Hellooo my friends! Happy 2024. I am feeling good about the new year. Something about a new year starting on a Monday feels so organized or something! How are you feeling?

Last year was a big year for From Boise, and for me, personally. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking deeply about From Boise and doing what I can to process the journey since starting this in 2021. Today’s story is me sharing some of that. It’s different from my usual Tuesday newsletters, and it feels weird and scary – not gonna lie. But you are my people and I want to be honest with you. So here we go.

The first three years

In many ways, 2023 was From Boise’s most successful year. It was the first time I’ve actually made money from this. It’s the first time more than one or two people have been involved. And it was also one of the most challenging and confusing years.

When Nathan and I started From Boise in January of 2021, it was a passion project. A “let’s see where this goes” kinda thing. Nathan had the vision to start a local newsletter with the basic framework of a story on Tuesdays and a list of curated events on Thursdays. I took that and ran with it.

That first year, I had no idea what From Boise was or even what it could be. I didn't even really care. I only wanted to write about Boise in my own way, and I was very much focused on the freedom and the fun that From Boise brought to my life. In the first year, From Boise grew to 10,000 subscribers – a number I could have never imagined when starting out. It made no money. But I realized that there was obviously something about it that people liked and found value in, and that was enough for me to keep going.

Year two, 2022, was a year of maintenance. I was more or less just trying to keep up with the 2x a week cadence of the newsletter, and I was figuring out how a free newsletter can make any sort of money. I was also balancing another full-time job. Oh and I also got married and bought a fixer upper house that year. For most of 2022, I was just keeping up, trying hard to be present and grateful and enjoy all these amazing things happening in my life. From Boise continued to grow, I kept up with the pace. But I ended that year feeling really tired and overwhelmed and not really knowing what to do about it.

At the start of 2023, I had to have a hard convo with myself. The pace at which I was working and living was not sustainable. I was working basically every single day of every single week. I wasn’t going camping or spending time in nature (which I need to do often). I wasn’t hanging out with friends. I wasn’t even going to the events that I was telling y'all about. It felt like I wasn’t doing anything but working, yet I was still just barely keeping up with everything. I was moving from one thing to the next with zero space between tasks. I was writing newsletters the day of (which is an amazing skill but extremely stressful - would not recommend). Something had to change. I either needed to double down and make From Boise a real business, or shut it down and move on.

I chose to double down and make it a thing.

Promptly after deciding that, I went through a period of mourning over this. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s true. I felt like being a “real business” would take away from the essence of From Boise, like it would somehow dull the creativity that fuels it and make it too serious. Successful businesses have structure and responsibilities and plans. From Boise is scrappy and playful and free flowing. I think it’s part of what makes it real and relatable and different.

Over several long walks and weekends in the woods, I came to the realization that it can be both. I can create a business that is successful and scrappy. I can have a plan, and that plan can actually give me more space to be creative and playful and try different things. I can keep From Boise fun and be taken seriously. I can create a structure within From Boise that can keep its soul and be less stressful. And that is what I'm trying to do this year.

Some 2023 highlights:

In May 2023 I started the From Boise podcast. I’ll tell you the truth about why I started it. One day I was giving my husband shit about not reading my newsletter. He’s an arborist and drives around much of the day. (Btw if you need some tree work done, call Boise Savatree!) He said he can’t read and drive, but if he could just listen to it he’d never miss one. That struck me, not just because I want his attention (lol), but because there must be other people that feel the same. I mean I already have the story written, why not just read it aloud and record it? So that's what I did.

The setup of the podcast was a bit clunky, not gonna lie. But now it’s pretty smooth sailing. I have a super simple home recording setup, and I’m super grateful to have Brett with EaseDrop Studios as our podcast editor. The podcast also gave me the opportunity to work with sponsors in a different medium, which has been really fun. I was protective and selective about who should sponsor the podcast. I was adamant that it had to be an organization that could offer real value to the people listening. So I approached Visit Southwest Idaho to share an “out of town tip” in every Thursday episode, and give listeners ideas for road trips close to Boise. This has been so fun and rewarding, and I’m grateful they took a chance on sponsoring a brand new podcast.

In 2024, my goal is to create more of a flow around recording podcasts and work with more sponsors that are a great fit. I also have been toying with the idea of mini interview episodes, or episodes that don’t quite fit the Tuesday story or Thursday events format.

In June 2023, I attended Craft + Commerce. It’s a conference here in Boise for creators, and it’s put on by Convertkit. It changed my life. I will admit that it was highly relevant to what I am doing with From Boise and where I am at in the process, but it absolutely rocked my world. I was taking notes like a mad woman for three days straight. I left with so many ideas. It gave me clarity and a boost in confidence; it assured me that what I was doing was legit and absolutely could be a real business. It also introduced me to so many people, one of which is Bonnie Christine. Her podcast, The Professional Creative, became my go-to resource for how to build a creative business and not lose my mind while doing so.

In 2024, I will absolutely be at Craft + Commerce. If you are curious about going, I’m happy to answer any questions.

In July 2023, I launched BFFs. I had been mulling over this idea of a group of some sort for months and months, and needed to just do it and then refine. I am so grateful to the 100+ people who have become BFFs this year.

In 2024, I’m tweaking things and listening to your feedback. Above all, I am just so deeply grateful for the support and willingness to try something new, give me honest feedback, and hang in there while we make BFFs into something fun and fulfilling. I'm looking forward to sharing more about the next era of BFFs.

