“Is something missing? Do you feel stuck, or long for more emotional intimacy with your partner?

You’re not alone, there is nothing wrong with you.”

This is how licensed couple’s therapist and founding member of the Online Writing Club Colette Jane Fehr, LMFT, LMHC draws you into her world.

She wants to start a conversations about relationships. Not only romantic ones but into leaning into those (messy) conversations you might at some point have to be part of.

We’re feeling rejection, abandonment, pushing someone away.

In these situations we often don’t say the things we need to say or avoid important conversations. So Colette teaches us how to manage conflict constructively. So it doens’t feel like a thread.

And it fits so perfectly to this note by Fabio Posca

Dear me in 6 monhts, I will make you F***ING PROUD”.

That’s something Online Writing Club BEYOND member Colette Jane Fehr, LMFT, LMHC had to tell herself over and over again in the last couple of months while building an audience from scratch not only on Substack with Secrets from a Therapist but also on other platforms to hype herself up.

Because if Colette wouldn’t have done it. No one would have done it for her. That’s what she knew.

In our podcast interview she said:

“I manifested the sh*t out of it”… to get it ALL.”

A book deal. A TEDx talk. And a launch event three years after writing her debut book which she’ll remember forever.

“It was a night I’ll never forget” she told me. And at the same time it’s an idea you can also use for your own book launch. No matter how small or big. But let me tell you what she did…

For the launch of “The Cost of Quiet” published by Penguin Random House (yesssss, girl!) …

..she invited people to join her for a paid VIP Book Launch Event which you could sign up for via the service-ticketing platform Eventbride.

She announced this via her website, email and promoted it by putting the link in the show notes of multiple podcasts she was a guest as part of her prelaunch runway which was all about getting booked in up to 50 podcast, she told me in a 1:1 lately.

But it wasn’t only an event. Colette told me a few weeks back it would also be a live podcast event.

SOLD OUT launch event with over 100 people coming

As you can see in the screenshot, it worked. The event at Mercedes-Benz of Orlando in Maitland Florida was SOLD OUT.

More than 100 people were coming and celebrating her book baby.

If you’re now saying:

“Kristina, she got a book deal with Penguin… that’s huge. Of course people snag their spots.”

I have to tell you, Colette as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), really still is one of the small guys that built her way up to the top.

She didn’t have an audience when she started. She has her thriving private practice in Florida working there long hours and she simply had a dream!

Want to learn more? Just listen to our podcast for all the deeds.

Anyways, here’s a sneek peak into her book launch event in Florida or as Colette called it: the wedding to herself!

“I’m like getting married to me!” she said at the event.

Side note: She was happy not getting a nervous breakdown and also for not to botox her forehead :)

“The Cost of Quiet VIP Book Launch Party brought together people who care deeply about connection, honesty, and emotional safety — and I’m so grateful to everyone who attended and helped create such a meaningful space.

For those who joined us — 
​Thank you for being in the room.
Thank you for leaning in.
Thank you for helping create something special.

Even if you weren’t there, I wanted to share a piece of what was created.

The energy was grounded, open, and incredibly moving — a space where people felt safe to reflect, listen, and lean into what truly matters.

I’m deeply thankful to our guest speakers, who brought so much wisdom, compassion, and heart to the conversation. And to our sponsors, whose belief in this work made the evening possible — thank you for helping bring this vision to life.”

Sponsors were:

Guardian Recovery, Green Family Law, She Believed She Could, Hi Hello Labs, DZ Design LLC, Bradshaw & Associates of Baldwin Park, Rae Nicole Events, Kelly Lafferman Therapy & Consulting, and many more.

Speakers on stage were:

• Keesha Scott
• Cherlette McCullough
• Laura Bowman
• Thomas Vann
• Daniel Dennis

This is Colette’s Instagram promo style and info when the event was sold out:

You could also join via Facebook:

“You killed it tonight”!”

And the feedback from the audience?

And Colette?

She felt stressed but was soooo happy everything went so well.

Of course she needed a “The Cost of Quiet” shot with her family later.

Book launch events to attend to

And it doesn’t end here. Colette hosted an author talk at Oxford Exchange:

Colette invited together with psychotherapist and tribe member Ellen Scherr to a marriage conversation they’re not supposed to have:

Want to grab a copy of Colette’s debut book as so many do?

