Welcome, to Ellen from The Ask: the culmination of two newsletters you either know or love: Monday Mornings, and The Ask. If you’ve never heard of a newsletter merger before, you have now. I hope you like the new look and migration to Beehiiv!

Today: A (re)introduction to set the scene for what’s to come. The TL;DR? Ellen from The Ask explores ‘why everyone’s an entrepreneur now’ through the lens of workforce shifts, and offers guidance for navigating the future of work. If you’re building something of your own, expect advice and inspiration on standing out an the increasingly competitive world of independent work. Hint: it’s by building your Authority. Strap in, it’s time to future proof your path.


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The future of work is entrepreneurship
and here’s what I’m doing about it

The Monday Mornings newsletter that has now been rolled into this one, was dedicated to exploring the ‘mass shift to entrepreneurialism’ as I describe it. That is, my belief that the future of work is increasingly entrepreneurial: more and more people are leaving the ‘stable’ 9-5 in their droves, whether voluntarily or otherwise.

I felt this topic was under-researched and under-explored and some fear and anger about what’s at stake if we ignore the implications of this shift — such a the loss of safety nets for independent workers being just one.

I felt angered, too, by the misinformation about how easy it is to start or scale a profitable business from scratch. In my time coaching entrepreneurs, I’d meet many clients who’d been sold lies by internet marketers. So I was grateful to speak to people who’ve been in ‘internet careers’ for a decade plus, like Tara McMullin, who were frank enough to explain the myths and lies the the creator economy has sold so many of us.

Also, on a personal note, I loved deepening my craft in writing, thinking, researching and interviewing.

But… running a publication sharing just the challenges we’re facing left me feeling a bit helpless. Soon, more and more AI doomsday content flooded our news feeds and the panic about job losses accelerated. I believe advocacy and campaigning are important, but my Monday Mornings newsletter felt like a drop in the ocean in terms of impact.

If more and more people go freelance, and there are less jobs available, there will be a race to the bottom for service providers selling their expertise — whether coders, designers, copywriters, brand strategists etc. Supply of people can quickly outstrip demand, especially when AI is taking on the org chart.

My realisation: as an experienced business coach who helps independent entrepreneurs, I do have solutions to this shift. I can’t coach everyone, but I can combine sharing an awareness about the shift to mass entrepreneurialism alongside ways to get ahead. Those ways? What I preach in my coaching practice, The Ask.

Authority building is the antidote. That means, don’t compete on price, or speed, but on your unique beliefs, perspectives and skillset. Combine them, to create a point of differentiation. Stand out, not by shouting the loudest or having the most social followers, but building a body of work that calls in aligned clients. The sort of clients who will see your worth and go out of their way to work with you and you alone as a result.

It feels pretty evident, looking back, that it would end up with this ‘merger’. Consider today your revised introduction, or a chance to unsubscribe if becoming an authority as a business owner is not a goal.

I thank you for reading The Ask or Monday Mornings until this point!

So if you’re still with me, here’s what you can expect in (at least) weekly emails:

🟦 Future of Work Deep Dives – Big-picture trends and interviews with the builders shaping what’s next
🟩 Authority Is the Answer – Practical insights on building authority and demand for your independent work as a founder, coach or consultant
🟨 Lessons from Sessions – Real client takeaways and clear next steps for growing with me if you want more help
⬜ Monthly Round-Up – Recap of the month, community shout-outs, and interesting reads.

All of the newsletter archives from both existing newsletters have been combined here, so excuse the mess for a bit as some of the Substack links won’t work.

But to save you digging around… why not check out some of my top posts from both?

Top hits from the archives
from The Ask and Monday Mornings

Thanks for reading today, I’ve been working on this for a while now so it’s exciting to share the new vision. Lots more I could reveal in a workshop, if you’re curious, reply and I’ll invite you to one if there’s enough demand.

From, your big newsletter enthusiast in Malaga before her flight to London.

Ellen from The Ask is brought to you by Ellen Donnelly, Founder of The Ask — offering strategic business coaching & mentorship to Authority Entrepreneurs ready to grow a profitable business in a way that feels true to them.