Dear Permission to be Powerful reader,

I recently merged my Vacation Vault with Permission to be Powerful…

And I’m thrilled about the results.

I think the vibe makes my Substack feel more like a fancy publication…

And I love that.

I wanted to take the time to tell you more about the Vacation Vault…

So you understand precisely how much fun you’re missing.

Out of one copywriter’s sick and twisted mind…

Came an idea…

Nobody told him about it.

He just dreamed it up…

A place where you have constant opportunities to win a free vacation.

What kind of sociopath doesn’t want a free vacation?

I select locations around the globe…

Maldives

Budapest

Madrid

Costa Rica

Bali

Italy

Cancun

The Galápagos

Iceland

Norway

Turks & Caicos

New Orleans

And that’s just scratching the surface.

Think of it like a game that we’re all playing together.

Like bingo.

Except the prize is a Hawaii trip…

Or Madrid…

Or Mexico City…

The options are nearly limitless…

And you dramatically improve your odds because I vet every giveaway…

Making sure it’s legitimate before it ever reaches you.

No endless Googling.

No wondering whether some sketchy website is about to harvest your email address.

Just the fun part.

You enter.

You dream.

Then one morning you open your inbox…

And discover you’re one of the lucky winners.

That’s the whole point.

To spend more time imagining yourself floating in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon…

Walking the streets of Rome…

Watching the sunrise over Bali…

Or sipping coffee in a tiny café in Budapest…

Instead of wasting hours searching for opportunities you’ll probably never find.

Every giveaway is another chance.

Another ticket.

Another roll of the dice.

One of them has your name on it.

Use code VAULT at checkout to get your first month for just $1.

Get the First Month for Only $1

(Then $8/ month after that)

Tony V.

Editor-in-Chief

Permission to Be Powerful

See you inside,

Tony V.

Editor-in-Chief

Permission to be Powerful

Tony V.

P.S. The next vacation could be announced tomorrow. Better to already be inside than watching someone else celebrate from the sidelines.

This all happened to one person…

…in one lifetime.

This serial grabs you by the throat, and it never lets up…

Light spoilers:

Whales swim past my classroom

I rescue baby sea turtles

I get into an altercation at the DMV.

I spend New Year’s Eve with a sociopath

A hacker breaks into a bank.

I spark a nationwide protest

A quarry explodes... and four people die.

I get caught in a rising flood

All three of my cats get pregnant... at the same time.

Some very rude monkeys…

My 77-year-old wingman teaches me how to become the life of the party.

I lose my mother to cancer.

And that's not even the whole story...

I get trapped in one of the strangest codependent relationships imaginable.

I go into hiding for 5 years.

I reinvent myself from scratch.

I become obsessed with boundaries.

I learn how to stop being everyone’s doormat.

I leave my island.

I come to America.

I almost get deported.

I discover that paradise and hell can exist in the same place...

...and sometimes inside the same person.

Come.

Join me on this wild journey.

New chapter each month.

SIGN UP FOR THE HELL & PARADISE SERIAL HERE:

Join The Hell & Paradise Serial

To celebrate this year’s Fourth of July, I wanted to do something special.

I’m releasing the first 5 chapters of my new monthly memoir serial, Hell & Paradise, for paid members today.

You can become a paid member for just $1 for the first month.

You can get all the details by clicking the button below.

Join The Hell & Paradise Serial

This is my Coming to America story.

There are so many twists and turns that you’re going to wonder how I still have all my limbs by the end.

This is more than a journey.

It captures one of the most important periods of my life.

I talk a lot about being the Chauffeur on this Substack.

It was one of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve ever had.

The Chauffeur was the version of me shaped by violence growing up.

Being assertive was dangerous in my household.

So I learned coping strategies that helped me survive as a child...

But nearly destroyed me as an adult.

People-pleasing was one of them.

I never learned how to set boundaries.

And that mistake got me into a lot of trouble.

Eventually...

I found a way to leave that identity behind.

It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

The person who emerged felt like the exact opposite of the Chauffeur.

Kind of like Bruce Banner and the Hulk.

Bruce created the Hulk.

The Hulk could do everything Bruce couldn’t.

That’s why I nicknamed this version of myself Mike Tyson.

It’s just a metaphor.

But after years of therapy...

Reading...

Zen practice...

Writing copy for Tony fucking Robbins himself...

And building my own publication…

I became someone I barely recognize.

Someone with firm boundaries.

Someone whose voice gets heard.

Someone you do not want to mess with.

The eight years this memoir covers were brutal.

I was broke.

Depressed.

Exhausted.

Trapped.

Isolated.

Always struggling as a freelance copywriter.

Two steps forward.

One step back.

Indignity after indignity.

Then my mom died suddenly from cancer.

After that...

I disappeared from my family’s life for five years.

That’s one of the central threads of this story.

I don’t usually advertise it with a foghorn.

But it’s wild.

I was living something that felt eerily similar to witness protection.

I moved.

I cut ties with everyone.

And I worked my ass off.

Slowly...

Everything began to change.

I found incredible therapists.