Here’s the link.

Oh and one more thing. Guess who’s the book dedicated to? Her beloved daughters!

Charlotte and Curran.

“May you never let your voice be silenced”

Everything Colette experienced is something you can experience too

You don’tneed to be traditionally published.
…a huge publisher.
… a big marketing budget.

You can be an indie publisher. Or work with a larger publisher that does not pour money into launches.

This works offline. This works online.

What matters is intention. Community. And the courage to choose yourself out loud and hype up yourself even if no one seems to care.

A book launch can be more than a release. It can be a moment. A promise. A celebration of the work you did when no one was watching.

A true wedding to yourself!

Colette shared:

“This gathering was a reminder that when we come together with intention, real connection is possible.”

Colette Manifested the Sh*t Out Of It. Here’s How She Launched Her Debut Book was originally published in Online Writing and Blogging Made Easy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I see you.

You’re reading all those stories about the buzzy platform Substack so many Medium writers are now writing on and maybe are even scrolling through Substack like you’re just looking.

Clicking on other writer’s beautiful homes on the streets of Substack. Thinking…

Wow, this looks sooooo good!

You’re telling your partner or best friend:

“I’m thinking about starting a Substack in 2026.”

And then nothing happens.

Another week passes. Another month passes.

You’re not lazy. You’re just stuck in your head!

Substack only feels hard when you turn it into a huge life decision.

What should I write about?
What should I call my Substack?
What if I pick the wrong name?
What if I mess this thing up?

If you’ve got post its with lots of ideas and zero posts live…

If you’re still trying to name your newsletter but haven’t published..

…we’re fixing that in today’s Substack Kickstarter Bootcamp 2026.

We’re keeping Day #1 with our Substack house architect and Medium top writer Jerry Keszka simple on purpose.

⌛1 spot left!

Use the code: LASTMINUTE

Jerry will show you we’ll just care about 2 things:

#1 Your profile.
That’s you, the writer. The heart, brain and soul behind your newsletter. The person who wants to build a house on the internet screets of Substack.

#2 Your publication
That’s the newsletter, website, blog however you want to call it. Your house.

So, let’s build. Whether you’re a LIVE bootcamper or not, we want you to take ACTION!

⌛Want Help From Someone Who’s Built This Before?

If you’re thinking,

I wish someone would just tell me what to do and walk me through it — brick by brick!

That’s exactly why we’re running the Kickstarter Bootcamp.

📅 January 20–23

⌚ 11:00 AM ET | 8:00 AM PT | 4:00 PM UK/Scotland | 5:00 PM Berlin time, 120 min each day!

Today, we’re learning from our architect, Jerry Keszka

No guesswork. No spiraling.

Just joyful building TOGETHER with a bunch of other writers (your potential neighbours) who just want to have fun building their house on the internet streets of Substack.

And YES, we’re starting today.

In 4 hours!

If you want to stop thinking and finally publish, join us.

We’ll build your Substack home together.

⌛1 spot left!

Use the code: LASTMINUTE

Let me access the LIVEs

Step 1: Start Your Substack in 60 Seconds

Go to substack.com and click CREATE.

Sign up with your email or Google.

Substack is going to ask you a bunch of questions. This only takes a few seconds to answer, but if you don’t feel like it, we’re skipping them. If not, we’re just picking what feels righ in the moment.

No worries: We’re not committing to an identity yet. We’re opening a blank page here and write our way to our Substack home.

Step 2: Set Up Your Profile Without Overthinking It

Your profile is how people see you across the Substack streets.

In Notes. In comments. Everywhere.

Here’s what we’re filling out:

Your name
Real name or pen name. Both work.

Your handle
Keep it clean and simple.

Your short bio
1–3 sentences.

Your photo
Friendly. Human.

That’s it.

You now officially exist as a writer on Substack. SUPER!

But writers write. So let’s set up the newsletter.

Step 3: Create Your Newsletter Even If the Name Isn’t Perfect

This is your publication. Your real estate on the internet. Your social-media escape from rented land to land and a house you own.

It could look like this wonderful newsletter from garden designer and writer Jo Thompson, I really love:

Now fill this in without spiraling.