The biggest thing that happened in 2023: I started working with a team. I learned that I cannot, and should not, do this all by myself. This was a hard pill to swallow. I am fiercely independent and I think I can do everything myself. This year I learned that that way of being and thinking is actually holding me, and From Boise, back. It was limiting what can be accomplished and explored. There are things that other people can do better (and faster) than I can. There are magical moments that happen while working with other people. And honestly, the highs and lows are better shared with other people. I now have two people I work with on a regular basis: Gail Eldfrick and Isabel Sarhad.

Meet Gail. Gail is amazing and quickly becoming my right hand gal. I hired Gail in April to help me with social media and she developed a style that I absolutely love and didn’t even know was possible. My favorite thing about working with Gail is her willingness to do the things. She is a yes person, and always down to help, which has been amazing because I am learning how to ask for help. Over the last few months she has been helping me stay organized with email and is going to start helping me put together the Thursday newsletters.

You might know Gail because she's a dedicated barista, too. She works at Push & Pour and has had the pleasure of working in coffee shops all around the valley. She loves coffee (duh!) but she's passionate about the craft as well as the community it creates. She used to run a small business (Kindred Coffee Cart) and she has a special admiration for small/local businesses (which she says is part of why she love working for From Boise).

In addition, Gail dabbles in a lot of different things like graphic design, vintage reselling, creating silly content for herself, sewing custom clothing & any other fun hobby you can think of.

Here's a lil thought from Gail: One thing about me is I LOVE Boise. I love the people, I love the community. Working for From Boise keeps me connected with all that is going on. I get to watch small businesses flourish, i get to watch inspirational people impact the city, and i get to work with such cool people. I love getting to be creative and have my ideas listened to & used in a fun way. Social media is such a big part of our lives now, you have the power to leave a good impression, to do something good for those who see it, or to tear people down and cover all the bad that is going on around us. We get to spread fun and joyful things. It’s more important than people realize.

Meet Isabel. I first contacted Isabel to develop a simple logo for From Boise (see below). That quickly became a full branding project, which then became working together on lots of different things.

Isabel drives From Boise’s look and feel, keeps me on brand, and is also helping with marketing the brand, and creating super cool content for sponsors. She's so creative yet focused, and always down for new ideas and projects.

Isabel's other jobs entail wearing many hats at Visionkit Studio (including a corduroy hat with their logo on it).

She spends most of her time and money at Push and Pour as a coffee addict, and considers herself a certified Trader Hoe(TM). (She didn't think I'd put that in there but it made me lol). She loves to grab a bite to eat or a drink at a local cocktail bar or restaurant in downtown Boise too!

Here's a lil thought from Isabel: I love my From Boise gals! We're a tiny but mighty team of creatives and smarty pants that get shit done. It's so amazing to feel like we're building something incredible from the ground up that brings so much joy to our community. I also love that we're just not afraid to try new things and take on exciting new projects that will bring us success in the long term.

Working with Gail and Isabel has been such a game changer. It's scary to trust people and bring them into your business. These two have opened my eyes and heart to what is possible when you work with caring and creative people. We have some cool stuff in the works for y'all.

Last year I also asked myself the question: what if I didn’t write every single newsletter? From Boise is my personality in an email. The “brand voice” is quite literally my voice. So this makes me feel like it always needs to be me doing the writing. However this keeps me on a never-ending cycle of content production. I am lucky to have had the chance to work with writers like Julie Sarasqueta, Amanda Patchin, and Sharon Fisher, who all share the love and passion for Boise. I found their writing and perspectives refreshing while maintaining the vibe of From Boise.

In 2024, I’m looking forward to testing the waters of what it means to be an editor. To me, that means working with other writers to share stories that fit the vibe while allowing for their own writing styles to shine. Working with other writers also gives me more time to go deep into stories that I want/need to write. I'm excited to continue working with Julie, Amanda, and Sharon, and perhaps bringing new voices into the mix.

Here’s to a new year

My mantra for 2024 is to “do less, better.”

For me, that means focus. I am working only on the things that are of utmost importance and that bring the most value to our community, and making those things the best they can possibly be. It means being laser focused on the newsletter, the podcast, our sponsors, BFFs, and creating systems and structure for a team. It means saying “not right now” to anything that doesn’t support those five things. Saying no is going to be the hardest thing for me.

It also means learning and practicing delegation, so that I can work on From Boise and not just in From Boise.

Next week I am doing something I have never ever done before. I am taking a work retreat. I rented a little studio in the north end, and I’m taking a whole week to reflect on the past three years, and make a plan for what’s next. I feel weirdly guilty for doing this, I don’t know why. But I am also extremely excited because I know that I need it and that only good things will come of it.

The last thing I want to say is thank you. From Boise wouldn’t be anything without you. I am deeply grateful for you reading and/or listening to my writing. Writing is what I am meant to do with my time here on Earth, and to have the opportunity to share my craft is so special and fulfilling. Thank you for buying merch, becoming BFFs, sponsoring newsletters and podcasts. Thank you for telling other people to subscribe. Thank you for being part of this journey.

You, my readers, kept me going this past year. I had many days where I was just over it, and I wanted to quit. On those days I would go into a gmail folder where I keep all of your emails and read messages from you. It reminded me that From Boise is so much bigger than myself, and that these struggles that I get bogged down by are so worth it because on the other side is happiness and memories and all of us being alive in beautiful Boise. In so many ways we are just getting started.

Your turn

I’d love to know what you think! What do you want to see in From Boise in 2024? What are you struggling with in Boise? What confuses you? What do you love and want other people to know about? What brands and businesses should From Boise work with?

​Please take my 2023 reader survey. It's anonymous, so be honest! I only want to create things that are helpful for you and make your life in Boise more fun and fulfilling, so let me know whatcha think.

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Thanks for reading! I am so grateful.

With love from Boise,

Marissa

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