I rebranded myself on Substack this week.
New name. New banner. Same overall mission. ‘Be of help.’
Mike Searles – PDFs
That’s it. That’s the brand.
I write and publish problem-solving PDFs.
For the past 6–12 months, you’ve seen me talk about the wisdom economy, how to turn what you know into something useful, profitable, and lasting.
I still believe in that idea. But I’m evolving.
Some people call it reinventing. Or pivoting. Or even rebranding. To me it’s momentum.
Thirty-plus years in marketing taught me this:
If your message doesn’t evolve, people drift. Not because they dislike you - attention just moves on. It’s customer fatigue.
A small refresh every 6–12 months helps keep things sharp. Not dramatic. Just enough to reset the signal and avoid reader fatigue.
👉 The best creators do this. You should too, if you’re publishing anything of your own.
So I’m shifting my focus to: Problem-Solving PDFs
That’s where most of my creative energy is going now. Easy-to-read digital products that deliver real solutions to real problems, drawn from lived experience, not theory.
And where’s the best place I’ve found to publish and sell these problem-solving PDFs.
Gumroad. Check it out: mikesearles.gumroad.com
What about the YouTube experiment (Stoicism Shortcuts)?
If you’ve been following along, you know I ran a 30 Shorts in 30 Days sprint in April/May.
It was a good experiment. Taught me a lot.
But it’s not where my energy is being pulled right now.
And honestly, if I hadn’t started that sprint, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Cause and effect and all that 😉
For now, I’m all in on writing and publishing useful PDFs.
That’s what has me fired up.
And that’s what you’ll keep seeing from me.
Just last week I launched a new one:
Overlooked Puddles
How to Find and Monetize Dumbly Profitable Ideas Other Digital Creators Haven’t Noticed Yet
And already, it’s getting 5-star reviews like these:
🛑 By the way, would you be interested in a short, problem-solving PDF that helps you figure out what, when, and how to tweak your own direction... so it actually helps, not hurts?
Hit reply. Or leave a comment. If enough people are curious, I’ll love to write it.
In short:
– I rebranded
– I’m focused on Problem-Solving PDFs
– Overlooked Puddles is live and getting great feedback
– More to come...
If you’re reading my PDFs and thinking, “I could make one too” — you’re not wrong. Stick around. I’ll show you how.
Thanks for being here.
— Mike
Love your play mate!
This is great, Mike, and I can hear the excitement behind the words. Anyone who follows you appreciates your honesty, your experience, and your willingness to try things and then pivot if they don’t work. Looking forward to learning from you.