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The barn-building saga continues.
The county red tape is still a thing.

& yes, I’m still out here with no reliable power or consistent heat

(I did throw $1k at a dual-fuel generator to help keep things above freezing in the trailer. It can run about 5 hours because there’s a small ceramic heater running alongside the trailer heat just to keep up. I do realize at some point I’m going to have to pack it in … I’m getting very close … but not there yet. I’m holding out for the barn or power … or both… a little while longer)

Mostly because I’m pretty sure as soon as I leave, all the barn material will magically leave too!

what’s actually frustrating me (more than the cold)

The red tape is annoying, sure.
But that’s not the real problem.

The real problem?
Nobody communicates effectively… if at all!
Not when you need them to. Not when you’re ready to pay.
And honestly, that’s what breaks trust faster than any delayed permit ever could

It’s how slooooow people are to respond when you’re actively trying to give them money.
→ Half a dozen engineers … no response or incomplete answers
→ Contractors … random pricing with ZERO clarity on what I get in return
→ Even the bank is dragging its heels on releasing loan money

From a customer service / communication standpoint?
“Completely crappy” is the norm … “OK” is actually exceptional.

Meanwhile, temperatures keep dropping.
We didn’t even make it above freezing yesterday.
& the sun didn’t come out … because it was too busy snowing

Today’s about the same as yesterday
just lower temps.

Even the frost is trying to take cover from the cold inside the trailer

& yet… a temporary solution may have popped up

My solar guy seems to be the answer to a bunch of these open-ended problems.
(I’m cautiously optimistic because I’m at a point of ‘seeing is believing’)

The solar equipment is supposed to be installed in an insulated room in the barn.
No barn
No insulated room
No solar equipment

… or so I thought …

But … if all goes well, he may solve more than my power (& heat) problem
→ engineer-stamped drawings for the building-code mafia
→ contractor to drill holes & install piles for barn foundation

as for the equipment install…
He’s willing to set it up in an insulated shed temporarily, then move it to its permanent spot later on … all so I can have heat while babysitting the building materials.

& he’s offered to do it for the same price!

I never would’ve realized that if I’d just told him to pause without talking through the why I needed to reschedule.

That’s a good reminder to not assume …
Just because solar is different frombarn construction doesn’t mean they can’t offer a different perspective (&potential solution) you’re missing

Everything but the weather seems to consolidating & heading in the right direction
both personally & professionally.

Somewhere between babysitting lumber piles & trying not to freeze solid, I realized something…

This whole barn mess mirrors the business problems I see every day.
Too many tools.
Too many people & platforms.
Zero coordination.
The only difference is that my trailer is freezing & the tech stack is melting down.

It reminded me of 2023 …when I was this close to launching a podcast.

Yup … the podcast that wasn’t.
I had guests lined up.
Gear bought with Black Friday deals.

& then I hit the same wall so many of us hit:
Too many platforms.
Too much tech.
Too many subscriptions & stress it wouldn’t “pay off”

So I paused.

A few things kept me from taking that final step
→ a few more tech platforms to learn (& pay for)
→ still hadn’t sorted my website issues (as in it still isn’t finished because developers kept taking my money then going into witness protection or something)

beehiiv’s Winter Release

beehiiv finally lets you sell digital products without doing the ‘connect forty tools and pray nothing breaks’ routine.

What you charge is what you actually get.

& by Digital Products, it’s not just the typical ebooks or templates.

Think:
→ Links to exclusive website access, memberships, VIP event access, & affiliate bundles
→ Time for paid coaching & consulting (1-on-1 or groups)

It can even be:
- Audits
- Copywriting
- Marketing Strategy
- Program design

The great thing is there’s no kickback or surprise fees to beehiiv.
What you charge is what you get.

AI Website Creation

This one’s easily my favorite.
AI builds the actual site … sort of.

No separate tools
No dragging random blocks around the screen only to break something global

You just describe what you want (or drop in a screenshot) and poof … full webpages appear. It even handles widgets, custom or existing.

I realize this tech isn’t brand new …ChatGPT’s been helping you create widgets for a while…

But having it inside beehiiv instead of scattered across 6 platforms?

That’s definitely a fair definition of ‘game-changer’.

Want to tweak something?
Prompt it or edit it manually. Whatever fits your style.

(Funny throwback: I took an “internet” class 28 years ago. The instructor asked me to teach the class how to make animated GIFs. That was also when my romantic dream of “going off to college” collided with bureaucratic curriculum rules that couldn’t keep up with how fast tech moved.)

& yes, it also allows for podcasts, all those juicy consolidated marketing stats, &dynamic content so you can get only the things relevant to you (as your profile is updated)

What All of This Reinforces

1. Share Your Struggles

You never know who knows someone… or is the someone who can help.

2. Tech Comes Last

Words first.
Followed by a sketched layout.
Then — & only then — touch the tech.

Whether you’re brand new or a tinkerer at heart, the rule stands:
→ Newbie? You’ll just get frustrated if you start in the tools.
→ Tech-savvy? You’ll fall down a rabbit hole of features & options that delay publishing.

Save the tinkering for after version 1 is out the door.

My Plan While I Wait for Reliable Power

Since I’m currently at the mercy of batteries, weather, and red tape, I’m using the downtime to map out the things that don’t require electricity:
→ New welcome sequence ←I’m starting here
→ Updated website copy for the new site ←saving this for last
→ Digital product setup (coaching, strategy retainers, etc …with a 2026 $ increase)
→ Organizing tech + learning resources (ideally with affiliate links)
→ Dusting off my podcast notes (IF it’s something you’d be interested in, let me know)

Consolidation.
Simplification.
& using what I can control when I can’t control the rest.

You’re not going to need my solar guy to help you with a barn problem.
But chances are, you’re dealing with several platforms doing different things
& you’re trying to be the middleman getting them to communicate.

Do yourself a favor & check out what beehiiv’s up to with this Winter Release … There’s a lot more than I covered … & you’ll be hearing about things as I work on them (the good, the bad & even ugly as I work through… so it’s not all about snow & cold)

If you’re paying for a few different platforms trying to get everything to work, beehiiv may very well save you a few sleepless nights, premature grey hair, & cut back on platform subscription costs

Make it a great “consolidated“ week!
EG

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