The Smoking Area

I made way more money when I stopped trying so hard to sell

A behind-the-scenes breakdown of the simplest, smoothest, most profitable launch in 10 years of business

Jun 10 • Lois Mac

26

3

4

May 2026

None of us are actually saying what we want to

Future-proof your business by becoming the person who actually says, creates, thinks and builds what they keep claiming they want to

May 28 • Lois Mac

39

1

9

The problem with personal branding

Why your name should mean something your work can prove, and how to uncover the living argument underneath everything you create

May 20 • Lois Mac

44

9

12

We’re all tired of being persuaded

On storytelling, trust, and the kind of marketing people can still bear to believe in

May 11 • Lois Mac

58

2

16

Too interesting to be understood

How to make your own irreducible thinking findable without flattening it in the process.

May 1 • Lois Mac

47

12

8

April 2026

My best year in business during the worst year of my life

How I earned $594,381 as a writer in a year I spent mostly trying to survive

Apr 24 • Lois Mac

66

2

7

My non-strategic messaging strategy for setting up a Substack

Three pieces of writing that turn a stranger into a paid subscriber

Apr 21 • Lois Mac

42

6

7

You’re not failing at creativity

But you might be wearing the wrong costume

Apr 8 • Lois Mac

54

20

13

March 2026

All we've got left is our stories and each other

A case for storytelling when nothing else will do

Mar 22 • Lois Mac

61

6

22

The violence of staying small

Universal likeability is a scam

Mar 17 • Lois Mac

51

9

19

Writing isn't therapy

But we keep coming back despite the mess

Mar 11 • Lois Mac

51

10

9

February 2026

Go on ahead without me

A love note to those of us who are simply incapable of consistency

Feb 18 • Lois Mac

61

44

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