Your publication name

Take 15 minutes to think about it. Don’t overthink it. Put your fear on the passenger seat and keep driving to your home that is Substack. You’re allowed to change it later.

• Pick a name that works for now (doesn’t define your identity forever!)

Your short description
Share with the Substack community what you’ll probably write about. Let’s say: fishing, yoga, dog sitting, horse breeding.. or gardening.

Logo — 256 x 256 px

You can upload a headshot or create something in the design tool Canva or with AI. A flower when you love gardening. It can be as easy as that. You can change this later. Now keep going.

Wordmark — 1344x256 pixels

Want something bigger? The wordmark helps. Here you can let you creative juices flowing. Image and text or simply the name of your newsletter.

Now you can do your happy dance, my future Substack rockstar! But there’s one more step before you can tell your friends, family and kids about your new Substack newsletter in 2026.

Step 5: Touch These Settings and Then Stop

In your dashboard click on branding and then spend 2 to 5 minutes here. Not longer.

Pick a theme that fits and a website style you like for your Substack home.

Pick colors and typography that’s easy to read.

You can also use Canva’s colour palette to find the perfect colour combination:

Step 6: Write Your First Post

Don’t overthink it.

It’s January. As a gardener it’s nice to share some tips on how to garden in this season of the year. Let’s kick off your home on the internet with a nice post. It can be long, it can be short.

Doesn’t matter. Maybe you can also just take one of your hundred drafts sitting in your Google Doc or Notes.

The Substack post editor is easy to understand and minimalist.

• Style — normal text, H1, H2, H3…, create your title and header; create a subtitle and header
• Bold — make your text bold
• Italics — generate italic text
• Strikethrough — strike out your text if you feel like it
• Code — add code
• Links — embed hyperlinks to your story
• Images — add an image you own, generate one with AI, browse stock photos or create a gallery (think Instagram reels)
• Audio — insert an audio file, can be a podcast, music or voiceover
• Video — insert an video file, can be short or long
• Quotes — create a block or pull quote
• Bulletpoints — add bullets
• Numbered list — create a list, this is for listicle lovers
• Indent
• Deindent
• Button — bunch of buttons to subscribe, leave a comment. My tip: customize one!
• Divider — awesome feature as you can here add…
• Financial Chart
• Footnote
• LaTex
• Paywall
• Poetry
• Poll
• Recipe

Now…Congrats! Especially if you add some more posts, your Substack is real now Yes, even if it feels fake and you can’t believe it. It’s true! You started building your house.

You Can Make It Pretty Later

After publishing a few posts, you can play around with everything else.

Posting beats polishing. Every time.

⌛Want Help From Someone Who’s Built This Before?

If you’re thinking,

I wish someone would just tell me what to do and walk me through it — brick by brick!

That’s exactly why we’re running the Kickstarter Bootcamp.

📅 January 20–23

⌚ 11:00 AM ET | 8:00 AM PT | 4:00 PM UK/Scotland | 5:00 PM Berlin time, 120 min each day!

Today, we’re learning from our architect, Jerry Keszka

No guesswork. No spiraling.

Just joyful building TOGETHER with a bunch of other writers (your potential neighbours) who just want to have fun building their house on the internet streets of Substack.

And YES, we’re starting today.

In 4 hours!

If you want to stop thinking and finally publish, join us.

We’ll build your Substack home together.

⌛1 spot left!

Use the code: LASTMINUTE

Meet you inside!

How to Create a Free Newsletter With Substack in 6 Easy Steps (Beginner Guide for 2026) was originally published in Online Writing and Blogging Made Easy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You want to know the #1 mistake writers make on Substack?

They spend hours worrying about:

“What’s the perfect subject line?”

“Should I post at 9 a.m. or 9 p.m.?”

“Do I need to follow 99 people so they’ll follow me back?”

Meanwhile, Substack is basically screaming the answer in our faces: Get on Notes.

That’s not me saying it. That’s what Linda Lebrun from Substack’s Writer Partnerships team told me.

She talks to writers every single day. She knows what actually works.

Here’s what she told me:

“Two years ago, I would have started the conversation with recommendations and I would have said recommend other publications and have them recommend you back. But today I start the conversation with Notes and with the app.”

