037: Big news: We’re a bestseller!
A behind-the-scenes look at our process & the biggest stories of 2023
Welcome to the latest issue of Two Truths, a weekly newsletter and media brand that explores the many truths of motherhood from two journalists, maternal health advocates, and mom friends: co-founders Cassie Shortsleeve and Kelsey Haywood Lucas. Two Truths is rooted in the healing and affirming therapeutic principle that two things can be true. As seen in The Skimm, Motherly, The Bump, Popsugar & more!
PSA: This issue is long! If you’re viewing it in the body of an email, a portion may get cut off. Simply click the header to open it in a browser and get the full view.
A few days ago, we opened our inboxes to a very exciting email:
“Congratulations! You’re a Substack bestseller.”
It was a message from Substack (the platform that hosts this newsletter) informing us that Two Truths had hit ‘bestseller’ status thanks to hundreds [!] of paid subscribers among our thousands [!] of free subscribers. We launched this newsletter less than a year ago and only began offering a paid subscription experience this fall.
To us, the orange badges that you’ll now see next to our names don’t just signify growth or success (though we’re certainly proud of it); they also represent the hundreds of you who believe so much in this work that you choose to fund it.
We’re honored by this symbol and grateful for your financial support.
While we were busy producing 37 [!!!] original issues this year, here are a few other highlights that happened…
January: Planning, plotting, and preparing to launch
February: The first issue of Two Truths hits inboxes on February 5
March: We launch three big interviews over three issues: Pooja Lakshmin, M.D. talks real self-care, Karen Kleiman, MSW illuminates the dark and joyful aspects of motherhood, and Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts speaks about mothering in the age school shootings
April: Postpartum Support International (PSI) becomes an official maternal mental health advisor of Two Truths
May: We announce the birth of Cassie’s third daughter. Welcome, Ford!
July: We introduce five new brand partners
August: The Skimm spotlights Two Truths in a special feature
October: We launch Two Truths: Trending and a paid subscription offering
December: Substack awards Two Truths with ‘bestseller’ status to denote hundreds of paid subscribers
As we enter year two of Two Truths, we wanted to take you behind the scenes for an exclusive glimpse of something we’ve never before shared with the public: the analytics, the strategy, and the story behind many of our posts. If you’re new here, consider this a way to brush up on some of the biggest headlines of the past year, including the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the first pill specifically indicated for postpartum depression (PPD), top news stories, and must-know tips on everything from travel to mental health.
Ahead, you’ll find…
The post that brought in the most new subscribers
The posts you opened most
Our most-hearted post
Our biggest breaking news
Our heaviest post
The post with the most brand partners
The post we loved the most
Going into 2024, we remain dedicated, as ever, to our mission of informing, entertaining, and empowering you with content written through a lens of maternal mental health. If you’d like to join our hundreds of paid subscribers, click here to upgrade your subscription for the lowest price ever.
Remember, too: There are many ways to support this newsletter: paying for it, of course, but also reading it, forwarding it along, sharing it on social media, leaving a comment, emailing us with a note of feedback or encouragement, recommending us on your own Substack page, and more.
It’s a privilege to be in your inbox, so wherever you fall on the spectrum of support, know that we are grateful you’re here — and we’re looking forward to another year of big things for Two Truths.
—Kelsey and Cassie
The post that brought in the most new subscribers
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