Today, I set out to make a quick improvement to my blog—nothing major, just an hour or two of work. Or so I thought. Instead, I went on a journey that took most of my day, left me feeling a little defeated, but also gave me some valuable insights.

The Substack Experiment

I’ve been using Beehive for my newsletter, and it’s been great. It looks good, does the job, and fits nicely with my blog’s style. But recently, I started thinking about Substack. The appeal? Substack has a strong built-in community, allows unlimited subscribers, and is (supposedly) easy to set up with just an iframe embed code. That’s what I thought, anyway.

So, with a morning full of optimism, I dove right in. I quickly set up my Substack account, grabbed the embed code, and popped it into my Next.js blog. I expected to see it work seamlessly, but of course, it wasn’t quite that simple. I realized I had to adjust some settings in my Next.js config file, which took more time and troubleshooting than I anticipated. Even with help from ChatGPT, the process was far from straightforward, but eventually, I got it to load.

When I finally saw the Substack form live on my site, my initial excitement quickly faded. The form looked out of place, like it didn’t belong. I had done some customization through the Substack dashboard to match the colors to my blog theme, but the form still had a jarring Substack logo and a prominent, distracting disclaimer line. After hours of researching and experimenting with Substack’s code to try to remove those elements, I came up empty-handed.

To make things worse, when I tested the form by entering an email, a strange “sign out” button appeared inside the iframe—like an unwelcome guest at a carefully planned dinner. I soon realized this odd issue wasn’t unique to my site; other sites using Substack were dealing with it, too. After a few hours spent trying to adjust the style and functionality, I decided to throw in the towel. Substack’s community perks might be appealing, but they don’t make up for the lack of customization options. Feeling a bit defeated, I returned to Beehive.

Finding Unexpected Inspiration

After my hours-long attempt with Substack, I decided to unwind with some household chores. While I cooked, I put on a video from a marketing guru I follow, and he shared an insight that stopped me in my tracks.

He talked about why he’d turned off the comment section on his blog, which confused some readers. When people asked, “Why would you turn off comments? Every blog has comments,” he replied, “Why should I follow a rule that doesn’t suit my goals? I focus on providing what my audience truly needs.”

That response was a lightbulb moment for me. It reminded me that there is no “right” way to blog—or really, to approach any part of life. The best choices are the ones that align with who you are, your needs, and your goals. It’s easy to feel like you need to follow the trends or fit a mold, especially when the world offers so many options that are supposedly “better” or more popular. But to me, those paths only make sense if they truly fit.

This is something I try to share with my children too. Following your own path isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. My blog may not check all the boxes others might expect, but it’s a reflection of me, my interests, and my journey. And as I work to build something meaningful, I hope it shows my kids that it’s okay to choose your own way—even if it means ignoring the trends.

Embracing My Path

Each day, I wake up energized to dive into my to-do list, whether it’s sketched out on paper or mapped out in my head. Though I work from home, my days are filled with meaningful projects, constant learning, and new challenges—from blogging to tackling programming projects I’ve taught myself over the years. There’s so much more to this stage of life than people might expect, and I want my blog to capture that richness.

The marketing guru’s words reminded me that my blog doesn’t have to conform to anyone else’s expectations. It doesn’t need the “standard” bells and whistles if they don’t align with my vision. Instead, I can focus on sharing what I love, what I do, and what I learn, in a way that’s true to me and hopefully inspiring to others who are heading toward or navigating their 50s and beyond.

Finding Value in Every Experience

As I reflect on today, I realize that nothing was truly a waste. Sure, I didn’t achieve my original goal, and I didn’t even end up with a new blog feature. But writing about my day—my highs, my frustrations, and the insights I gained—feels like an accomplishment in itself. I may not have embedded Substack, but I did embed something even better: a clearer vision for the blog I want to build. Tomorrow, I’ll be back with new plans and new tasks, ready to tackle whatever comes my way. Every day brings its own small victories and lessons, and that’s more than enough for me.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Here’s to sharing more stories, insights, and maybe even a few more tech frustrations in the days to come!