Tag: writing online

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🌟🚀 Success on Substack

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It’s ok to grow slow

Happy September! It’s good to be back at my hot desk with some entrepreneur energy, art, dogs, and stuff happening around me. I’ve missed it. 

Coastal Currents art festival opens today – fully independent this year, with no Arts Council funding – go Tina & team! 👏

I keep trying to take August off like the Europeans do for proper rest and reset, but it doesn’t work at home. I slip back into the usual habits and routines.

To take the entire month off(line), I need to go AWAY and be in a different environment. So, something to work towards for next August.

Back-to-school vibes… Farrah Storr sums it up perfectly in her newsletter: 

As summer fades, change at this time of year feels inevitable. One of the things that has always struck me about September is its capacity for renewal, especially creative renewal. I think it’s something to do with the summer months allowing our ideas to just sit and be, and in their being, that’s when they truly take shape. 

September is the perfect time to give those ideas a little push out into the world.

Farrah Storr – Things Worth Knowing

I like working in seasons/12-week sprints and setting small goals. Enjoyed this piece in Vox on why dividing your life into semesters, even when you’re not in school, can help with goal-setting, time management and motivation.

It gets us going and out of a rut. And it gives you something to aim for and look forward to – the next break from mid-Dec to mid-Jan.

Seems like a productive way to organise the year. 

📚 The 12-week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months is about breaking down the activities that are most important and creating a sense of urgency to get stuff done.

Time to ditch the annual plan?

🛠 Substack Toolkit 

So, I’ve been thinking about where to devote my energies this season and the ONE thing I want to focus on.

Growing on Substack and getting to know the community better alongside my 1:1 client work. 

I’m compiling a toolkit of resources for Substack writers – industry trends, articles, experiments, opportunities, and folks to follow.

It will live here on Google Docs; I’ll update it as I go. Let me know if you have a link or story to share, and I’ll add your name and newsletter. 

I see a lot of resources for general newsletter growth, so it’s good to find some support with a Substack-specific focus. 

Exploding Topics

Substack has launched two new features this month. You can find and follow friends and AI-powered tools to generate transcripts and create social sharing assets (useful if you do interviews).

🗞 Read 

👉 Writer making six figures on Substack says ‘I won’t write for free anymore.’ | Press Gazette

👉 Revealed: Top 27 highest-earning Substack newsletters generate over $22m a year | Press Gazette 

👉 The people earning 56K a year through their Substack side hustles | iNews 

👉 Substack faces fresh competition in the newsletter wars | Vanity Fair

👉 Digital platforms and journalistic careers: A case study of Substack newsletters | CJR 

👉 Why New Statesman became the first major publisher to exclusively host newsletters on Substack | Press Gazette. Be interesting to see if other publishers follow suit.

🌱 Grow

I’m seeing a desire for cohort-based courses over standalone training/videos you do solo. People want to learn with others who are doing the same thing. Be part of a community and a challenge. Just keep ‘em affordable!

👉 Ready to kick-start your creative future? | Things Worth Knowing – Farrah Storr’s new Substack support channel and writing group dates. Pitch her (and get paid £200 – she’s now commissioning writers). 

👉 Substack Soiree – Starts Sept 11 – a 5-week supportive group programme for anyone looking to start, grow or expand their Substack. Covers: optimisation, subscriber growth, sales, self-promo and community, what to write about, getting out of your own way, and sharing with love.  

👉 Success on Substack: Craft a Subscription Newsletter Worth Reading | Marlee Grace. “Everything I know about writing a digital newsletter for over a decade, and specifically choosing to monetize it – sending it weekly to 25k subscribers, 1400+ paid subscribers, and a gross annualised revenue of over $80k a year.” (1-month free trial on Skillshare).

Marlee writes Monday Monday, a weekly Substack on creativity.  

👉 Substack Course: The Ultimate Guide to Creating, Operating, and Monetising a Substack Newsletter | Casey Botticello (he also has a Facebook group for Substack writers).

👉 Grow – How Laura Kennedy made more money on Substack than anywhere else. On moving from Patreon and earning a steady income. Plus, updated resources, a workbook and creator interviews – one to bookmark.

👉 Bringing your LinkedIn followers to Substack | Linda Lebrun (and what to do with your LinkedIn newsletter).

👉 It’s OK if you grow your audience slowly | Inbox Collective. Claire Zulkey on why, for some indie newsletters, focusing on content – and community – is the right move. 

I’m with her on this – a refreshing perspective and an antidote to all the 7-figure newsletter biz articles and podcasts.

Yes, most of us need to make money. But it’s not the only goal.

