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Hey, Reader,

It's been a minute since I dropped in your inbox. Many reasons for that. Reeling from the LA wildfires being one of them. What a devastating time.

Was also on several intense deadlines. Helped to develop and pitch a season pitch. Turned in an outline and two drafts of a script in the last three weeks. Shout-out to my writing process for helping me get through. Speaking of, thinking of doing a workshop on all things writing processes. If you're interested, respond to this email.

Anywho, just coming up from air. And hoping it's only up from here.

Felicia Pride

BLUEPRINTS

Thoughts, ideas, and tips for amplifying our careers, stories, and futures

1. YES, YOU SHOULD HAVE AN EMAIL LIST ​
I know you've probably seen many hot takes post the Tiktok fiasco about managing platforms and your audience. Well, here's another one. And one that I stand by for more than 20 years of my career.

You should have an email list.

My first job, one of my first jobs out of college, I was working in marketing at a book publishing company. And one of my bright ideas was to start a newsletter for the company so that the company could directly be in touch with the customers. Now, Amazon was fledgling. But we sold books direct. I'm like, OK, let's take those emails and start an email newsletter. Chile, you would have thought I was suggesting that I we shut down the company. It was that controversial. I had to prove the case for it.

And chile, years later, they were sending the same newsletter that I had developed.

There's nothing more powerful than having a direct line to your audience.

A big part of evolving social media strategy at HONEY CHILE is to drive my audience to the things that I'm offering. And the best way to do that is to drive them to one single location, which is a newsletter or an email list.

I say this many times, but I will say it again. When you have the people on your side, you are unstoppable. What a lot of companies are looking for these days is, yes, high social media numbers, but what they really are looking for is actual influence. And actual influence means can you move somebody to do something. And being able to move somebody to do something means the ability for someone to trust you. And that is a lot of work.

Yes, we've seen many people do it through social media. But email gives you a longer runway. And it also means that these are people who really want to hear from you. They have invited you into their inbox, which brings me to another point. You're able to provide a lot of value through an email list. And again, value goes back to trust.

And you may be able to also cultivate a list that includes decision makers who are interested in your work, and want more.

So how do you get started? You get started by getting started. Find a platform. I use Kit. There's Beehive, Flodesk, MailChimp, Substack. A lot of them offer free plans. Put this link on your socials and use it as your primary CTA.

And then you want to actually start sending stuff. You can think about how you want to approach it. For many years, as you all know, I sent opportunities, and now I am doing a hybrid version of providing value and switching my focus a little bit. But you all are rocking with me because of the value that I've provided. And many of you show up for my work because of this relationship that we have built.

All right. I'm done with my from my soapbox.

2. ON SUBSTACK ​
Speaking of newsletters... I recently moved HONEY CHILE's newsletter from Mailchimp to Substack and streamlined it by also bringing our Patreon over. We call the new platform on Substack, YES, HONEY. And so far, it seems like it was the move. We've grown our subscriber base by about 5% in a week. Engagement has increased because mechanisms are built into Substack to promote engagement. And we've secured annual subscriptions.
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At one point The Create Daily was on Substack and it didn't feel like the right fit. And I think that Substack is very good for editorial-driven initiatives, but may not be best for every one. But now they've added Live Video, the Notes function is more active, and readers seem to have a better understanding of how it works, let's chat.

So far so good.

3. IP DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NEW​
​Consider using public domain IP and rewrite a classic.

It's free, has been vetted and may even have an audience. BTW: The Build Bundle has an entire course on Adapting IP.

4. FOR THOSE ALL OVER THE PLACE​
For those who are "all over the place", one day it will all make sense.

Chile, I've had 50-11 jobs / careers. I used to feel like I was a confused mess. I internalized other people's fear of variety. And power. But now I realize that none of it was in vain.
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My various careers - from journalist to marketer to impact producer - has made me a Swiss army knife in my current career as storyteller. And has helped me build HONEY CHILE into a brand-forward media and production company. But really, it was always, storytelling.
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And honestly, it will not only make sense, it will also make dollars.

BTW: If you’re looking to expand what you think you’re capable of in 2025, The Build Bundle is designed to help you build a profitable and PROLIFIC career as a storyteller. I pulled together all the resources, tools, insight that I have used over my decades-long career in media and entertainment. The ultimate cheat code. Enroll today and make 2025 your best year yet.​

SWEET ISH

What I’m reading, consuming, thinking about, or inspired by…

Don't sleep on public domain IP.

Do we need to reframe retirement?

No more publishing blurbs!

​A profile on Kai Cenat.

10 podcasting lessons.

SWEET GIGS

Because it's hard to create and build when you're worried about money​
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​Patreon is hiring.

​BlackStar Film Festival is hiring.

Points North needs a Director of Development.

Guideposts is looking for a Head of Content.

Substack is hiring a Education Producer.

Felicia Pride TV Writer. Filmmaker. CEO. Building HONEY CHILE, an indie media company serving Black women 40+, and empowering other niche storytellers to tell their stories and reach their audiences.

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BTW: Bring your community along, forward them this email and encourage them to subscribe.

The Build Bundle All of the tools you need for developing your writing craft, pitching your tv/film projects, making your work, and strategizing for a long-lasting career. It's what I wish I had starting out and even mid-way through my career—tried and true tactics, examples, and strategies to help you accelerate your journey. ENROLL TODAY

The Creative Comeback Workbook by Felicia Pride It's time for you to start writing again and tell the stories burning within. Through 30 prompts, you'll discover your why, develop a writing schedule, outline your projects and unearth what's holding you back from the career of your dreams. These are the exact steps I took to make my creative comeback. Purchase on Book Shop.​ GET THE WORKBOOK

tender: the official script book by Felicia Pride Specially designed, the script for Felicia Pride’s award-winning short film tender! Also includes an original essay by Felicia and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes photos. A PDF eBook sent immediately upon purchase. GET YOUR COPY

LOOK BACK AT IT: The Official Script Book by Felicia Pride Specially designed, the script for Felicia Pride’s award-winning short film LOOK BACK AT IT! Also includes an original essay by Felicia and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes photos. A PDF eBook sent immediately upon purchase. GET YOUR COPY

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING...

Promote your project or business in The Sweet Build. Want to get in front of 1,300+ motivated storytellers? We're offering an introductory flat rate of $500. Inquire today.​

This email was sent by Kit. And I really enjoy working with them because I can also sell products through them. I sold the first 21-Day Creative Comeback Challenge completely through Kit. It's an awesome one-stop shop. Here's my Kit affiliate link.

Ever wonder how people send those automated DMs? Well, I did! We use Manychat. It's a great way to send links to products, podcasts, articles, and more. You also know who's super interested in your content and can follow-up accordingly. Here's my Manychat affiliate link.

How do I stay organized? I feel like I've tried all the productivity software girls. And none can really compete with Notion. She has it all. It takes some time to learn, but chile... once you do! You can build custom databases (we track contacts, projects, more), create custom pages and more. I LOVE it. Here's my Notion affiliate link.

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*This newsletter may contain affiliate links, so if you buy through them, I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend stuff we actually dig!