67 Comments
founding

You made my day with this announcement!! I am an aggressive encourager of all artists who creep into their worth with one hand over their eyes and the other pinching their nose.

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author

hahaah omg this is a perfect tagline for the season! thank you Isabel and thanks for becoming a paid subscriber!!!

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OMG I WAS ONLY JOKING ALEX

THIS WILL NEVER WORK

NOT EVER

Okay, I guess it’s too late to roll this back now. Fine. Fine.

And oh god I see that my reputation is on the line here as well. Greaaaaaat. Last bloody time I try to be helpful to ANYONE on this ridiculous platform

pours whisky, drinks, takes deep breath

Woohoo! So pumped to see this! Yeah! Go Alex! This is the start of really great things and I’m super-thrilled for you, mate. GO TEAM DOBRENKO!

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thank u dude genuinely could not have done this without you (because compared to you I am #1)

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YES!! This is some epic Fool energy and I am here for it. Can't wait for the new season.

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literally made this entire decision based on that card you pulled lol

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The Fool is also MY fave card with its edge-of-the-cliff thrills!! Because if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space. Plus, Alex, you've got Robert right there keeping you from falling to your death!

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ROBERT IS THE YOUNG WHIPPERPUPPY HELPING ME

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Hey that was my line! Lol

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As one of your paid subscribers I have some skin in this game. I am a discerning professional reader. Yes, I read people’s stuff for money, and I do it full time! Plus I am a somewhat compulsive reader outside of work, and a fan of Substack.

And (drumroll) so far yours is THE ONLY Substack I pay for. Not because I am cheap but because I like your stuff the most. YOU GOT THIS DOBRENKO.

Go for it just the way you want to. Don’t burn out, look after your energy, ask for the money, use the money for living or whatever you want…free advice worth twice the price.

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damn I'm putting htis on a t-shirt thank you DOBES!

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BOOOOYAHHHHHH BAT FOREVER

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I'm gonna restrain my hyper-commenter energy (because ...so...much...to...respond...to) but a dull-roar handful: i. I JUST mentioned the "Seasons" thing to Lyle in his last post (I got so burnt out writing three years ago and was like WHY CAN'T WE BE LIKE 'FRIENDS'?? I'm not asking for a mill per episode, just a summer break!!) so YES on Seasons but also it's ok to break here and there to retool, we'll still be here! and ii. please write about the fear of being normal soon! and iii. I am SO exciting you're doing this and making your BATdreams come true!! Is there a way I can upgrade my reg year subscription I started in June to jump up and grab that shroom and supersize myself to Founder level??

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omg thank youuuuuuu yes I feel like the seasons thing is sustainable maybe and maybe won't make me lose my mind but we shall see.

Noted re: writing about normalcy it's basically all I think about now lol

and YES there is a way to upgrade! I think if you just go here - https://botharetrue.substack.com/account - on a desktop or web browser (non app) you can click upgrade somewhere. Lemme know if that doesn't work though!! SHROOM UP

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WOO! So before you click on the button, it shows the WHOLE amount, but in my head I was like fkit, it'll be a bonus tip because I Believe In The BAT. But then the receipt shows the prorated amount. So for all you stack n00b whippersnappers out there reading this, just hit the thing and magic happens and you grow triple the size as bats fly out of your hearthole!!

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Thank you!! I was wondering this very same thing. Bring on the flying bats!!! I'm upgrading!

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Heck yes Wendy!!!

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Go for it! I love that you’re up front about what you need in order to write your guts out… a smaller, more committed community of readers. P.S. I’m already paying 🤓

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thanks Debbie! woohoo here we go

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Makes sense.

Just tell me how and when to roll over my already-paid-annual-subscription to a massive-founder-philanthropist-of-arts-subscription, ok.

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hahaha THANK YOU CAROLINE! Ok I think you can become a huge patron of the farts (that's actually what that level is called I am sorry) by going here - https://botharetrue.substack.com/account. Lemme know when you did it !

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BrB. Gotta go change my legal middle name to "Shroomie" real quick

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hahahah

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founding

I am so very excited for you and look forward to seeing how this new approach plays out. Living in so cal, but born and growing up back east, where there are honest- to- god seasons, as well as being ancient enough to remember and be excited about the Fall TV Season, I love that you are adopting the season approach. I was so wishing for some reason to pretend to be celebrating FALL, which was always my favorite season, so now you have given that reason to celebrate (because the weather down here in San Diego is certainly not doing it for me--not even any Santa Ana winds which I had convinced myself could be called a season! ) I am sure you have heard the To Compare is to Despair slogan, but I hope your success with this is so great it causes lots of green-eyed jealousy among us other sub stackers (smile.)

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hahaha thank you! Honestly 'to compare is despair' is basically what the whole season is going to be about figuring out NOT to do so maybe I can help us all (I sincerely doubt it)

either way Fall's MUST SEE SUBSTACK-TV IS HERE

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Super exciting! I'm really positive that in a few months it WILL become your full time job.

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thanks Tom ! Ok wait how do I make that happen tho

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I am so psyched by this post! So psyched I am already a paid subscriber! Yay, you!

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yaaaay :)

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oh he doin big big things

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sometimes it do, in fact, be like that

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Yeayaaaaaa!! GET IT DOBRENKO.

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hooray

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So excited for this next chapter. So many good things ahead!! Super bullish on BAT.

(Also love the photoshop - giving me something to aspire towards)

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thanks dude! that photo took me 3 years to finalize

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What a great start to my day, getting called a fungus(i?) - like Toad (or Terd, as my sister used to call him when we’d spend endless hours playing MarioKart) who almost always came in last. 😂

Selfishly, I’m sad because I know that soon when I go to read your posts, I’ll get to a certain point and hit that dreaded “Subscribers Only” line and be left to wonder what is behind it. And also (since both things are true), I’m happy for you...glad you’re doing what’s best for your own sanity and in order to spend time with your family. Just lay off the nursery rhymes, okay? (Especially Humpty Dumpty...talk about DARK.)

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hahaha ok lemme just delete my half written humpty dumpty post (no joke I'd written a piece on him that was published elsewhere)

but also don't be sad -- I'll comp you for a year!!! Ok done.

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Haha I’d love to read that! My intention was not looking for pouty in any way. You don’t have to do that!

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Or pity, but pouty works too.

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it wasn't! and I did it as soon as I wrote DONE its too late there's no reverse button i hope you enjoy that is all

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Thank you. Not to be all sappy, but this made me tear up. Coming from a place where I’ve felt like I deserve nothing but the worst (and being treated as such by people I thought cared), I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the fact that people who I don’t know have been so kind. Between you and @Rachel Havokost, I don’t think I can handle anymore tears today! I will enjoy it all, and if there is anything I can do to support you, please let me know.

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🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 the wild thing is that I usualy feel the same, like i desrve nothing (working on not feeling that way) but I know one thing I can do is help other ppl not feel that way sometimes and that feels like more than nothing and that feels good 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

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