I lost 50 pounds.

I tripled my income.

I wrote for Tony Robbins.

And yet...

Life still had plenty of surprises waiting for me.

I grew up in St. Lucia.

When you’re raised on a tiny Caribbean island where almost everyone is poor...

You learn very early that average isn’t going to cut it.

I decided I had to become twice as good.

That mindset has never left me.

I was born into unhappy circumstances.

But I became obsessed with learning how to build a happy life.

That obsession took me down some unbelievable rabbit holes.

Eventually...

It led me to the Rochester Zen Center, where I live and work like a monk.

I came out a completely different person.

This story isn’t really about teaching.

There won’t be many lectures.

You’ll be too busy following the adventure.

That’s why I call it An American Odyssey.

By the end you’ll probably wonder,

“How the hell did one person fit all of that into a single lifetime?”

You’ll laugh a lot.

Several chapters are downright ridiculous.

Especially the Gate series.

Dolphingate.

Cockygate.

DMVgate.

Sociopathgate.

They’re some of my favorite chapters in the entire book.

I often say,

“I don’t recommend my lifestyle.”

I mean it.

I’m a recovering workaholic.

A loner.

A glutton for punishment.

But if my mistakes can save you years of pain...

They’ll have been worth something.

The early readers have surprised me.

One of the things they mention most often is how vividly the island comes alive.

You’ll be swept away to a place most people never get to experience.

And once you start...

You’re going to have a hard time putting it down.

Become a paid member today for just $1.

After that it’s only $5.99 per month.

Worth every penny.

You already know my writing hits different.

That’s why you keep coming back.

I’ve probably snatched your wig a few times.

Sorry.

One day, thousands of people will discover this story.

Today...

You get to say you were here from the beginning.

Listen...

I started Permission to be Powerful after Tony Robbins fired me in 2024.

I was unemployed.

AI was changing everything.

I knew I couldn’t build my future by depending on clients forever.

So I started over.

One post at a time.

Today...

More than 134,000 people read my work.

But this publication is still the beating heart of everything I do.

And your support helps keep it growing.

The fireworks can wait.

Click below and start reading Hell & Paradise today.

Join The Hell & Paradise Serial

Tony V.

Editor-in-Chief

Permission to be Powerful

Dear Permission to be Powerful reader,

Could You Pass This Citizenship Test?

Go.

Washington, D.C.

George Washington.

Terrorists attacked the United States.

July 4.

Because there are 50 states.

The Star-Spangled Banner.

The Supreme Court.

One hundred.

The Senate and the House of Representatives.

Legislative, executive, and judicial.

The Constitution.

July 4, 1776.

Thomas Jefferson.

This Is the Civics Test

Well done.

A lot of Americans don’t pass.

A 2022 Fourth of July poll found that roughly 1 in 8 Americans couldn’t name George Washington as the first president.

For Americans under 25, the number was closer to 1 in 5.

And a Citizens & Scholars survey found that only 36% of Americans could pass a multiple-choice test based on U.S. citizenship questions.

You Probably Deserve to Be an American Citizen

If you answered all of them correctly, congratulations...

You probably deserve to be an American citizen.

But for me, this isn’t trivia.

This is one of the final steps before taking the Oath of Allegiance.

I’m practically at the finish line.

And to think just a year ago, I was wondering if they would deport me.

If I would be exiled forever.

This is a lifelong dream come true.

To celebrate this year’s Fourth of July, I wanted to do something special.

So I’m opening the 5 chapters of my new monthly memoir serial, Hell & Paradise, for paid members today.

Subscribe now

I wanted to tell you the wild and crazy story of how I came to America in the first place.

How I became the man who could write for Tony Robbins.

The man who could build an audience of over 134,000 readers while unemployed, living at a Zen Center.

The Real Questions Are Harder Than the Civics Test

What if the place where you grew up was too small for you?

What if the life everyone called “beautiful” was killing you?

What if freedom cost you everything?

What kind of hunger makes a person leave everything behind?

These are some of the core questions you’ll be challenged with as you follow my journey.

This Story Is WILD

Hell & Paradise is the story of two writers trying to build a life together in St. Lucia.

On the surface, it sounds almost romantic.

A Caribbean island.

Two ambitious people.

Big dreams.

Beautiful scenery.

A life most people would look at from the outside and call paradise.

But inside that paradise, everything starts to crack.

Marriage.

Money.

Family.

Grief.

Ambition.

Immigration.

Identity.

The dream of America.

The fear of losing it.

This is the story of how I left St. Lucia, moved to the United States, fought to become the man I believed I could be, and slowly discovered that the life I was trying so hard to save might be the very life I needed to survive.

It is a story about love, collapse, exile, reinvention, and the terrifying cost of becoming free.

It begins in paradise.

But paradise was never the whole story.

A New Chapter Every Month

That’s why, starting now, I’ll be releasing a new chapter of Hell & Paradise every month for paid members.

One chapter at a time.

One strange turn at a time.

One piece of the story at a time.

And honestly?

I didn’t realize how wild my life had been until I started writing it all down.

