change is in the air / belong in 2018

/

what’s the big deal?

In the wake of my taking a full-time, day job early this fall, I found that I was running myself ragged with all the daily tasks of keeping the Belong online shop going and trying to continue the growth trend while producing the magazine, not to mention emails and other day-to-day tasks. The pressure was too much, and I felt like a constant failure.

The big deal is that I lost my joy and excitement.

And then an angel in the form of @laurakathryn (who happens to be my designer) asked me this question: “How do you like your new job?”

Yep. That changed it all.

My quick response was, “I love it” to which she responded, “So the pressure is off!”

the pressure is off.

I don’t need Belong to pay my bills or sustain my family anymore (not that it ever did because it hasn’t paid me a cent yet, but that’s another post--wink wink). And you know what that means? It means that I can do anything I want with it!

What do I want? The same thing I wanted nearly three years ago when Belong was born:

In all that I do, I desire for women to use their passions for a purpose, to inspire women to be authentic, to be life-giving and encourage one another, and to be in community. I want women to know that they are enough, that they matter and that they have a place. They belong.

Now that the dollar signs weren’t blinding me and the pressure was off, I was able to take a step back and reevaluate.

So that’s what I did. I thought about how I can better fulfill the mission of Belong--how I can better meet you right where you are, help you connect with others and to pursue your dreams.

M_Holiday Styled Stock Photography_Christmas_Promotional Images_Cyber Weekend Sales31.jpg

ARE YOU READY TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT 2018 HAS IN STORE FOR BELONG? I thought so.

  1. PUBLICATION / I think this is the most exciting change. Beginning with ISSUE 10 (to be released 01/22/18), we will be offering the digital issues for free. Yes, you read that correctly….FREE!!! I am so incredibly excited about this--you have no idea! The print edition will continue to be the same of high-quality and packed with content. HOWEVER, it will only be available via pre-sales on our website and the cover price will be $19.95 with free shipping. The print edition will continue to be distributed at select Barnes & Noble stores across the country.

  2. ONLINE SHOP / the Belong online shop will be closing its virtual doors. Past issues, t-shirts, quote prints, etc… will no longer be available after 12/31/17. If you have been waiting to round out your Belong collection, you’ll want to do so before the end of the year.

  3. WEBSITE RELAUNCH / we will be relaunching the website 01/01/18 to be more user friendly for those who are looking for tips and resources (including other female creative entrepreneurs) as well as making our blog searchable.

  4. SUBMISSIONS + SPONSORSHIPS / we have revamped the way we accept submissions and seek sponsorships. There are now time-frames for submitting content for each issue. Sponsorships are designed for the creative entrepreneur--we want to be an affordable option for small business to gain exposure, especially in the realm of other small business owners so that we can all support one another. Sponsorship options will include print/digital magazine advertising as well as online opportunities.

  5. SUBSCRIPTIONS /

    1. Current digital subscribers will not be charged again--as long as you’re on the email list, you’ll get the announcement when the next issue is available.

    2. Our records indicate that ISSUE 10 is the final issue on all remaining one-time annual subscriptions. If you wish to continue to subscribe (and we certainly hope you do!), please sign up HERE when ISSUE 11 releases.

    3. Recurring print subscribers, nothing will change for you for ISSUE 10. You do NOT need to pre-order. The $19.95 pricing change will be effective for ISSUE 11. If you do nothing, you will continue to receive the quarterly issues without having to pre-order each time. If you wish to update or cancel your subscription, please log into your MoonClerk account or email me (brooke@belong-mag.com).

What do you think? Are you as excited as I am?

I know. It’s a lot to absorb all at once. But don’t worry, we’ll keep you in the loop with the changes as they are occurring. (For example, we will be sending out an email when pre-sales for ISSUE 10 open up next week.)

I look back and feel such a sense of gratitude for you and how you’ve played a part in this journey. I’m so excited to see where 2018 takes us and would love to hear from you--what do you want to see, what resources are you looking for, how can I better meet your needs?

Cheers!