Translation? If you’re not showing up on Notes, you’re invisible.

Wait, what even is Substack Notes?

Linda explains it best:

“When you download the Substack app, we have a surface that has short form posts like Twitter slash X. It’s our version of that. And it’s our way of giving people discovery within Substack.”

In other words: it’s Twitter without the trolls, LinkedIn without the humblebrags, Instagram without the thirst traps.

It’s where readers (and paying subscribers) find you.

The Question Everyone Has: How Does the Algorithm Work?

You know how other platforms punish you if you post links? Substack doesn’t play that game.

Linda:

“Substack is not trying to take your attention and direct it over to a commercial. We’re trying to take attention and say, hey, let’s show this reader other things that they care about.”

And about hashtags? Forget them.

“Do not use hashtags on Notes. You don’t have to because we are trying to read and analyze and say, what is this about? And then show people what they find interesting.”

Restacks, Posting Daily, and Other “Rules”

Writers obsess over whether restacking hurts them. Or if they need to post 30+ times a month.

Linda laughed that off:

“Throw away all the rules… On Substack, a lot of the time, it really is just a cloud. People will make a note and it’ll hit, and they’ll be like, oh, OK, if that note was a photograph of myself, I’ll just post photographs of myself. Don’t over-determine off what you’re observing because there’s probably no face in the cloud.”

The only actual rule? Have fun.

“If people have fun on Notes and enjoy Notes and find things relevant to them on Notes, they will keep using it every day and they will find new writers to enjoy.”

The Network Effect (AKA Why This Is Different From Blogging Alone in Your Basement)

Remember starting a blog in 2008 and screaming into the void?

That doesn’t happen here.

Linda again:

“At Substack, we talk about network effects as the thing that we are trying to do that makes it different than just a blogging platform. … What we’re trying to innovate with is to say, how can we make it so that people see Substack as a destination, or if they come into the Substack world through subscribing to someone, then maybe they can be part of this broader community.”

This is how Substack goes mainstream. It’s already happening: 50,000 writers earning money here, and a discovery system that wants to connect you.

My Take

I’ve been watching this shift in real time. Medium didn’t get it.

But Substack? They’re flying the plane while building it. And Notes is the engine.

So stop overthinking. Stop waiting for the “perfect” time.
Your next subscriber isn’t coming from gaming the algorithm.
They’re one authentic post away — on Notes.

Want to actually put this into practice?

Join the Notes Kickstarter Bootcamp 2025!

Join us inside The Online Writing Club.

And grab my free Get Started on Notes Guide.

No More Screaming Into the Void: Why Substack Is Different From Blogging was originally published in Online Writing and Blogging Made Easy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

So many writers come to Substack hoping this is the place. They feel it in their gut: This is where my writing belongs.

They set up their Substack.
They write their first long-form posts.
They pour their heart into publishing.

And then… crickets.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.

The Missing Piece: Substack Notes

When I interviewed Linda LeBrun, Substack’s (former) Lead of Partnerships, she told me something interesting.

Before, she always told new writers: start with recommendations.
Now? It’s all about Notes.

Be on Notes. Show up. Be discoverable.

That’s where growth happens today.

But What Do You Write on Notes?

That’s the #1 question I hear.

Where do you even start?
What’s a res-tack?
What should you post?
How does the algorithm work?
Are Boost Challenges worth it?
And seriously… how do you actually find your people?

Here’s the truth:

👉 26% of my 14,600 subscribers found me through Notes.

As a part-time writer, Notes gave me momentum without the noise and burnout of other platforms.

It helped me find my tribe, connect deeply, and grow joyfully.

From 3,000 to 14,600 Subscribers (and 28,000 Followers on Notes!)

A year ago, I had:
❌ 3,000 free subscribers
❌ Zero followers
❌ Zero paid subs
❌ No community
❌ No clue how Notes even worked

Fast forward to today:
✅ The Online Writing Club hit 14,000 subscribers
✅ On Notes, I crossed 28,000 followers 🤯
✅ My Substack is a bestseller, with hundreds of paid subscribers and a thriving invite-only community

Notes changed everything.

To Celebrate: I’m Giving Away 15 FREE Copies of My Guide

Together with David McIlroy, I created The (Almost) Daily Notes Writer — a guide packed with 365 proven prompts and ideas from viral Notes.