I have lived through love, grief, immigration, divorce, depression, reinvention, spiritual practice, professional ambition, financial collapse, and the deeply absurd experience of trying to become a whole new person while everything around me kept catching fire.

A normal life, apparently. Very relaxing. Highly recommended by no one.

But I promise you this:

You will be entertained.

This story moves.

It has romance.

It has betrayal.

It has comedy.

It has breakdowns.

It has America.

It has St. Lucia.

It has ambition.

It has disaster.

It has rebirth.

And underneath all the chaos, it has lessons that may actually help you look at your own life differently.

Because this is not just a story about me.

It is a story about what happens when the life that once protected you becomes the life you have to escape.

It is a story about what it costs to become free.

And if you’ve ever felt trapped inside a beautiful-looking life...

If you’ve ever wondered whether your hunger was madness or wisdom...

If you’ve ever had to choose between belonging and becoming...

Then I think you’ll find something in this story that belongs to you too.

Become a Paid Member

This Fourth of July, I’m celebrating the country I fought to belong to.

But I’m also celebrating the story that got me here.

Hell & Paradise is that story.

Every month, paid members will get a new chapter as I tell the full, strange, funny, painful, ridiculous, life-changing journey from St. Lucia to America.

From paradise to collapse.

From exile to reinvention.

From trying to save a life that was killing me...

To finally becoming the man my old life could not contain.

Become a paid member today and start reading Hell & Paradise one chapter at a time.

Join The Hell & Paradise Serial

Tony V.

Editor-in-Chief

Permission to be Powerful

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Madrid…

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Tony V.

Editor-in-Chief

Permission to Be Powerful

Permission to Be Powerful

antonvolney.com

Subscribe for more essays and serials

© Team Healthy LLC

Don’t skip this.

You wouldn’t leave a dying man alone out in the cold to die, would you?

Dear Permission to Be Powerful Reader,

The hour of my death has finally come.

If you saw the numbers, you’d probably agree.

The savings are gone.

The credit cards are smoking.

The situation is ugly.

I’ve spent almost 2 years fighting this battle.

Drinking one humiliation after another with no chaser.

Fired.

Blackballed.

Unemployment.

Food banks.

Janitor work.

Depression.

ICE immigration nightmares.

Isolation.

Getting betrayed.

Working on projects that went nowhere.

Taking abuse from people I didn’t respect.

Starting.

Stopping.

Quitting halfway.

Getting scared.

Settling.

Watching other people succeed while wondering if I was crazy.

Watching other people have fun while I grinded alone seven days per week.

And after all of that…

I finally arrived.

Funny, isn’t it?

Most people would call this the end.

I call it judgment day.

Because there are no excuses left.

• No wife to blame.

• No boss to blame.

• No country to blame.

• No gatekeeper.

• No mentor.

• No cavalry.

No imaginary future where everything magically comes together.

It’s here.

Now.

The hour I spent my entire life avoiding.

The hour where I finally have to find out.

Because I have the list.

I have the servers.

I have the offer.

I have the book.

I have the publication.

I have the experience.

I have the scars.

And I have absolutely nowhere left to hide.

Good.

I’m tired of hiding.

People think confidence means certainty.

It doesn’t.

Confidence means betting on yourself when certainty doesn’t exist.

I’ve spent years pretending.

Years bluffing.

Years thinking, “One day.”

One day I’ll finish the book.

One day I’ll take myself seriously.

One day I’ll stop begging for scraps.

One day I’ll stop waiting for permission.

One day I’ll build something real.

One day I’ll trust myself.

Well.

One day has arrived.

And strangely enough, I’m calm.

Not because I’m safe.

Because I’m free.

I’ve finally hit rock bottom.

Thank God.

I’ve already been living through hell.

Rock bottom means there’s nowhere left to fall.

There’s nowhere left to hide.

And strangely enough, I’m grateful.

Not because I enjoy suffering.

Because suffering already introduced itself.

We know each other now.

I’m not scared of it anymore.

I’ve already lost everything.

I’ve already started over.

I’ve already eaten the humiliation.

I’ve already survived being broke.

I’ve already survived loneliness.

I’ve already survived failure.

What exactly am I afraid of now?

Another scar?

Good.

I know what to do with scars.

I’ve collected enough of them.

They heal.

People think they’re afraid of dying.

Most people are afraid of living.

They’re afraid of finding out.

Afraid of discovering whether they actually have what it takes.

Afraid of reality itself.

Not me.

Not anymore.

Reality can vote.

The readers can vote.

The market can vote.

I’m done arguing.

Let’s find out.

My fate doesn’t belong to critics.

It doesn’t belong to enemies.

It doesn’t belong to people who laughed.

It doesn’t belong to people who left.

It belongs to reality.

And reality is honest.

Maybe I’ll win.

Maybe I’ll lose.

But I refuse to spend another decade wondering.

The hour of my death has finally come.

Thank God.

I’ve waited my whole life for it.

Until next time,

Tony V.
Editor-in-Chief
Permission to Be Powerful

P.S. This is a crucial time.

