

Discover more from Offline Time
The first Substack post I ever sent was on March 2, 2022. Twelve months, 69 articles, 19,000 subscribers, a book club, and hundreds of paid subscribers later, I’ve reached the one-year mark of this newsletter.
When I set out to start Pet Hair on Everything, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that I wanted a space for my thoughts to go. I felt alone in stepping away from social media (the way I used to use it), but I still wanted to express myself (ironically, on the internet, I know…). I was drawn to the newsletter format: a slower, quieter form of “social media”, if you can even call this that. I had new boundaries that I wrote out clearly before embarking on PHOE. I spent an afternoon writing a list of things I would and wouldn’t share under a “YES” and “NO” list.
Under “YES”: my weird experience on social media, being an influencer, wellness culture, etc.
Under the “NO” list: tying certain personal/sacred things to my “brand”, posting body pics when I needed validation, oversharing for likes/views, anything about my romantic life.
It felt so good and so intentional. I’m so happy I took that leap.
However, since launching this newsletter, my own desires and interests have shifted. Through writing this newsletter (shoutout to the healing powers of putting pen to paper), I’ve realized I wanted to focus more on the shifting of my relationship to the internet and social media. As a self-proclaimed ex-"extremely online” person, my experiences stepping down from influencer life had a profound effect on me, and I feel this shift is something a lot of people can relate to and/or want for themselves. That said…
Moving forward, this newsletter will be called OFFLINE TIME.

We will still be talking about and exploring a lot of the same things we previously talked about and explored here, but, now, the focus will always tie back to thinking more critically about our digital lives and nurturing our practices for offline time.
If you want a say in the future of this newsletter, please take two minutes to complete this survey. It’s your chance to really have a say in the direction of this newsletter. As change is in the air, I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
We are so wrapped up in the digital world of social media, and there is a need for a community for people who don’t want that kind of relationship to social media.
This newsletter is for anyone who has ever had a TikTok explained to them and their stomach churned because they don’t want TikTok.
This newsletter is for anyone who can’t handle staying on top of the newest “online trends” and see that the fast-paced cycle of social-media based trends is unsustainable and harmful to our minds and planet.
This newsletter is for people who aren’t ready to go full-on Luddite and recognize that social media has a place in our lives and can serve as a tool, but they want to be more aware of how, when, and why they interact with it.
This newsletter is for anyone who has an interest in it. You don’t have to be “extremely online” or “totally offline” to read it. But if this mission speaks to you, you’re in the right place.
A podcast is coming…
Along with the change in name and direction, I will also be launching a podcast that speaks to the same topics. To start, it’ll probably be once a month, but, again, take the survey to let me know! The podcast will be 100% supported by readers like you. I’m super excited to be adding this new offering to the agenda.
A breakdown of free vs. paid.
More goodness added to paid subscriptions!
For free subscribers:
Public posts including essays on our digital lives and how we can all live with more intention
Episodes of the Offline Time podcast
For paid subscribers:
For paid subscribers, I am now offering first access to announcements, events, and workshops along with:
Access to all articles, past and future!
Access to the Dear Lee advice column (Submit your question for a chance to be featured)
Access to the OFFLINE TIME Book Club (meets via Zoom)
Access to the Group chat
First access to events + workshops*
*new offering
What’s not changing?
My mission to deliver honest, authentic, and thought-provoking content.
You don’t need to do anything. If you subscribe to Pet Hair on Everything, you’ll still be receiving emails from me.
The URL will stay the same too: I'm always leetilghman.substack.com (PS note to anyone thinking of starting a substack, make your URL your name in case you ever want to change your substack name 😁)
Upcoming posts:
Why don’t we take influencers more seriously?
Another influencer makes an exit (PAID)
Why women excel at influencing
What moving 3,000 miles away from home did for me (PAID)
How do we take care of ourselves in a post-wellness world?
After spending so many years on social media getting inundated with ads and even finding some of my favorite newsletters run by ads and affiliates, I wanted to create something different. This newsletter is 100% free of ads and affiliate marketing, and 100% supported by readers like you. However, this is only possible because of my paid subscribers.
Cost
Same as before: $50 per year, or $5 per month.
When will this change happen?
The first newsletter under the new moniker will be published on March 7th.
If you’ve read this far and are still with me, thank you for reading, thank you for sharing, and thanks for sticking along. I am so appreciative to my readers, and I’m so excited for what’s next.
This will be my last email signing off as Pet Hair on Everything. *bittersweet moment* See you on the other side!
As always,
Lee
Welcome to Offline Time
This is very exciting! I’ve been wanting to subscribe to a newsletter that’s willing to tackle this subject realistically, and this is absolutely perfect. Can’t wait!
Congrats on the next phase of your newsletter! Looking forward to it.
As someone who traversed the influencer path and tossed it aside in favor of mental health and a more centered, grounded existence, I 100% echo what you're saying about the offline life and the slower, quieter format of newsletters. I wish all my good friends wrote one so I could ACTUALLY know what's going on with them vs. filtered social media.
Kudos to you for leading from the messy front and showing a different path!