Does it work?

Only if you do

Almost five years ago, I did a course on personal finance.

I joined an amazing community of women learning to build wealth. Later, I wrote a post about how the course and community helped me manage my finances better.

Many people in my network reached out. They wanted to know more about the course.

And they all asked me the same question: “Does the course work for someone who doesn’t come from a finance background?”

My answer hasn’t changed in five years.

Yes, it does. If you work along with it.

Doing the course won’t magically build wealth. A course can give the pathway. But one has to walk on that path. Consistently. On their own.

I did this course almost five years ago. But to this day, I sit down every month to write down my expenses and income. I invest consistently every month. I analyse my investments every year. I join their monthly meetups. I read a weekly newspaper on personal finance. I participate in ongoing studies by the community to build my knowledge. I read books on personal finance.

And no, I don’t come from a finance background. But I am keen to learn how to build wealth.

Later, I built on this knowledge. I did two more courses. Thanks to that community and my consistent work, over the last five years, I’ve grown my net worth by 164%.

Not because the course was magic. Because I showed up for the work.

The same goes for anything and everything in life.

I remember joining a course on designing visuals three years ago. A skill I didn’t have before. But what helped me grow this skill into a bootcamp I now teach wasn’t just the course.

It was making visuals daily. Reading about visual communication. Following other visual creators. Trying new ideas. Taking other workshops. Iterating on my own visuals with my growing knowledge.

When people ask me what works, my reply is simple: Everything works to an extent if you work with it.

The same goes for Substack.

I see some creators here putting in effort to share themselves with the world every single day. Writing. Sharing what’s working for them. Building in public.

They’re not just talking about what worked. They’re vulnerable enough to share what didn’t work too.

They aren’t the ones who believe in giving up. They’re the ones figuring their way out every single day. And this strength comes only from within. When you really want to build something genuine.

I wrapped up my very first bootcamp last month. 80% of the people who joined came from Substack.

But this didn’t happen in a day.

The people who trusted me with my first paid offering had watched me share my visuals over the last year. They followed my journey as a writer and visual creator. The trust to spend their money came from months of genuine connection.

Nothing in life works if the people involved don’t want to work along with it.

This goes for everything. Work. Relationships. Health. Money. Creative pursuits.

So the question isn’t “Does it work?”

The question is: What are you willing to work on?

And the only way to figure that out is to follow your curiosity. Try things just because you want to.

Whatever little I’ve achieved in life isn’t because of one thing I did. It’s a culmination of many things working together. Everything compounds.

What you need, needs YOU completely.

Take a Little Pause 🌼

What’s one thing you’re willing to show up for? Not because someone told you to. Not because it looks good. But because something in you wants to build it?

I’d love to hear what you have discovered. 😊

Love my visuals? Now learn how to create them 🌸

Starting March 2026, I’m running the third cohort of my bootcamp, Book to Visuals: A 4-Week Practice Lab. Transform core ideas from one book into simple hand-drawn visuals using pencil and paper. No drawing experience needed.

Live sessions & personalised feedback every week. 10 seats only. USD 99 for a limited time. Click the button below to register your interest.

• License my illustrations – Love any of my illustrations? Use it for your brand.

• Hire me to illustrate for your brand, concept or upcoming book.

• Register for my 4-week practice lab to learn how to communicate ideas in simple visuals. Third cohort starts in March!

Take a Little Pause is an illustrated weekly newsletter for anyone navigating the beautiful messiness of building a creative, calm and intentional life. If you’re on a similar journey, subscribe for free or become a paid supporter to support my writing and help bring my dream of publishing a coffee-table book to life. 💛