War hardens you.

I planned for the worst.

Being broke forced me to think strategically.

There was a fundamental flaw with my business.

The bigger my list grew, the more expensive it became.

And that motherfucker is BIG.

Here’s what’s happening.

There’s bodies everywhere.

Open war.

Smoke.

Gunshots.

I saw a huge flaw in my business.

The bigger my list became, the more software I needed.

The more money I needed for overhead.

I don’t like doing things the dumb way.

I like smart.

To me, that means owning your assets, not renting them.

Because I knew that if someone could switch off my business at the flip of a switch, eventually they would.

This is late-stage capitalism.

The jungle is undefeated.

Another pet peeve:

Too many service providers telling me what I can and can’t do.

Not your call, homie.

I’m out.

I discovered something amazing.

I love open-source software.

It’s free.

You pay a guy to hook up your servers.

Then your thousand-dollar-per-month MailChimp problem becomes a twenty-dollar-per-month asset that prints money.

I prepaid my servers for an entire year.

So even if I go broke, the lights stay on.

We stay open for business.

The psychological freedom is incredible.

This thing is hard to kill.

I own every piece of it.

Most of the software is free.

And it’s every bit as good as the expensive stuff.

Better, in some cases.

I don’t rent.

I own.

132,000 subscribers.

They’re all mine.

Four servers.

Paid for a year.

Open for business no matter what.

I built the infrastructure myself.

I know how the plumbing works.

No more wondering whether I can keep up with ever-growing bills while trying to get this publication off the ground.

This baby is here to stay.

My mindset on this project has been simple.

This project was not cheap.

Mostly because I had to figure out how to build the machine.

Create a stable environment.

Cultivate my list.

There’s so much work to do.

But things are coming together nicely.

Even though I’m down to my last $3,000…

Even though I maxed out my credit cards…

I’m not scared.

Not with the reach of a small city at my fingertips.

Not after everything it took to build this thing.

Not now.

I had to kill Anton in almost every sense to survive this trip.

His credit is certainly dead.

His old plans are dead.

His excuses are dead.

Good.

He got me this far.

Tony will take it from here.

I put everything on the line.

It forces clarity.

I spent every moment of the last two years thinking about this.

I had to find a way.

So I did.

Where are we now?

132,000 subscribers.

A working offer.

Two new books.

Four servers.

A publication.

A twelve-to-twenty-four-week warm-up period.

Brutal.

I know.

But I chose a hard path.

And I have no regrets.

I built the audience.

Then I built an ultra-secure arena for the audience.

I have a working offer.

I’m launching two new books.

I told myself I might have to go broke building this thing.

I have.

And I don’t care.

If you want to support the mission, you can join the Vacation Vault.

Join 1,057 Members

Inside the Vacation Vault, you’ll discover new vacation giveaways, luxury escapes, and dream-worthy destinations from around the world.

Past destinations include:

The Maldives…

Budapest…

Madrid…

Costa Rica…

Bali…

Italy…

Cancun…

The Galápagos Islands, and more.

These are real opportunities for you to win a free vacation.

All organized and curated for you.

Enter your email.

And one day, you might find yourself drinking something ridiculous on a beach in Bora Bora on someone else’s dime.

Here’s what you’ll get:

⚡ PDF copy Hell & Paradise

📚 Full access to the private member archive and every future release

✍️ Weekly essays, stories, and ideas that hit different

🌴 The Vacation Vault
Discover beautiful destinations, luxury escapes, and ongoing vacation giveaways that could potentially be yours for free. Think of it as a really fun game that you’re playing with 1057 friends.

💬 Access to the private Telegram group
Hang out with fellow members, swap ideas, and connect with people who refuse to live small.

🏖️ New vacation opportunities added regularly
Past destinations have included Bali, Italy, Cancun, Costa Rica, Madrid, Budapest, the Maldives, the Galápagos Islands, and more.

😎 Because why not spend your time in a place where, best case scenario, you’re chilling on a beach in Bora Bora on someone else’s dime?

Get the First Month for Only $1

(Then $8/ month after that)

Or become a VIP member of Permission to Be Powerful.

Here’s what you’ll get:

⚡ PDF copy of Permission to Be Powerful - Stop Begging for Permission and Take What’s Yours.

📚 Full private member archive

📝 Every future member-only release

🔥 Weekly essays that hit different

🎥 Behind-the-scenes videos and updates

📕 Annual only: signed copy of Permission to Be Powerful

🧠 VIP only: Tony’s Brain Trust + AMA office hours

You can try the first month for only $1.

After that, you’ll pay $5.99 per month.

Get The First Month For Only $1

(Then $5.99/ month after that)

Since I’m already careening off a cliff…

I might as well hit the gas.

THANK YOU.

I’ve been building a Patreon that’s picking up steam.

It’s called Tony’s Vacation Vault.

In it, I curate a steady supply of real vacation sweepstakes for you to enter.

