Dirty Money Talk: May 2025
Welcome to my Dirty Money Talk, where I lay out all the dirty details of my business for everyone to see.
I subscribe to a couple of people who do these and read them every single time they land in my inbox. Because I’m nosy, and I like seeing what other people are doing, how they’re doing it, and how they feel about it. So I decided to start doing them myself.
I want to do these for a few reasons:
It keeps me accountable. Writing these up for you guys forces me to actually look at my data and reflect.
I think financial transparency is extremely important and hopefully me doing these helps break down the money taboo.
How many hours I worked in May?
65 hours, 53 billable (82% billable)
How did I make money this month?
Same projects as last month! Brand voice, web copy, and content strategy for an insurance syndicate and an immigration law firm.
How was May overall?
I spent most of it working on the insurance syndicate project (which I’m REALLY excited to share with you guys when I can).
I also went to visit Martha in Perth to hang out and sing happy birthday while she recovered from a surgery. If you don’t already know, Martha is the founder of Word Candy, my podcast co-host, and lives all the way in Perth while I’m here in Melbourne. I love her to BITS and wish every single day she didn’t live so far away.
Anyway.
I also started writing on Substack for fun, about my current hyperfixation: perfume. I’m VERY excited to announce that I have 72 subscribers, including 2 paid ones. OUTRAGEOUS.
If you’re into perfume or want to see how a professional writer writes for fun, check it out. (Do you have a Substack? Send me the link! I’ll subscribe).
How did my goals go for May?
I did okay on Instagram. Are we friends there yet? Check me out.
I stayed on top of my client work (yay).
Spent some fantastic quality time over in Perth with Martha.
Goals for next month:
Do a little promo for EOFY.
Catch up on my case studies– I’ve worked on so many cool things I haven’t shared with you guys yet!
Go hiking in the Grampians for my partner’s birthday.
What does it cost to run my business?
My (approximate) regular, ongoing monthly expenses are:
Co working space: $450
VA: $1000
Software & Subscriptions: $250
This doesn’t include any extra professional services, travel, office supplies etc.
Tech I’m currently using for my business
Productivity
Upbase (lifetime plan from Appsumo)
Notion (free)
Moxie (lifetime subscription from Appsumo)
Clockify (free version) for my time tracking. I like the Chrome plugin.
Brain.FM to help get me into focus mode. Affiliate code: tbp for 20% off
Chat GPT 4.0 (free).
Squarespace for my website
Podcasting
Descript (paid annually) for podcast editing
Squadcast for podcast recording (free account with Descript subscription)
Marketing
Simplified.app for scheduling social media posts
Systeme.io* for emails, courses, products, and funnels!
Canva Pro for social media
Finance
Thriday (annual plan) for my business banking + bookkeeping, and to implement the Profit First system. I mostly use Moxie for my invoicing because I sometimes need different currencies.
Wise for any international payments I need to send or receive.
Want help building a business that feels good and pays well?
Here’s how we can work together:
Website & Launch Copy – Strategic writing that sounds like you and actually converts.
The Audience Resonance Map – Clarity on what to say, how to say it, and why it connects.
Brand Therapy – 1:1 support when you're stuck, pivoting, or ready to grow with intention.
Upgrade Your Onboarding – A quick win to help you charge more, onboard better, and save your brain.
