It’s easy to get caught up in views, downloads and subscribers. The numbers matter, of course, but only because each one represents a real person who has chosen to spend some of their time with us.
June was our strongest month yet, and not by a whisker. Podcast downloads were up nearly half on May, our best month on record. More new readers joined the Substack than in any month since last autumn. Over 8,000 watches of our clips on TikTok. Every single channel moved in the right direction, and early July suggests the momentum is carrying. That’s encouraging. We’re not chasing algorithms, but it does suggest the ideas, guests and discussions are finding their audience.
So, a genuine thank you.
Thank you to everyone who reads, watches, listens, comments, shares and occasionally challenges us. The Third Half exists because of this growing community, and we’re grateful to have you with us.
A special thank you also to Happy, whose quiet work behind the scenes keeps everything moving. From editing and publishing to helping us understand what’s working and what isn’t, she’s such an important part of the team and a lovely person - her own story last month ‘I Spent a Year Building a Summit. Here's What It Taught Me About Nigeria's Green Future’ is golden.
And one small ask. We’re getting brilliant guests, people with real stories and hard-won wisdom, and they deserve an audience to match. If an episode or an essay has stayed with you, share it with someone who’d get something from it. That’s how this grows, one recommendation at a time.
We’re still a small platform, but we’re building something we’re proud of: thoughtful conversations about People, Planet and Progress, with fascinating guests and an audience that genuinely cares.
And one final thing. September marks our first anniversary, and we’re planning to celebrate it properly, in person, with some of the people who’ve made this first year what it was. We’ll say no more than that for now, but if you’re a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to hear.
Onwards.