No B.S. Progress Report #2

The latest edition of an honest report on progress and growth

Message to the reader:

Above is a longer form, podcast-esk version of this post. I read through it and add additional insights along the way. The quickest way to ingest this post will be to read it outright, but I think the best way is to listen to the audio. Thank you, all 🙏🏻.

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Week 2 in the books!

It’s crazy to think I’ve written for 14 days straight. Just 15 days ago, I never would have considered writing something I’d enjoy.

I’m so glad that I was wrong.

This week put me to the test.

I was traveling throughout the duration of it and finding the time to write proved to be challenging. I was working for the first part of the week then spent the weekend in Palm Springs with Dani.

This trip pretty much cemented my existing desire to live in the mountains one day. For me, mountains are the literal definition of Soul Mana—soul food. I love them.

The gorgeous Danielle and I overlooking Palm Springs. Mountains, palm trees, sunshine and good company? How could life get any better.

Since I was on the go, many of my posts went out late at night. Yet, your support and feedback have continued to amaze me.

Let’s jump into the breakdown of growth from the last week.

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Weekly Breakdown

📈 Growth metrics from 1/28/25 to 2/4/25:

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The comparison from last week is as follows:

✅ Subscribers: 22 → 35 (+59% growth)

✅ View Count: 510 → 1,330 (+160% growth)

✅ Open Rate: 68.18% → 69.19% (+1.01% growth)

✅ Writing Streak Progress: 46% (14/30 days)

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I seriously can’t believe how awesome you all are. These numbers reflect the consistency you all show in reading these posts each day.

I was talking to Dani about this while we were walking around a little Saturday morning super market in Palm Desert. I saw a design of a tree on a bag and said “Hey, that looks kind of like the Soul Mana logo.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I had this brief out-of-body moment. I heard myself say it, but it was like I was hearing it in third-person.

Fifteen days ago, Soul Mana existed only in my head. Now, it’s a small (but growing) community of people who show up every day to explore and embrace this idea.

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Okay, mountains and THAT are the literal definition of Soul Mana.

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Learnings From Week 2

Last week, I focused on making small tweaks to identify trends. I did the same this week, though less intentionally. But the biggest takeaway wasn’t technical—it was personal.

📍 3–5 minute read times still seem optimal

📍 LinkedIn brings in the most readers

📍 Reddit drives the most subscribers (outside my own network)

📍 Short paragraphs (max 3 sentences) improve readability

📍 Titles matter—a lot

📍 Authenticity matters even more

I tested not promoting posts outside Substack to see how they performed. The results? Viewership dropped, but engagement (likes/comments) remained steady. Makes sense.

I posted in a sub-Reddit talking about my journey with this project and dropped a link to the publications website. Over two days, that post has brought in one subscriber and exposed me to some incredible publications:

Aiza Rashid - The Experiment Zone

The Good Men Project

Colin Durrant - Colin's Chronicles

Biggest Takeaway - Authenticity

This week started with me writing about business—lessons I’ve learned in my relatively short career. While all things I’ve thought about extensively and have a lot of passion for, it was really tough for me to write about.

At first, I thought it was because it was a new topic with a different style. Change isn’t easy, right?

But then, on Friday, a dear friend gave me some feedback that hit home.

She pointed out that my experience in business isn’t exactly “typical.” I’ve only worked in startups—one that was in hyper-growth mode the entire time I was there. So when I talk about “corporate” settings, it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison to my experience.

Fair.

Her insight helped me realize something even bigger:

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The purpose of Soul Mana is to explore deeper, more universal ideas—things that all people can relate to.

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That realization led to this post.

I had planned out topics for upcoming weeks, but just three days in, I realized I may have jumped the gun.

What’s Next?

I’ve spent a lot of time this week thinking through the narrow focus I want this publication to have.

My niche.

What I’ve landed on is purpose and meaning—writing about what brings me both, with the hope of helping you find the same in your own life.

In a word? Logotherapy.

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“Logotherapy” is a therapeutic approach that helps people find personal meaning in life. It was developed by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who based his theories on his experiences as a Holocaust survivor.

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If you take one thing from this post let it be this: Read Man’s Search for Meaning.

It’s played a fundamental role in shaping my perspective on life.

Now, I’m most certainly not a psychiatrist nor a therapist—just a young guy trying to figure things out. I spend a lot of time thinking about meaning and purpose in the midst of life’s chaos.

I’ve faced hardships, especially early on. (Mostly physical—life took a detour at age 7, a story I’ll share soon.)

What’s gotten me through is my pursuit of understanding their greater meaning. I believe every moment has meaning—whether it’s a stepping stone or a profound, life-changing experience. Things don’t just happen.

Here’s a quote from Viktor Frankl that captures this idea beautifully:

“Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.

These tasks, and therefore the meaning of life, differ from man to man, and from moment to moment.” - Man’s Search for Meaning

It’s highly individual, but that’s what makes it oh so beautiful. No two meanings are the same, just as we would not expect two lives to be the same. While transcendent, I think this approach is right.

And I want to write about it.

What you can expect to see in the coming two weeks are:

📌 Week 3 - The Pursuit of Meaning (Personal experiences, coupled with lessons learned throughout my journey towards meaning thus far)

📌 Week 4 - Mending the Divide (Oh yes, we’re still talking politics. But it won’t be like any other political content you consume. I promise you that)

Soul Mana is intended to inspire, comfort, connect and fulfill. I want to talk about things that bring us together as a species.

Things that we all relate to, but feel alone in.

Because at the end of the day…that’s what feeds my soul.

With deep gratitude and love,

Brady