Puerto Rico

Costa Rica

Cancun

Cozumel

Italy

Barcelona

The Maldives

Turks & Caicos

Mexico City

Budapest

Bermuda

Vietnam

Ireland

Bali

The Greek Islands

Even the Galapagos Islands.

We just reached 1,000 free members.

And we’re closing in on the first 100 paid members.

I’m having so much fun with this project.

My goal is to make you forget your troubles for a few minutes so you can remember what it feels like to dream big.

Without restraint.

I’m helping you plant seeds that could reap a huge reward.

An adventure you’ll never forget.

An event that your loved ones will talk about for decades.

A vacation you had no idea you could afford.

I don’t promise any wins.

But you can only win the ones you enter.

If you don’t enter, you’ll never win.

You’re much more likely to win if you enter 100 contests, than if you just entered one.

But nobody wants to do that much work to find so many giveaways.

Come join the fun.

We’re having a blast over there and growing fast.

Sign up here.

Thanks for your support.

Tony V.

Editor-in-Chief

Tony V. here.

You already know if my writing works on you.

You read it.

You feel it.

And you come back.

That’s not an accident.

I’ve spent 15 years as a copywriter, writing for some of the biggest names in the industry.

Tony Robbins.

Ramit Sethi.

Neil Patel.

Agora Financial.

Millions of readers.

High stakes.

Every word is judged by one thing:

Did it move people?

Did it make them act?

And, if you know copy, you know what Agora means.

They’re known in the industry as the Harvard of Direct Response.

Only the best get to write for Agora.

That’s the game I’ve been playing for a long time.

And now I’m bringing you inside it.

I’m opening up how I think about writing in real time.

Breaking it down.

Tearing it apart.

Rebuilding it so it actually works.

You won’t just hear theory.

You’ll watch the process.

You’ll see what most people miss.

How attention is captured.

How desire is built.

How decisions get made on the page.

This is the Permission to be Powerful Writer’s Room.

A live environment where your writing gets sharper.

Where you learn by seeing it happen.

Where you stop guessing.

If you write, you belong here.

Doesn’t matter if it’s emails, content, scripts, or sales pages.

If your words need to move people…

This is for you.

Access to my Writer’s Room
Where I break down real writing and show you how to make your words more persuasive, more engaging, and impossible to ignore.

Live demonstrations of copy that works
Watch me rewrite emails, posts, and ideas in real time so you can see exactly how good writing is built.

Direct feedback on your writing
Bring your drafts and I’ll show you how to sharpen them, strengthen them, and make them hit harder.

First access to my best material
New ideas, breakdowns, and advanced lessons go here before they go anywhere else.

Join us.

$20/month.

Tony V
Editor-in-Chief
Permission to be Powerful

My email list is real.

90,000 subscribers…

Built in a little over a year.

Not bots.
Not scraped junk.
Not click farms.

Mostly Americans.
Heavily women 40–60.
Actual humans who open, read, and reply.

I moved the entire thing to an open-source platform.

No middlemen.
No surprise throttles.
No ransom disguised as “features.”

Same list.
Same emails.
Just fewer ways to get charged.

At its worst, keeping this list alive was costing me $700 a month.

The costs kept rising.

Now it’s mine.

What used to be a liability is now an asset with real weight.

Something that compounds instead of leaking cash.

I mentioned the list to an old client.

He asked about buying ad space.

That was a quiet reminder:
This isn’t theoretical.
This is a small city’s worth of attention.

Here’s where I’m being direct.

If you back me as a paid Permission to be Powerful subscriber, I’ll make you a lifetime VIP member of my Vacation Vault.

That means a constant feed of legitimate vacation giveaways.
Caribbean.
South America.
Europe.
More.

You get more entries than you could reasonably find on your own.
Sponsored.
Above board.
No guarantees, because reality exists.

You still have to enter.
Your name still has to be drawn.

That’s the game.

Alongside that, I’m going to teach exactly how I built this list.

Not guru fluff.
Not theory.
The actual decisions that mattered.

One of them was simple and brutal:
I decided I would get rich or die trying.
Which meant accepting that things could get worse before they got better.

I burned down my old life to get here.
AI was disrupting my industry.
I could evolve or go extinct.
So I stopped being just a writer.
I became a publisher.

Another insight:
The internet is much bigger than you think.

That single sentence led me straight to the system that worked.

This list could survive a nuclear blast.
It’s as real as a piece of land.

I’m still cultivating it.
The harvest is coming.
I’m buying time to do it right.

Early backers matter.
They always do.

Thanks for reading.
And for being here while this thing grows teeth.

Before it detonates.

If you would like to support this Substack at a rate above the standard, you can choose the Founder’s option.

You decide how much you would like to contribute.

You’re early.

And this thing is just getting started.

If you would like to support me through Patreon, you can also subscribe to the Vacation Vault there directly.

Thank you.

Subscribe now

Tony
Editor-in-Chief
Permission to be Powerful

I don’t mean to alarm you, but…

We are friends.

Right?

You value my work.

Right?

What do you like about Permission to be Powerful?

What made you subscribe?

I want to know who my real friends are.

So I’m asking outright.

