The No 1 Rule of Building Portable Income Without Relying on Algorithms
The lesson I knew but re-learned after losing everything I’d built
Once upon a time there was a reasonably clever (and fairly successful) online solopreneur who genuinely thought she had everything figured out. (Aka, yours truly ☺️)
She followed the usual advice with monk-like dedication.
Be consistent.
Show up every day.
Focus on one thing.
She did all of it, for years.
But she ignored the most important rule of them all (the one true rule that completely protects an online business), and quietly hoped the algorithms would take care of her.
Hope, as it turns out, is a terrible business strategy.
For a good 4 years, everything trended upwards.
Traffic climbed, income grew, content was working, and she started to think, “I’ve cracked this.”
Then one morning the internet gods woke up on the wrong side of the bed, changed the SEO rules (as they like to do), and wiped out almost everything she’d built.
Overnight.
100k+ monthly views - Gone
5 figure monthly income - Gone
Long term sponsorship deals - Cancelled
The upward trajectory she’d worked so hard on disappeared like sand in the desert wind. (I’ve recently returned from a trip to the Sahara, and trust me… the wind doesn’t give a camel about your plans.)
But this story has two sides.
The mistake… and the lesson I should have known better than to ignore.
How I Built a 7 Figure Content Business
Long before I tried to outsmart Google, I built my first proper audience - an email list of 18,000 subscribers in my very first year online.
I had no idea what I was doing, barely knew what https meant, and still managed to pull off a $117k launch in seven days.
That list changed everything. Over the next 5 years it grew to 55,000+ and turned into a 7-figure content business.
Whenever I created something new, the list carried it. I’d send an email and sales would ping in. I ran workshops, memberships, courses, affiliate promos, all fuelled by a direct line to real humans who wanted to hear from me.
No algorithms, praying, or crossing fingers.
Just connection.
It was the most stable business I ever built.
How I Got Wiped Out
So when we sold our e-commerce business in 2020, and I came back into the content world with fresh enthusiasm, you’d think I’d follow my own wisdom. You’d think I’d build the audience first.
I didn’t.
I poured everything into traffic. SEO articles, keyword research, and optimisation. For a while, it looked like a stroke of genius. The blog hit over 100,000 visits a month, and I ranked for everything I aimed at.
The affiliate income was racking up, I had sponsorship deals left, right and centre, I was raking in $11k+ a month in my sleep, and I was prepping to start pitching my story to podcasters.
(What’s the old saying - pride comes before a fall!)
In Sept 23, Google rolled out something called ‘the helpful content update’. My website, along with thousands of other niche sites were wiped out instantaneously. It’s been one of the biggest rug pulls in google history!
100k monthly views down to 10k within days.
But the worst part is that I had no safety net. No email list sitting underneath it all, and no way to reach the people who’d spent years reading my work.
Just silence.
Why Your Audience Is Your Freedom Engine
So I had to start over. Not for the first time, but without doubt definitely the last, because this time I started with the one thing that never gets taken away.
An email list of permission based subscribers. (In other words people who have actively signed up to receive more information from you).
Internet Law:
Followers are borrowed.
Your list is owned.
And for anyone building portable income after 50, ownership is what matters.
An audience who has actively put their hand up to hear from you, and who you can reach directly gives you:
Security. One audience can support every pivot, product, or project.
Leverage. Launches multiply because you’re not starting from zero each time.
Connection. People who’ve chosen to hear from you are far more likely to buy from you.
Compounding. A list of 100 today becomes 1,000 if you keep showing up, and 10,000 if you keep going.
It’s the closest thing to compound interest in the online world. Quiet, steady and incredibly powerful.
The Proof Is Everywhere
This isn’t just my story. Some of the biggest creators we know and love online built everything on email:
James Clear grew 400,000 subscribers before Atomic Habits even launched.
Amy Porterfield has built a 10 figure empire on the back of her list.
Tim Ferriss grew an early blog audience and direct readership that helped amplify The 4-Hour Workweek when it launched, long before social media platforms dominated distribution.
And then there are the thousands of solopreneurs you’ll never hear about who run entire six & seven-figure lifestyles from lists of 3,000 or less.
You don’t need millions, you just need the right people.
Where to Build Your Audience
It’s easy to think you need to be everywhere. Some of the biggest creators online make it feel like that’s the only route to success. But it’s a misnomer.
When you try to be everywhere — on your own, without a team — you’ll end up nowhere consistently.
Instead pick one platform that suits your personality and how you like to show up.
Writing → Substack, Medium, or a blog (although Substack now includes video & podcasting)
Video → YouTube
Audio → Podcast
Short Form → Social Network
Then back it all up with a list. (That’s what makes Substack so powerful, it’s an in built list builder)
The hardest part isn’t the tech, it’s the consistency.
Most people stop too early because when you start out you’re posting into the void with no engagement. You assume silence means failure, when in reality it means “you’re building something.”
Keep going. Someone is listening.
How to Build Your List From Scratch
Here’s the simplest way to start:
Pick your email platform. Substack, ConvertKit, Beehiiv. Choose one and move on.
Create a small freebie. Solve one problem clearly - here’s mine - How to Become a Digital Nomad in Your 50s & Beyond
Build a simple landing page. Offer your freebie and make it attractive for people to subscribe.
Write a warm welcome email. Let people know what to expect.
Email weekly (minimum). This is where you begin to nurture relationships and your trust grows.
Share your offers. When you have something helpful to sell, you’ll have an audience ready for it.
How to Get Your First Subscribers
Once you have your freebie and landing page live, you need to share it and let people know it exists! This gives more meaning to your content no matter which platform you’ve chosen.
Suddenly you’re no longer posting Instagram reels for the sake of it. You’re posting to attract interest and in turn subscribers.
Add your signup link to every bio.
Mention it naturally in your content.
Swap shout-outs or guest spots with others.
Use small paid ads if you want to accelerate.
Don’t think of it as self promotion. Think of it as genuinely helping your target market solve a problem they have.
And if you’ve set up your freebie with that in mind, then that’s exactly what you’re doing.
Audience Building Is a Lifestyle
However, building your audience and subscriber list isn’t just a one off a campaign. It’s an ongoing rhythm.
Create. Share. Invite. Repeat.
It becomes the glue that holds every side hustle together no matter your business model.
Digital products,
Ecom,
Membership,
Freelancing,
Consulting
With a list, you’ll have freedom, stability, and choice. Without one, you’re vulnerable every time a platform so much as sneezes.
I know which path I’m choosing now.
The Asset That Outlasts Every Platform
If you’re on the journey to building portable income, I can’t stress enough: start your email list—today.
It doesn’t feel glamorous at the beginning, and it takes time and the kind of patience that many don’t have, but it compounds in the background for years.
Yes you’ll have subscribers come and go, but as long as you’re gradually growing and offering those who stick around huge value for their time and attention your only way is up!
If you’re ready to build the one asset you’ll never regret growing — the one that protects you from disappearing algorithms and moody internet gods — you can grab my Simple List Builder Course here.
It’ll help you create your freebie, landing page, and welcome email in under a week, so you can start growing your freedom audience today.
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Jo — this is such a clear, hard-earned reminder of what actually endures. “Followers are borrowed. Your list is owned.” should be stapled to every creator’s desk. I love how plainly you name the illusion of safety that algorithms give us — and how calmly you show the alternative: permission, connection, and consistency. This is wisdom that only comes from losing it once and rebuilding it better. Grateful you shared it so honestly.
– Kelly