whilst I’m not buying my yacht just yet 😉, it does show that consistent posting = growth.
Here’s what I’ve been experimenting with:
➡️ Different post types – Quotes, memes, link posts, text-only posts, photos with text, and engagement questions.
➡️ Understanding reach – There’s no clear formula yet, but one thing is horrifyingly obvious…
The posts that get the most reach are the ones with my face in them. 😨
So, like it or not, I need to start showing up more visibly. Less hiding behind the camera, more putting myself front and centre.
(Internally screaming, but I’ll do it.)
I’m actually having loads of fun thinking up content for my FB page and my goal is to become far more entertaining over the coming weeks and months.
I’m certainly no comedian, but I do have quite a light hearted view of life and can make my friends smile, so that’s my mission;
No E-commerce Updates This Week
I haven’t made much progress on my e-commerce projects this week, so nothing new to report there. But I’m OK with that. This week has been about content, audience-building, and showing up, even when it feels like no one is listening.
Because no one is listening… until they are.
Takeaway: Keep Posting Into the Void
If you’re also in the early stages of building something, know this:
🚀 Posting into the void is part of the process.
🚀 Growth happens AFTER months of feeling invisible.
🚀 Focus on the process, not the results.
I’m not optimising. I’m not niching down. I’m simply writing, creating, and sharing what excites me.
And over time, the right people will find it.
Would love to hear your thoughts—how are you balancing strategy vs. passion in your own creative work?
See you next week! ❤️
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