What about building for impact while you earn a shit ton of money? That’s my plan. I’d love to hear more stories about global initiatives, impact projects, celebrating cultures, and telling stories to build connection and empathy – Substack for Change? 

After years of struggling as a freelance journalist in London trying to make writing pay, it makes my heart sing to read posts like Emma’s about earning six figures from her Substack.  

I enjoy seeing writers flourish on the platform, building an audience, earning a steady income, and paying others to write. 

Yes, you need to have your eyes open. Substack is VC-backed and under pressure to grow. But it’s exciting and inspiring to see what’s possible – and great to see people experimenting.

Platforms may come and go, but the humble newsletter isn’t going anywhere.

This week’s fave Substack post: We need more jazz vinyl cafes by Ted Gioia. Oh, for a trip to Tokyo to check out the jazz joints! 

To your success! 🥂

Nika

PS, I’m doing Joe Dispenza’s Walk for the World on Sept 23. I love his work – inspiring stories of transformation.

His ‘You Are The Placebo’ meditation is 👌

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Newsletter

“Ideas are shit. Execution is the game.”

Gary Vee on document, don't create - content creation.
Gary Vee Show

Stuck overthinking? Try this 👇

“I think you just need to put yourself out there a bit more.” 

Advice from my massage therapist based on conversations we’ve had over the last few months (treatments have turned into therapy sessions, she’s very intuitive).

I was a bit taken aback and jumped in – I am online. I post on LinkedIn regularly, I chat to people. I’ve been working on my niche, positioning, strategy, studying… She just looked at me. Yeah, I know, it sounds ridiculous. 

Good thing about massage – it helps with creativity and gets things moving. Nothing like a good stretch to free the mind/body. There’s also accountability with monthly sessions as she checks in. Active therapy, which I like. 

We have a lot in common – she’s a self-employed mum who works from home (big shed in the garden), but we are in different worlds. Her work is physical, she sees clients for a set time, and she’s tuned in to what’s happening locally.

All her clients come from word-of-mouth referrals. Facebook page, that’s it.

All my work is online, remote clients, solo, knowledge work, which never ends. 

A woman I co-work with said the same thing the other day – “We need to get you out there. Have you introduced yourself on Loomio yet?” I said no, then realised I’ve been there for six months and not pitched my services to other businesses! 

I’ve been stuck in the overthinking trap – strategising – tweaking – planning – website – pricing phase. Thinking about packages I can offer and how to productise my services. What I can offer and want to do versus what the market needs.

Worrying about how things will land and be perceived, when I just need to be making and doing – daily. Which is the fastest way to talk yourself out of anything! 

NOBODY is looking at my work as closely as I am. 

When I feel stuck, I turn to YouTube… Always something to move you along. 

Really glad I stumbled across this video on personal branding by Gary Vee. Think he’s spot on – a brilliant explanation of what most creators struggle with.  

“I’ll give you the biggest tip when it comes to content creation. Document. Don’t create.” 

It is an absolute monster of a concept and a big shift. 

“People aren’t starting. They’re just not making. They’re thinking, they’re pondering, they’re strategising, they’re debating. The difference between people like me and the far majority is that I’m doing at all times.” 

“Don’t go fancy. Build a habit of daily documentation – share your process, observations, and conversations from the place you’re at rather than where you wish you were”. 

“I think it’s much smarter for you to talk to the world about your process of going through this than the advice you think you should be giving them. That’s where people are struggling.” 

Yes. Very easy to get caught up in the ‘expert’ label and feel like you need to have all the answers, be polished online and have achieved a certain level of (financial) success for credibility. Analysis paralysis. 

“If you want to be respected and known, show the fuck up. There’s no excuse for not talking to the world. It just doesn’t have to be your thoughts and words all the time.” 

If you can’t create – curate, distribute, facilitate, interview. There’s value in sharing others’ work and adding your spin. 

Helpful tips on content strategy, too – creating from the top down rather than the bottom up. It is hard to create on demand. Setting constraints and thinking of each day as a ‘mini show’ where you focus on one thing only. So, you don’t have to think too much.

Vida Vegana’s comment 👌

Appreciate you, Gary – thanks for documenting and sharing. 

It is refreshing to feel this way – there’s a lightness in letting go. Be an explorer, not an expert. Social media marketing and personal branding can feel heavy – as Ellen said, like you need to craft the perfect post. 

Couple of things. I’ve signed up for Josh Spector’s Skills Sessions (regular jams, ask what you want) and asked him for feedback on the interview project. Thinking about different ways to format them for the NL. 

I’m also doing Ben Meer’s new course, Creator Method – loving his LinkedIn – systems thinking for smart living. 

