Last night, I couldn’t sleep.

My mind was racing with thoughts, full of fear and doubt—something I haven’t felt in a long time since building my online business.

What happened?

At the end of each month, I always review things—not just our personal finances, but also my business performance.

This time, I thought: “Maybe this will be my first zero-revenue month in over six years.”

And to be honest, I wasn’t even surprised.

The last few months, my income had been dropping steadily.

(Side note: I’m talking about my German business—my Substack is still just a side hustle.)

I kept wondering why, but I couldn’t figure it out.

Then, on the very last day of the month, I sold a product.

So no, it wasn’t a zero month. But it still didn’t feel good.

That night, a heavy question kept creeping in:

“Is this happening because I’ve shifted my focus to my English Substack?”

That thought kept me wide awake.

I felt overwhelmed, like I couldn’t handle everything at once.

I woke up my husband (he always says to do that if I can’t sleep).

We talked. He’s my biggest critic, supporter, and mentor in one.

He told me:

Go back to where your business started slipping.

Look at what changed.

Return to your own path—and your own voice.

He reminded me how I used to run my business: with my 4-hour plan, clear focus, and authenticity.

And he was right.

I realized I’d been trying too hard to sound like others lately.

I’d lost the personal tone that my German audience had connected with for years.

Yes, I took a course to learn something new—and I did learn.

But I also became too focused on doing things the right way, instead of my way.

I lost my voice by trying to follow someone else’s.

That’s why I’m sharing this with you.

Because building an online business isn’t always smooth.

There are ups and downs.

Doubts and lessons.

But don’t let that stop you.

It’s part of the journey.

Maybe this will never happen to you.

But if it does—don’t give up.

Pause. Reflect. Adjust. And keep going.

Here’s what I’m doing now:

I pause my paid Substack subscription.

Why? Because I don’t want the pressure of weekly paid content right now.

Everything I had behind the paywall is now available as small, affordable mini-courses—with lifetime access.

I’ll keep publishing one free post and this newsletter every week.

And I’m so grateful you’re here with me.

And my German business?

I’m going back to my roots—creating authentic content and launching my first live workshop this month.

It’s exciting. It’s nerve-wracking. But it feels right.

Because I don’t need to be perfect. I just need to begin.

Even if it’s a little messy.

So wherever you are right now, here’s my message to you:

​Start messy. But start.​

No more waiting, overthinking, or trying to get it perfect.

Someone out there is waiting for your voice.

Start now.

Cheers,

Katja

P.S.: Even though I nearly had my first $0 month in business, I also had my best month ever with my Substack side hustle: over $100 in affiliate sales and $6 from my own products.

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