2024: A Year I Didn't Expect

Read time: 4 min.

This year didn’t exactly go as planned.

But, man, what a ride it’s been.

In January, I dove headfirst into building my personal brand on X.

A new platform, endless skills to learn, and a flood of self-doubt.

It was exciting. I’ll admit that.

But also completely overwhelming.

And just when I thought I had my hands full…

• My faceless brand exploded.

• I got monetized on YouTube.

• Money started rolling in.

For a moment, I thought, This is it. I’ve made it.

Then reality hit.

With the money came something I hadn’t fully prepared for: taxes.

Now, let me tell you, there’s nothing that sucks the joy out of your work quite like tax stress.

The excitement from my personal brand? Gone.

The inspiration? Buried under paperwork.

I sat down to work, but nothing came out. Time and time again.

That’s when I realized: Something had to give.

So, I made two decisions that changed everything.

1. I outsourced my taxes.

   (I should’ve done this ages ago, by the way.)

2. I booked a three-week backpacking trip to Thailand.

   No social media. No writing on X. Just me, my girlfriend, and a chance to reset.

But I didn’t stop writing entirely.

I kept sending newsletters because—well, I enjoy them.

When I came back, I felt refreshed.

My mind was clearer. My energy was back.

And I felt ready to tackle a big project I’d been putting off.

Building a course for my faceless brand.

Now, if you’ve ever created a product, you know what that’s like.

It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. And the doubts… oh, the doubts.

• Would it flop?

• Would anyone even buy it?

• Who the hell buys from a faceless brand, anyway?

Still, I pushed forward.

I worked on it for months.

Finally, launch day came.

I hit “Publish” around midnight, closed my laptop, and went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up, grabbed my phone, and…

There it was:

I just stared at it.

Then the tears came.

Not because of the money. (Though, let’s be honest, that felt great.)

But because of what it represented.

Proof that this whole crazy idea was possible.

You see, there’s something about that first sale.

It’s like a switch flips in your brain.

Suddenly, you realize: This can work. I can do this.

That one little notification gave me something I hadn’t felt in months:

Peace. Confidence. And the belief that I was on the right path.

2024 was the year of my faceless brand.

But 2025?

That’s the year I go all-in on my personal brand.

And I can’t wait to take you along for the ride.

Much love,

— Martijn