Ben says he hates self-promotion – there’s a little video of him in the corner of the lessons, but he’s putting himself out there to share his ideas.

Excellent so far, a holistic approach to the creator economy. I’m sure it will fly – he has an interesting background and expertise. 

Marianne’s Tilt trophy arrived – what a beauty! A daily (visual) reminder of how far you’ve come is motivating. 

Shift Hot 5 🔥

The Necks – Travel

How to get unstuck – with Adam Alter | The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway. What to do about feeling stuck, choosing when to explore vs exploit your career options, and why he thinks Lionel Messi is the greatest soccer player ever. Excellent episode.

The Nuclear Effect | Scott Oldford has helped thousands of entrepreneurs scale their businesses to 6 & 7 figures. Sharing his 6 Pillar approach to success in this ebook. Grab your free copy via The Saturday Solopreneur.

How I earned $10K in April as a Freelance Content Marketing Writer | Jennifer Goforth Gregory. Time versus money – a great way to think about and track your year, and lessons to remember. 

In Conversation – All Things Content with Nika Talbot. I chatted to 1000 Faces Club about my creator journey. Like how they format these interviews and repurpose them on social. 

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Word of mouth not cutting it, and not sure where to turn? Drum up new clients in one afternoon with this rapid course from Lex Roman. Use code THE SHIFT for 5% off.

Missed CEX? Get access to ALL the recordings, on demand, with a Digital Pass. Over 40 hours of keynotes and breakout sessions to help you build and grow your content business. Use code [nikanikatalbotio] and save $100 here.

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Categories
Interviews Newsletter

‘I believe a one-person business model is the answer to finding your entrepreneurial calling and doing the work you were meant to do.’

You Are The Media Creator Day 23

Ellen Donnelly is the founder of The Ask. Her shift to solopreneurship? Training as a career coach, building her dream role, newsletters, and a north star bracelet guiding every step.

Ellen has built a six-figure coaching & content business, changed career paths (twice), travelled and worked remotely living on four continents, and advises VC-backed startups on talent strategy. 

I went to her Talent to Money virtual summit for founders in 2022 – an excellent event.

Great to catch up again last week and chat about newsletters & branding. She likes ‘The Shift’ as a name; I’m happy to hear. I’m sticking with it as it’s about inner transformation and fulfilling our potential. Enough angst!

These are her best tips on building a profitable business around yourself…

Tell us about yourself and why you started The Ask

After supporting entrepreneurial professionals with their startup careers as a headhunter and Head of Talent, I observed a generation of people confused about navigating professional decisions.

We live in a world of infinite options, changes, emerging innovation and starting a business has never been easier. The most ambitious people are keen to succeed, but the confusion often gets in the way of their success.

I saw how coaching and education could guide people to make better career decisions, and myself wanted to find a better path. Three years on, running The Ask has been my most fulfilling career experience yet!

Who are you serving? Target audience and niche?

My niche is now tightly focused on those who want the next chapter of their professional lives to be working for themselves. They are working out how to piece the self-employment puzzle together in a fulfilling way that also brings in a sustainable income. 

This is achieved through a coaching approach I’ve designed that helps clients to tap into their existing skills and expertise (I call this their ‘Unique Contribution’) and then take the action that builds a business around doing what they love. 

I believe a one-person business model is the answer to finding your own entrepreneurial calling and doing the work you were meant to do. Here’s the process and how it all comes together! 

Your newsletter powers your six-figure coaching business – how did you get your first 1K subscribers? 

Early on, I recognised the importance of email in online business building (I thank the book Content Inc for that!) and was fortunate enough to discover Substack in March 2020, just as the world shut down and poured my creative energy into my newsletter as a channel. 

The more I wrote, the more I loved it. Growing the list became secondary to simply putting ideas out there, but the more coaching clients came in, the more I decided to double down on newsletter growth. This then became about trying lots of things and some shameless self-promotion! 

Today there’s 3,700 readers, which mostly organically grows by its own accord. I shared these tactics to reach the first 1K in a year in this post.

Your business has an educational, content-rich angle – you do the creative work and the strategy. How do you manage your time & avoid burnout? 

Part of this is mindset, as I never see marketing or content as separate from running the business. It’s also an avenue towards clear thinking, as long-form writing has helped me consolidate my thinking and observations gained through coaching. 

Then there are the practical decisions, such as focusing on quality over quantity and keeping two days free of calls weekly. These days, it’s about content creation and admin, and this boundary has been essential for me to maintain balance (no one wants to work with a burned-out and stressed coach!).

