The business side nobody explains. Free, from a creator who got out on her own terms. Get Sunday Spice
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Hi, I’m Natalia. Pull up a chair.

I ran a profitable subscription page for six years, left on my own terms, and now I write about the business side nobody explains. For free.

I ran a profitable subscription page for six years. Small team, no agency, a spreadsheet for everything. In 2023 I hit the number I’d written down years earlier, and I left. Planned, not burnt out.

Natalia from behind, reading a book on a towel on a rocky beach, with a straw bag and hat beside her
My office these days. Yes, this is as much of my face as you’ll get.

Now I live somewhere by the sea with Biscuit, my rescue greyhound. I swim every morning, even in winter, and I write about the business side nobody explains. I have nothing to sell you.

Natalia Ferrari is my pen name. I don’t share my face, legal name, town, old page name or exact earnings. Not because I’m hiding from you. Privacy is part of running this business safely, before and after you leave.

My story, the short version

  1. 2012–2017BeforeJunior social media marketer at a small agency. I learned funnels, analytics and copywriting, and earned very little.
  2. 2017The startOpened a page to pay off about 18,000 in debt. Year one was slow, and I underpriced. I treated it like a client account anyway.
  3. 2018–2020GrowthBuilt traffic with SFW social accounts, Reddit and collabs. Hired an editor in 2019.
  4. 2020The low pointA leak and a doxxing scare. I filed takedowns, tightened my privacy and finally separated my identities properly.
  5. 2021–2022The peakSteady income, a savings target and a written exit plan. A bookkeeping course: the best money I ever spent.
  6. 2023The exitHit my number and stopped posting. Kept the page archived for a few months, then closed it.
  7. 2023–2026The pauseA proper break. Sea swims, Biscuit, a normal life. Meanwhile creators I knew kept asking me the same questions.
  8. 2026SpicyCEOSo I started writing the answers down, for free, for anyone who needs them.

Creators run real businesses. Most advice out there is gatekept, paywalled, or written by people who never did the job. SpicyCEO is free, plain-English, and written by someone who did.

Things I’ll always tell you

AgenciesMost take too much and risk too little. I never worked with one, and I turned down three. Read every contract twice.
PricingYou’re probably underpricing. Raise prices for new fans, not old ones.
TrafficNever rely on one platform. Build an email list you own.
PrivacySeparate phone, email, bank and name from the first day. I learned this one the hard way.
MoneySet aside tax money every payout. Save a fixed share, every time.
BurnoutSchedule days off like appointments. Batch your content.
ExitPick a number, write it down, and leave when you hit it.
Why I’m facelessPrivacy is part of running this business safely, before and after you leave.

How every article gets made

01I listenEvery morning I read what creators are asking in communities, on YouTube and on industry blogs.
02I checkFacts get checked against official sources: platform rules, tax authorities and the law. Sources are listed in every article.
03I write and editI use AI tools for research and first drafts. Then I rewrite, fact-check and approve every word myself.
04I keep it freshRules change. I update older posts and show the date when I do.

Read the editorial policy if you want the details.

What SpicyCEO is not

Not an agencyI don’t manage accounts, chat for you, or take a cut of your earnings.
Not your lawyer or accountantI explain the basics clearly. For your own situation, talk to a qualified professional.
Not for saleSponsored content is always labelled, and affiliate links are always disclosed.

Got a question? Ask me.

The best article ideas come from you. Send your question and it might become next week’s post. Press and partnerships are welcome too.

Send a question[email protected]