Gimme A Minute- 2023 Year in Review
An Annual Tradition
Hello Gimme A Minute Readers,
New Year’s Eve is upon us, and that means it is time to do a little reflecting on the status of the Substack. I posted my first “Gimme A Minute-2022 Year in Review” late last December. Doing this the second year in a row makes it a Tradition. And, so I present to you, the traditional “Gimme A Minute- 2023 Year in Review.”
The Traditional Important Dates for “Context”
January 1, 2023 First New Subscribers of the Year
2 in one day!
January 3, 2023
First Post of the Year: “Young Dad/Old(er) Dad”
February 26, 2023
First time a personal, not a stock photo, used on a post: “Family Skiing.”
July 31, 2023
First time “Revisiting” an earlier post: “Defining Middle Age-Revisited.”
August 16, 2023
First Episode of “Tonight’s Reading Assignment” Podcast released.
Interesting Statistics for “Context”
Number of Subscribers (as of 12/30/2023): 55
Most Viewed Post of 2023: “Investors Panic as Funko Pop Market Crashes!” (115 views)
Least Viewed Post of 2023: “Read Across America Day” (40 Views)
Total Number of New Posts: 40
Total Number of Podcast Episodes: 3
The most viewed Gimme A Minute post?
Personal Favorites
Substack posts are like children, you love them all equally and you could never pick a favorite. However, if I was forced to pick favorites (Substack posts, not kids) these would be my choices for 2023.
“The Great Gummy Bear Caper”- April 23, 2023
I originally meant for this post to be a review of the movie, Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. However, despite enjoying the movie, telling the story about my then eight-year old sneaking Gummy Bears into the movie theater was more interesting than my thoughts on the film.
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“Spring Cleaning”- April 2, 2023
Based on the number of views it received, this was one of the less popular Substack posts I released this year. And, I can understand that from the audience's perspective. As a writer, I have more partially finished pieces and half-conceived ideas than I can count. I was happy to put a few of those out into the world. It truly was a Spring cleaning of my brain. I put them on the curb of the world, and decluttered my mind a little.
In this beautiful photo you can’t hear all the people fighting with their kids.
“Family Skiing”-February 26, 2023
I really hit on to something with this one. The audience really responded well to it, and I believe it was my first post to get over 100 views. I gained a number of new subscribers directly from this post. Plus, I had a lot of fun writing it. Honestly, I was shocked while putting this year end review together that this was not the Most Viewed Post. It lost by 1 view. But, clicking and sharing it could change that! After all, ski season is back upon us.
Expanding World of “Gimme A Minute”
One of my efforts this year has been trying to expand the “Gimme A Minute” media empire. In addition to increasing my output on the Substack itself, I had three major focuses for increasing my “reach” as they call it.
Instagram: Although I actually started the “Gimme A Minute” Instagram account in late 2022, I really started posting in 2023. To date, I have 150 posts. Admittedly, I am not exactly at “Influencer” status. But, this is one of the main ways I try promoting my Substack. If you aren’t following me yet, please do. https://www.instagram.com/gimmeaminute_substack/
“Tonight’s Reading Assignment” Podcast: My goal is to regularly post to both the “Gimme A Minute” Substack, and to produce a podcast. Thus far, I have posted three episodes of the podcasts. Podcasting is something entirely new for me. While the written Substack is less than a year and a half old, I have been writing for decades now. One of the biggest challenges I face with the podcast is finding a quiet time to record. With four kids, those moments are almost non-existent.
Styling and profiling!
The Merch!: I’ve seen enough YouTube Stars to know that I needed Merch in order to move my empire into the big time. Last spring I introduced the official Gimme A Minute T-Shirt! I’ve sold a handful, and they are still available. I may be biased because I think my Graphic Design work on the shirt was pretty good. And, I am impressed with the quality of the t-shirt. I wear mine regularly, and it is holding up great. They are still for sale: https://www.bonfire.com/the-gimme-a-minute-t-shirt/
“Gimme A Minute Financial Statement”
Give me a minute is still free. Now, this means I don’t make any money, but that’s not really the goal here.
I would like to add subscribers this year. Please take a moment to share Gimme A Minute (click link below) and spread the word.
Also, if you don’t have the Substack App, you can get it by clicking the link below.
There are so many interesting writers on Substack, like Last Exit to Tucson and Parenting Teenage Boys that I may not have found otherwise.
2024: Goals!
The goals for 2024 are very similar to 2023.
Looking to post on Substack at least three times a month.
Goal of releasing 12 Podcast Episodes in 2024.
Want to pass the 100 subscriber mark in 2024!
Thank You
To finish things off, I once again want to thank everyone who reads, subscribes to, and shares Gimme A Minute. This Substack provides me with an opportunity to write for an audience. Money, fame, and big ticket publishing deals are not the goal. (Thankfully, because none of those are headed my way.) I love to write. I love to try to make people laugh. And, I love to examine the ins and outs of an “ordinary life,” if there really is such a thing.
Once again, thank you to everyone who reads everything I send out. Special thanks to my wife for being my biggest fan, occasional editor, and the entirety of my marketing department.
Happy New Year!
Bren
I love reading your work. Can’t wait to see what next year shows us, especially when it comes to your writing. Happy New Year!