Are you a real one, or not?

Not to be confrontational.

I’m asking because I need friends right now.

Real ones.

The kind who help in small, consistent ways.

Here’s the ask.

If you value my work, I’m asking for $3.

That’s it.

A real-friend amount.

Support that’s easy to say yes to.

Yet actually changes my life.

Every $3 coming in makes what I’m carrying feel a pound lighter.

So here’s why I’m asking now.

Last year, I made almost no money.

I made so little I qualified for Medicaid.

That was intentional.

I went broke on purpose.

I exhausted my savings.

And I spent the year doing one thing.

Building an audience from scratch.

This wasn’t a dream.

This wasn’t a side hustle.

I locked myself in a room for a year.

And I bet my life on this mission.

It was a full-blown escape plan.

After Tony Robbins fired me, I was done being a copywriter for hire.

Done being someone’s bitch.

Done letting my income depend on moods.

On whims.

On which way the wind was blowing that week.

That model is broken.

AI only made that clearer.

I had to evolve or die.

So I went all-in on building my own machine.

And it was brutal.

I got nuked.

I built my list to 15,000.

Substack wiped it out overnight.

I rebuilt.

I moved to MailChimp.

Wiped again.

Twenty-three thousand gone instantly.

I rebuilt again.

I taught myself email deliverability from scratch.

The hard way.

How to protect a domain.

How not to get flagged.

How to build something real without Big Brother breathing down your neck.

I’ve moved email systems four times.

And now I’m moving one more time.

Because I want full control.

Open source.

Zero fixed costs.

Total ownership.

This weekend, I almost finished the migration.

It took all weekend.

I can’t believe I’m almost there.

And the payoff is coming.

The list is at 87,000 subscribers.

Next month, I expect to cross 100,000.

That’s a big deal.

It’s also the most dangerous moment.

Because I’m in the ugly middle.

The bridge.

The part where everything works…

Except the money hasn’t caught up yet.

And right now, I’m out of cash.

Not “tight month” out of cash.

Collections out of cash.

I won’t be homeless.

I moved into the Rochester Zen Center.

So I could survive the build.

Monk life is not for the weak.

Hours of meditation.

Manual labor.

A stripped-down existence.

I’m grateful.

And I’m ready for this chapter to close.

This has been the hardest year of my life.

It’s also the year this finally starts to work.

So I’m asking.

Not for a miracle.

Not for a rescue.

For something small.

Something consistent.

$3 per month.

From the people who actually value what I’m building.

If my work has mattered to you.

If you’ve felt seen.

If you’ve learned something.

If you’ve enjoyed the stories.

This is the moment it actually helps.

This is happening either way.

Support just determines how I cross this bridge.

Steady.

Or exhausted.

Pledge $3 Now

Thank you.

USE THIS CODE TO ENSURE YOUR DISCOUNTED PRICE: 29DB7
(the artist formerly known as Anton)

Tony

Editor in Chief
Permission to be Powerful

P.S. As a thank-you, I’ll make you an honorary member of the Vacation Vault.

The Vacation Vault is normally $8/month.

Today, I’m asking for $3.

That $3 helps me get through this month.

After that, the regular price is $8.

You can cancel.

No hard feelings.

I’ll still be grateful.

What matters most is making it through this month.

Here’s what’s open right now:

• Miami Beach (ends 03/09)

• Bali (ends 03/06)

• Santa Fe (ends today 02/15)

• Austin, TX (ends 02/28)

• Charleston, SC (ends 03/02)

And coming soon:

Nashville. Malibu. Costa Rica. Cancun. Key West.

All locked inside the Vault.

👉 ENTER THIS CODE AT CHECKOUT TO SECURE YOUR 62% OFF DISCOUNT: 29DB7

Join the Vault for Just $3

($8/month after that)

How are we liking my hot takes on the Epstein files?

Genuinely curious to know.

I also wanted to take a moment to ask for your support.

Either by becoming a paid subscriber here on Substack…

I have big plans for the paid subscription that I’m working on right now…

I’m highly trained in the art of persuasion.

I also built a real email list of 88,000+ people in just over a year.

I’m also learning some insanely cool shit about AI that nobody’s really talking about.

All of that’s coming in the pipeline and more.

You can also join my new Vacation Vault.

I’m doing my slow army crawl to my first 100 paid subscriber for the Vault.

Premise of the Vault is simple:

I keep feeding you new vacation giveaways to enter.

I keep giving you new chances to win a free vacation.

To the Caribbean…

Latin America…

Europe…

Even Southeast Asia…

These are all legit giveaways.

I vet the people behind every giveaway.

It’s like The Price is Right in your inbox.

Already, we’ve had giveaways to:

Costa Rica

Bali

Puerto Rico

The Bahamas

Iceland

Mexico

And so much more.

We’ve also had a number of domestic vacations.

To Miami…

San Diego…

Austin…

Malibu…

Charleston…

and many more.

The main thing people keep asking me is if they can really win the free vacation.

YES.

You 100% can win.

Obviously the odds are not very high.

