Thank you for this. And solidarity - I’m so sorry this has happened and I will continue to support. Some of my own work got taken recently and the feeling of violation is visceral, especially as the work itself related to trauma. I’m sorry you’ve experienced this too.
I like your channel, but as an engineer I am wondering why you need $240k to keep it running? I'm a structural engineer and I don't make near that amount a year not even including my benefits. So I'm just wondering how you came up with $240k. Also, I like this channel, but I can't get myself to pay $100 a year. That's just a lot for me and I make decent money. I just have too many things in my life that need fixed (plumbing, building repairs, etc.). My family also farms on the side so that's why we have so many things that need fixed. I do think having people decide what they are willing to pay is smart. Someone who gets more value would probably pay you more. I did pay for that book/article you wrote.
I'm so sorry about the FB loss... As for rest: I for one believe that timing and pace of creative work is never a spirit to be tamed or trapped by "deadlines." It's mercurial and comes when the f it wants. It laughs at us thinking we can stick with the schedule of Empire. You don't need our permission to rest and recover. And, I for one will stay subscribed (& paying), because you and your work are completely amazing.
Thank you Desiree for always being transparent. I love your vision. That is what I see as the thing we support. You have a vision for a life that nurtures and feeds so many.
Take your rest. You have provided so much for us on this site and you have shown us the community that is being created in real time.
Keep taking care of yourself and your family. We will keep showing up, because you have shown up for us.
It is a good lesson for us all to see you struggle to know and ask for what you need.
Thank you for this. And solidarity - I’m so sorry this has happened and I will continue to support. Some of my own work got taken recently and the feeling of violation is visceral, especially as the work itself related to trauma. I’m sorry you’ve experienced this too.
I hate that you know this feeling in your body it is an absolute violation in so many ways, solidarity to you as well
I like your channel, but as an engineer I am wondering why you need $240k to keep it running? I'm a structural engineer and I don't make near that amount a year not even including my benefits. So I'm just wondering how you came up with $240k. Also, I like this channel, but I can't get myself to pay $100 a year. That's just a lot for me and I make decent money. I just have too many things in my life that need fixed (plumbing, building repairs, etc.). My family also farms on the side so that's why we have so many things that need fixed. I do think having people decide what they are willing to pay is smart. Someone who gets more value would probably pay you more. I did pay for that book/article you wrote.
I hear what you’re asking, and I love it because it is what many may be asking silently but won't dare to say, so thank you for being so candid.
On the surface, it sounds like:
“Why does one person need $240,000?”
Especially when you’re working hard, fixing what’s in front of you, supporting your family, maintaining land, and handling real-life responsibilities.
That’s real.
And I respect that.
But here’s the shift:
That number is not a personal salary.
It’s the cost of sustaining an ecosystem.
What I’m building isn’t just a channel or content.
It’s closer to a community center, a church, a learning space, and a homestead, all at once.
So that $240k supports:
People (because this should not be held by one person)
– facilitators and educators
– childcare / camp support so parents can participate
– guest teachers and collaborators
– admin and operations support
– stipends for community labor that usually goes unpaid
The Homestead (a physical place to gather and learn)
– land / rent / housing costs
– utilities
– maintenance and repairs
– garden and food systems
– supplies for classes, gatherings, and care
Programming (what people are actually receiving)
– free and low-cost classes
– workshops and cohorts
– youth programs and camps
– community events and healing spaces
– curriculum and materials
Access (this is the part most people don’t see)
– scholarships
– sliding scale pricing
– covering those who cannot pay
– keeping this from becoming exclusive
Infrastructure (the invisible work that holds it all together)
– website, platforms, and tech
– writing, teaching, recording
– coordination and communication
– legal, accounting, and operational costs
When you put that together…
This is not “one person making $240k.”
This is many people being supported so something can exist for many people.
I also want to honor what you said about the $100.
Because we’re all navigating real life...repairs, family, land, responsibilities.
So this isn’t about everyone paying the same.
It’s about a shift from:
consumption → collective sustaining
Where the question becomes:
“Do I want this to exist, and if so, what is my place in helping it exist?”
And that answer is allowed to be different for everyone.
You might say:
“I can’t do $100.”
Someone else might say:
“I can do $10.”
“I can do $25.”
“I can do more.”
And together, that’s what holds it.
We’ve been taught to think in scarcity and individual survival.
So when we see a number like $240k, we compare it to one person’s income.
But this model isn’t individual.
It’s collective.
And without that?
Everything you see still gets created, but it’s funded by burnout, debt, and one person carrying what should be shared.
And eventually… it disappears.
You already contributed.
You’re here engaging.
That matters. That's your capacity.
This isn’t about pressure.
It’s about transparency.
So the real question isn’t:
“Why does one person need $240k?”
It’s:
“What does it take for something meaningful to exist (and keep existing)for all of us?”
And that answer has never been:
one person.
It’s always been:
community.
I'm so sorry about the FB loss... As for rest: I for one believe that timing and pace of creative work is never a spirit to be tamed or trapped by "deadlines." It's mercurial and comes when the f it wants. It laughs at us thinking we can stick with the schedule of Empire. You don't need our permission to rest and recover. And, I for one will stay subscribed (& paying), because you and your work are completely amazing.
This is such an important post and I thank you deeply for it!
I am, also, so sorry you have had to lose all that you have done .. it is so horrific (but I guess should not be surprising) that it happened.
Consider all you listed, in the above comments about what the $240,000 will cover it’s actually amazing all that can happen for just $240,000 a year!
Rent, utilities, food, all those services…in today’s economy those things are expensive.
Thank you for all you do!
Thank you Desiree for always being transparent. I love your vision. That is what I see as the thing we support. You have a vision for a life that nurtures and feeds so many.
Take your rest. You have provided so much for us on this site and you have shown us the community that is being created in real time.
Keep taking care of yourself and your family. We will keep showing up, because you have shown up for us.
It is a good lesson for us all to see you struggle to know and ask for what you need.
Every post is part of your gift.
Walk in courage. 🙏🏽💜