Because of Medium, I Won’t Lose My House

I am humbled by the undeniable power of multiple income streams in the time of economic uncertainty.

As a self-employed person running multiple small businesses, I knew that the coronavirus pandemic would be devastating for me.

Small businesses always get hit hard.

If my clients can’t work, or pay their staff, they can’t pay me. Social media marketing and freelance writing are often luxuries, rather than necessities, in times of great hardship.

The reality of being self-employed is that you can lose everything — clients, contracts, projects — in an instant in times of crisis.

Just last month I was writing about my success stories, and how multiple income streams this year have seen my income double. Then, just weeks later, I would see it all come crashing down.

As I’ve watched client after client withdraw services for their own financial survival, I’ve watched my ability to pay my bills become less and less and less.

As the dust has settled, the last remaining leg I have to stand on is my Medium earnings.

A month ago, I was making the equivalent of a full-time income on Medium.

This month? Obviously not the story.

It’s funny how my once least stable source of cash-flow has suddenly become the only one I can depend on.

It’s terrifying — but I am finding myself grateful.

Last month I gleefully announced that I was earning a full-time income equivalent through Medium — today, with Medium alone, I’m just scraping by. And this will likely be the case for the next few months.

But f*ck, am I ever grateful to even be able to scrape.

I know I am one of the lucky ones, and I’m not trying to rub this in anyone’s face. My line of work is just as insecure and unpredictable as any freelancer, contract worker, or food industry employee at times like this.

I was certain I would possibly drown, and only be able to rely on my husband’s income to finance our dual-income lifestyle.

We prepared for this, before the wave crashed.

Weeks ahead of what we knew was the inevitable, we stopped our aggressive debt repayment plan. We cut every non-essential from our budget. We went into pure survival mode.

We’ve been saving every last dollar in preparation for the hit — and the hit is finally here.

Canada has been lucky compared to the rest of the world — we were one of the last places to be hit, and we’ve taken preemptive measures to close borders and self-quarantine to contain the spread before it gets out of control.

Even so, financial experts were advising for at least 12 weeks of financial national crisis, and an additional 3 months of recovery time. That would extend the uncertainty of my business’ survival and recovery to 6 months out, at least. More likely, I’m looking at a 1-year recovery time.

*deep breath*

Scary doesn’t even cut it, folks.

Multiple income streams have been our saving grace — and it was the most unlikely one that has saved us.

A curator may read this — although they likely won’t as it has ‘Medium’ in the title and for that reason, it won’t be eligible for curation.

But if they did read it, I hope they know that this platform has saved my family. It has allowed us to keep our house. We’re able to stay afloat in this time of utter crisis.

There’s food on our table, and water coming out of our taps, because of this platform.

In our most desperate time, my social media skill and public relations background weren’t dependable enough to keep us safe — it was my art. My written creations. This community who have kept me afloat.

And I know that through reading the work of other writers on this platform, I am able to repay that favour. My $5 per month goes much further than just a few bucks — it helps someone’s livelihood.

That’s a really beautiful thing.

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