That’s I keep bringing you new vacations.

To increase your shot of winning over time.

Most people may enter a sweepstakes like this once in their life and forget about it.

But you're getting dozens of chances over time.

This is now you engineer you own luck.

You can try the Vacation Vault for free for the first 7 days.

I would really appreciate it.

If you’ve ever felt moved by my work, this would be a great way to let me know.

Thanks.

Tony

Editor in Chief

Permission to be Powerful

Big announcement.

I have partnered with brands like Forbes, People, SELF, and many others.

To bring you the largest private collection of vacation giveaways on Earth.

I call it The Vacation Vault.

I’m offering you a rollercoaster ride of fun in your inbox every single week.

And yet, I won’t be charging you your left kidney for the privilege.

The travel industry is rigged.

Instead of paying an arm and a leg for one trip…

You try this radical new approach to travel.

You join the Vacation Vault.

You enter many giveaways.

Dozens or even hundreds over time.

And let probability do the work.

Think of it like The Price Is Right for your email inbox.

I feed you a steady supply of vacation giveaways.
You enter to win.

More entries = more chances to win.

This is a numbers game.

When you enter a vacation giveaway, your odds are roughly one in 25,000.

Basically impossible.

But your probability increases every time you enter another one.

The Vault is how you tilt the odds in your favor.

In January, the Vacation Vault saw giveaways to:

Iceland
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Cancun

We just opened a new Turks and Caicos getaway,
plus a 3-day food escape in Charleston, SC.

But that’s just the start…

Bali
Texas
Santa Fe
Mexico

All still open.

Barely.

They’re closing any day now.

Coming live this month (February 2026):

Miami Beach
Spain
Nashville
and more.

Even more to follow.

Malibu
Cancun
Cozumel

We’re also hosting a major wellness spa giveaway this month
in partnership with SELF magazine.

Do people really win?

I can’t promise you will win.

That part’s completely out of my control.

It’s up to the judges to decide.

They have their own criteria.

But make no mistake:

People really do win.

Your chances are just as good as any.

IF you actually take the time to enter.

Here’s one example:

This is a fun way to plot your next escape.

To give yourself something unreal to look forward to.

To spoil yourself.

Even if you’re broke.

Beat a rigged travel industry.

Stop letting them rip you off blindly.

And maybe get bragging rights for life.

Are you in?

Roll the dice.

You might end up somewhere far away
with someone you love.

Far from your boss.
Your inbox.
Your responsibilities.

Even when life sucks…

And the world feels unhinged.

Tony

Editor-in-Chief

Permission to be Powerful

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,

Imagine strapping on something that doesn’t just tell time — it watches over you. That’s what the Apple Watch Series 11 is built to do.

We’re giving one away (yep, free), and I’m about to walk you through exactly why someone would want to win it (because otherwise it’s just another shiny gadget).

Why the Apple Watch Series 11 actually matters

Health insights, not just data

• It can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure and notify you of possible hypertension.

• The Vitals app delivers overnight metrics — heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration — and flags when things stray outside your norm.

• You can take an ECG right from your wrist to check for signs of AFib. Apple

• Sleep Score: you don’t just see how long you slept — you see how well you slept (including stages, consistency, interruptions) and get suggestions to improve.

• This is the thinnest Apple Watch yet — comfortable enough for 24/7 wear, even while you sleep.

• The display is 2× more scratch resistant than the Series 10 (thanks to Ion-X glass with a special coating).

• It’s water resistant (WR 50M) and dust resistant (IP6X) — you can take it swimming or wear it in gritty environments without fretting.

• Up to 24 hours of battery life on normal use.

• In Low Power Mode, it can stretch much further (up to 38 hours)

• Fast charging: just 15 minutes gives you up to 8 hours of use.

• Equipped with 5G cellular (on models that support it), so you can call, message, stream — all without your iPhone nearby.

• Workout Buddy: gets real-time motivation, guidance, and encouragement tailored to you.

• Smart Stack hints, wrist-flick gestures, seamless integration with iPhone apps — features that make it feel less like a toy and more like an extension of your brain.

• Safety features like Fall Detection and Emergency SOS are built in.

What’s the value you’re actually getting?

Retail for the base Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399.

If you chose the cellular version, or a titanium finish, the price can climb higher.

So if you win this, you’re saving yourself hundreds of dollars — and getting a health, fitness, and safety tool in return.

Enter now — because possibilities are better than regrets

[Enter to Win Your Apple Watch Series 11]

Take two seconds. Those two seconds could turn into 24 hours of battery life, valuable health alerts, smarter workouts, better sleep… or maybe just one very cool wrist accessory. Either way: you have nothing to lose.

Enter now, and let this watch stop being a “someday gadget” and start being your gadget.

Until next time,

Dancer, Writer, Buddhist.

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,

I sent this message out last week, and I wanted to make sure you got it.

(Feel free to hit reply to let me know you signed up. That would make my day!)

There’s still enough time to win a 3-night cruise for up to 4 people aboard the MSC Seashore

This is a no-brainer.

