Sending this single email costs us $206 to send to you. Not just you, all 9,707 subscribers.

Running a business in Australia today is expensive. Sarah and I take a weekly wage of about three hours a week each. We've got web hosting, email hosting, domain registrations, subscriptions for important software, and just the costs of running a business in Australia. We've got an accountant, pay corporate tax, personal tax, and have had legal work done so that in the event of something not being great, there's a process and system for the business not to crumble.

Information is expensive.

And despite these costs, information wants to be free.

In 1984, on stage at a conference, Steve Wozniak, in conversation with Stewart Brand, was told:

On the one hand, information wants to be expensive because it’s so valuable.

The right information in the right place just changes your life.

On the other hand, information wants to be free because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time.

So you have these two fighting against each other.

This truly is the paradox of running a business in 2026, and I feel it in my bones as I write this newsletter. Everything is free except for the organic blueberries my kids devour by the kilogram.

The marriage legislation and associated documentation are all available for free on the AGD website. There are hours of free videos online about marriage ceremonies and how to be a good celebrant. So many blog posts are available to read for free on all aspects of running a business.

Some would say too much.

The value proposition for businesses used to be about the information we held on to.

Now it's about how we can use that information, how we can apply it, and execute it.

Enter people like my friend Jeff and his Deliver Better Ceremonies course (you'll never guess what the course is about), Edwin from Social Sandwich's Club Sandwich to help you be awesome and useful on Instagram every week; or our Celebrant Institute membership which gives you one-on-one personal help and coaching on applying Australia's unique marriage legislation and rituals to your small business. Lots of expensive and valuable information in that list.

And it's the same for you, you hold valuable and expensive information that can change people's lives and weddings.

Celebrant Institute member Judy asked a few days ago:

I've been a Celebrant for a couple of years and trying to build my online business presence. With the changes to Facebook and Instagram, I quite often have issues creating and sharing posts. It seems like everyone requests your "Insta handle" or QR code these days! Doesn't anyone utilise business cards and websites anymore? Any tips on how to best manage Instagram and create engaging content, please?

Our job isn't to just be a celebrant; there are 10,471 others doing that.

Your job is to execute your valuable information, know the marriage legislation, be relevant, useful, and celebratory to a tribe of your selection.

And with any luck, that tribe is large enough that you can build and run a sustainable business off the back of that cohort.

And our job here at the institute this year is to help you live in that tension of the super valuable information you hold and can apply, and the fact that all these Instagram Reels, TikToks, blog posts, videos, and emails are all free.

My hope for your 2026 is that you find a way to live sustainably, joyfully, and profitably in that.

And that we can too. So, become an institute member today!

And Judy, your website is more important than ever; the job of marketing (be it by a QR code or an Instagram post) is to get people into your online business presence, your website, where you can convince them you're the best person for the job.

Edwin will tell you that Instagram isn't about selling, it's about building trust and relationship, and when they trust you and know you, your website in bio (bot a bloody "link in bio" service but your real actual website) is the next step.

If you want to talk about websites, marketing, marriage legislation, or ceremony style, that's what your Celebrant Institute membership is for.

Welcome to 2026, I'm glad you're here with us.