Marianne Lehnis said that successful entrepreneurs have an 80/20% focus on sales compared to everything else. Do you agree? 

That’s interesting. My perspective is that if the content is doing its job, it’s creating sales, so these are one and the same thing. 

The importance of selling can’t be underestimated, as it’s the lifeblood of any business. 

In coaching, many new entrepreneurs avoid sales like the plague, afraid of seeming ‘pushy’ or feeling unclear about HOW to sell. I love supporting people’s confidence in selling as it’s a huge self-growth journey, as it’s very often all about having a supportive mindset and self-belief. 

I can say this, having sold hundreds of thousands of pounds of work now, but at the start, finding the entire process a minefield and source of angst! We aren’t taught to sell unless we join the sales department when it should be a life skill!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten on creativity and entrepreneurship? 

There is a huge overlap between entrepreneurship and art – a lot of ego and vulnerability is tied up in each. This became clear early in my entrepreneurial journey when I read two formative books about creativity: The Artist’s Way and The War of Art. 

The advice in both books taught me the importance of putting the PROCESS above the outcome, aka creating without any expectation of what will happen. And removing the fear and resistance we face to control how our work is perceived. 

We can’t predict outcomes, virality, or other people’s tastes, but we can control showing up consistently and putting the work in. That’s been my philosophy. 

Tools & Resources for one-person businesses…

Not exactly an unknown tool, but I couldn’t live without Notion for powering almost every aspect of my business!

I am also a fan of communities where you can meet like-minded people who share your same goals and frustrations but where you might ALSO meet your clients and supporters. These have always been worth the £10/month or whatever they charge in the business and enjoyment created in return. 

The Business of Expertise by David Baker is great for anyone running a client-led, expertise-based business.

What’s your top tip for personal branding on LinkedIn? 

Try and enjoy it! I previously got too caught up in having the perfect post format, style, or strategy and then gave up. 

Now, I am back on it, and I post what feels true and authentic in that given moment, provided I can relate it back to my services in some way. That’s taken a lot of the heaviness out of it. 

Not everyone can create on demand, so I suggest finding 2-3 talking points and content pillars with my clients and experimenting with different ways of writing about them! 

Keep adding to your own ideas bank. Then you can compound your ideas and posts and be memorable in the process due to the repetition.

You spoke at YATM Creator Day 23 – any takeaways to share? What are some of the challenges the creator economy is facing?

I talked about doubling down on your uniqueness regarding your one-person business model and doing the work you were meant to do in this world – letting the noise and distractions fade away in the process!

The entire day had a similar theme around authenticity and honing into your core beliefs. 

For creators, there is no alternative to knowing yourself and your skills well and focusing on doing exactly that, becoming the go-to person for your thing. 

The creator/one-person business model world is crowded and will only become more so, but no one can be more ‘you’ than you can or take this away from you. Own it!  

New YouTube channel! ‘To say this has been a steep learning curve is an understatement.’ How’s it going? 

YouTube was a learning curve for sure, and whilst I am proud of the quality of videos created, I have decided to pause it for the time being. It’s a LOT of work (10-15 hours per video), and with a full coaching practice, I couldn’t maintain it and justify the time investment. 

The lesson has been to be more realistic with my time in the week and consider my target clients’ needs – many aren’t looking to YouTube for the things I support.

What are your plans for The Ask in 23? Where would you like to be this time next year? 

In one year, the goal is to have a more widely established authority as a coach for one-person business owners who want to build a profitable business around themselves (without investors, a big team, or overheads). 

That will include different services and IP to meet people where they are on that journey: exploring, starting out, or pivoting. 

To read Ellen’s writing and learn more about her work, head to The Ask.

Book a coaching consultation and get a bonus ‘Personal Brand Audit’ session if you sign up for a coaching programme (mention The Shift).

Connect with Ellen on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Life’s Work – An Interview With Tina Turner 

Tina! Long live the queen of rock & roll. A solo powerhouse, a symbol of courage and resilience, and a strong personal brand.

Her book Happiness Becomes You is about her spiritual journey and ‘like reading sunlight.’

The Classifieds 

Word of mouth not cutting it, and not sure where to turn? Drum up new clients in one afternoon with this rapid course from Lex Roman. Use code THE SHIFT for 5% off.

Missed CEX? Get access to ALL the recordings, on demand, with a Digital Pass. Over 40 hours of keynotes and breakout sessions to help you build and grow your content business. Use code [nikanikatalbotio] and save $100 here.

The Artisan’s Way writing course – a five-week journey for writers ready to break free from average. Connect more deeply to yourself and your craft and ship the best writing of your life.

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