Don’t pass up your chance to be sipping Mojitos in the Bahamas — on me...

This is a REAL sweepstakes.

As a sponsor, I’m pitching in to cover the cost of the cruise.

Make sure you tell the other people you will travel with to enter, so you multiply your chances of winning.

I’ll make it easy for you with this pre-written message you can send to them immediately.

So you don’t even have to think of what to say.

Just enter their email and hit SEND.

The cash value of this prize is $1,778.56.

That’s how much you could save just by signing up.

Your Bahamas Cruise Includes:

✅ Complimentary Dining

With your choice of main restaurants and buffet-style dining, you can enjoy a wide selection of menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

✅ World-Class Entertainment

Watch your evenings come to life with theatrical performances, live music, and themed parties for all ages.

✅ Exciting Onboard Amenities

Unwind and recharge at our sparkling pool areas, open-air sports facilities, and well-equipped gyms with panoramic ocean views.

✅ Kids and Teens Clubs

Our dedicated programs are packed with sports, games, parties, and more to keep your kids entertained all day long.

Here’s what I want you to do RIGHT NOW before you forget:

Click here to get your chance at a 3-night cruise for up to 4 people aboard the MSC Seashore

Don’t be allergic to fun.

You deserve this.

Until next time,

Dancer, Writer, Buddhist.

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,

Here’s the smart way to beat the odds: don’t just enter for yourself.

If you’re planning to bring your spouse, kids, or family on this trip anyway, have each of them sign up too. Every entry is unique. That means if four family members enter, you’ve just quadrupled your odds of winning — a 400% boost, without lifting a finger.

👉 [Enter Now for Your Chance to Win]

The Prize

• A 3-night sailing from Port Canaveral (Orlando) to the Bahamas

• Accommodations for up to 4 guests aboard the spectacular MSC Seashore

• All taxes and fees included

This ship is a floating resort: infinity pools overlooking turquoise waters, world-class dining, Broadway-style shows, kids’ clubs, and endless activities for every age. You’ll wake up each morning in a new paradise without ever repacking your suitcase.

Even if you’ve already entered, don’t stop there — send this to your spouse, your kids, your friends. Whoever you want to travel with. Each sign-up adds another ticket in the hat.

Entries close soon. Don’t let your chance at a free Bahamas vacation slip away.

👉 [Enter Now for Your Chance to Win]

Bon voyage,

Dancer, Writer, Buddhist.

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,

How does a free getaway to the Bahamas sound?

We’re giving you the chance to win a 3-night cruise for up to 4 people aboard the MSC Seashore—a ship designed for adventure, luxury, and family fun.

Picture it: infinity pools overlooking turquoise waters, world-class dining, Broadway-style shows, kids’ clubs, and endless activities for every age. Plus, you’ll wake up each day in a new paradise without ever repacking your suitcase.

Your Prize Includes:

• A 3-night sailing from Port Canaveral (Orlando) to the Bahamas

• Accommodations for up to 4 guests aboard the spectacular MSC Seashore

• All taxes and fees included

Entering is quick, simple, and completely free.

👉 [Enter Now for Your Chance to Win]

But don’t wait too long—entries close soon, and your next vacation could be closer than you think.

Bon voyage

Dancer, Writer, Buddhist.

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,

After a long nuclear winter…

Dancing is back.

I worked so hard on Permission to be Powerful I went into exile.

But now, I’m back to my old routine.

And I couldn’t be happier…

Because dancing heals.

It made the pain of divorce vanish.

It brought joy, wonder, and adventure back.

It gave me confidence in spades.

I still have the faded wristband from my last Bachata Congress.

Almost a year ago.

I kept it because those nights tasted like forbidden fruit.

Like contraband from heaven’s black market.

But words could never do justice to the experience.

That’s why I started a YouTube channel called Mr. Congress.

I traveled far and wide in search of the best Bachata dancers on the planet.

It was the greatest adventure of my life.

Watch closely—I’m always behind the camera.

Documenting an insane secret society that most people have no idea exists.

Make no mistake: I’m in a dance cult — but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here’s why.

Until next time,

Dancer, Writer, Buddhist. Pirate

I’ve been seriously considering writing a print newsletter.

But I wanted to get your honest feedback about it — because it would be a huge undertaking.

If you took this 3-question survey, I’d be super grateful.

Take the survey here.

Thanks!

Anton

Subscribe now

Hey Powerful Reader,

I’m going fast.

Thank you for being so patient with me.

Moving forward, I’ll be reducing the overall number of emails I send out while maintaining the same volume of quality content.

Today I published three pieces. Each one will hit you differently:

🎬 The End of Hollywood

How capitalism killed mid-budget films—and turned stars into algorithms.

💔 The Worst Cases of Child Abuse Ever

The most haunting stories I’ve ever written. What happens when society fails its children—again and again.

🌌 Einstein’s Stolen Brain by Rick Brown

Another community poster is sharing his unique voice and perspective.

Tap any title above to read. Or catch them all inside the VIP Vault.

See you inside,

—Anton

Dancer. Writer. Buddhist.