You like me, you really like me! 🥹

Hello there, and happy holidays!

This is just a sentimental lil update to thank you all for the warm reception to my introduction of Hustle to Hire! I’m very glad to hear folks are as excited about this change as I am, and that you like the new name. I’ve collected a few of the responses below; having them all in one place like that is getting me SO hyped. Plus, some general housekeeping stuff later on in the email.

If you just subscribed to this newsletter recently, check out my announcement post to learn more about Hustle to Hire, where we’re coming from and what’s in store.

Well met, Hustle to Hire!

Here’s some nice things people said to my announcement kicking off this whole rebranding and restructuring work of evolving SWRolodex into Hustle to Hire: 

Me too Roxanna! Community support and promotion means everything on that front, so please make sure to let your hustle-minded friends know about the site itself as well as the work going into version 2!! And if you see someone who could use our services, please tag us into the convo so we can help get them set up.

In response to my announcement on Bluesky, people just learning about the site called it “brilliant” and “a fantastic, needed resource”. @natpussycat.bsky.social said, “Oooh this sounds awesome!” So glad you think so too, Nat! And Lauren chimed in to say, “The rebrand seems strong, a product with depth.” Thank you! Truly. 🥹

I’ve gotten kind replies from many other industry peers and people who have used the marketplace in the past (looking at you, Carly, Natasha, Maki!). It sounds like we’re ALL excited to see things evolve from here! I have honestly been so worried I’d alienate the site’s original users so it’s reassuring to know that everyone’s on board!

But the new name is just the beginning! The marketplace itself is more complicated than one would think, with more moving parts and technical (and legal) considerations, so I’m looking forward to giving you all some insight into just how deep the rabbit hole goes on setting up and running a business like this one.

Some Social Stuff

Over this past year and a half of being active on Bluesky, I’ve found just the best community of sex workers, content creators, and supporters, and the people there have added so much value to my work and life! For that reason, Bluesky is also my main social hub for talking about Hustle to Hire stuff. This younger social site is not without its problems, but in my opinion it’s still a great social platform to add to your roster. Just don’t treat it like a Twitter clone… it’s its own thing! (And yes, you can post nudes, just make sure to label your content appropriately.)

Of course, I’m still active on Instagram as well, and I think at this point we’re all too familiar with that app’s issues. So if you’re following the business page there, consider turning post notifications on–I really don’t post frequently so you won’t be flooded with notis–and maybe share the posts or tag us in convos within your own community! As I was saying earlier, one of the best ways to support the website is to directly tell people about it! A personal recommendation is always so much more authentic than a brand sliding into the DMs.

I find the ecosystem on Threads to be… weird at the best of times, and aggressively antagonistic at others, so it’s not been my favourite. But I have found it to be a great resource for business talk in general and I see the potential in it being a good hub for H2H. If you’re set up over there, a follow would be appreciated while I’m getting my bearings. My posts there will mostly be a mirror of what I’m sharing on Bluesky until I get a better feel for that platform’s quirks.

And just so it’s said, I’m not active on Xitter any more, on any accounts. I’ll be logging in every once in a while to camp the username but, you know, boooooo. Luck be with the brave souls still posting and holding community space there!

And Some Email Stuff

I know I said I was going to try to send out newsletters every week or so, buuut that was perhaps a bit ambitious in the middle of the holiday season. 😅 Yes there’s a lot of things in motion right now, but I’m still allowing myself to slow down while I celebrate with loved ones through the holidays. For me, moving slowly means moving intentionally, and I want to set myself up for a successful 2025. Mindset, baby! But also, realistic expectations!

If you had a subscription to the original SWRolodex newsletter, I’m working to get that list ported over to our new home on the Beehiiv newsletter platform. Previously the mailing list was hosted on MailChimp and I’m very glad to have made this move and get set up here. In a future issue I’ll talk about why I went with Beehiiv… once I have a few more posts under my belt and am more familiar with the platform!! But so far, it’s been a smooth process.

And, similarly, if you have an active account on SWRolodex.com, I am figuring out how to send a bulk message to everyone there as well. So if you’re on both lists… very sorry, there’s going to be a few maybe redundant emails heading your way over the next two weeks! Make sure to check your spam folders lol. And on that note…

I had said this was going to be a “lil update”, hadn’t I? Oops. I blame the 24-hour march of holiday cookies entering my bloodstream this week!

TL;DR: y’all are stoked on what’s ahead, and so am I. 🧡

I hope you’re enjoying some low-stress days during this liminal week between Christmas and New Year’s. Are you setting intentions for 2025? Making any big plans? Let’s check in with each other so we can have the support we need to hit the ground running. Otherwise you’ll hear more from me in the new year. Talk soon!