It took us 40+ hours to curate. Today you have the chance to get it for FREE:

Inside, you’ll get:
✅ 365 click-worthy Notes you can explore, adapt, and use as prompts
✅ A proven way to push through those tough early weeks (especially weeks 14–16, when most quit)
✅ Inspiration that helps you write with your own colorful “writer thumbprint”
✅ A way to show up (almost) daily on Notes without burning out

It’s about becoming a better, more consistent, more authentic writer.

I wish I had this when I started.

Now you do.

Here’s the Catch…

I’m only giving away 15 FREE copies.
(First come, first served.)

Why? Because I want action-takers to finally get on Notes and start growing.

If you want to:
✨ Find your tribe
✨ Grow joyfully
✨ Discover how Notes can build your audience and business

…this guide is for you.

👉 Grab your free copy while it lasts with

MEDIUMFRIEND

Let me be your guide as a Top 25 Education Substack.

Your tribe is waiting. Notes is where they’ll find you.

The (Almost) Daily Substack Notes Writer

I’ll Give Away 15 Free Guides to Help You Master Substack Notes was originally published in Online Writing and Blogging Made Easy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Put a hand up if you’ve ever…

🤚🏻felt burned out as a teacher — whether you teach yoga, art, music, writing, or anything else — this episode will show you what’s possible.

Jo Hutton was a yoga teacher running on empty. Like so many teachers, she’d poured everything into her students and had nothing left for herself.

I found her through a viral video post on Notes and thought to myself:

More people need to know about Jo because she truly knows the pain points of her audience and how to hype herself via Substack!

Jo Is Beating The Glass Ceiling of Yoga Teachers in The UK

Because…in the UK, the average yoga teacher earns around £20–£40 per class — and many other teaching professions face similar limits on income and reach.

Jo found another way. Today, she’s the creator of Yoga For Tired People

a soulful Substack newsletter with 1,400+ paying subscribers — earning far more than a traditional teaching schedule could bring in, while serving many more people than she could ever fit in a studio.

Her newsletter is about giving tired, overwhelmed people a place to rest, reconnect, and breathe -no yoga mat needed.

And the best part?

The model works for any teacher who wants to share their skills with the world.

From Burnout to Breakthrough

In our podcast interview she told me:

“I was completely burned out. I was teaching back-to-back yoga classes, running all over the city, and I just felt like I was on this hamster wheel that I couldn’t step off. It wasn’t sustainable, and honestly, I didn’t know what else to do.”

In the UK, the average yoga teacher earns around £20–£40 per class. It’s a tough ceiling to break through. Jo was stuck in that system, feeling drained and undervalued.

“Notes honestly changed everything for me. It was the first time I felt like I could just be myself — share my actual voice, my silly side, my frustrations, my joy — and people understood it. They connected with me in a way that never happened in a yoga studio.”

Building Yoga For Tired People

“I didn’t want to build another space saying you had to be flexible or squeeze yourself into some ideal. I wanted it to be for actual humans — tired people juggling kids and jobs — who just needed somewhere to breathe.”

Her honesty resonated. What started as a simple newsletter grew rapidly, fueled by Notes and word of mouth.

Today, Jo has over 1,600 paying subscribers — a number that still amazes her.

“It still blows my mind that 1,600 people are paying to hear from me each month. As a yoga teacher, there’s no way I could ever have reached that many people face-to-face. Substack made that possible.”

The Identity Shift

“I don’t feel like I’m hustling anymore. I feel like I’m creating. I’m writing, I’m connecting, I’m sharing things that really matter to me. I’ve gone from exhaustion to joy.”

“Writing those little posts gave me the confidence to keep going. Sometimes I’d throw out something quick, and it would resonate with hundreds of people. It taught me to trust my own voice.”

“I’m writing my book now, which I honestly don’t think I would have had the courage to do without Notes. It gave me the practice, the feedback, and the momentum I needed.”

Why Jo’s Story Matters

Jo’s journey shows what’s possible when you stop pouring from an empty cup and start building something sustainable.

She went from burnout to creating a thriving Substack with 1,600 paying subscribers.

More than just numbers, she built a platform that gives her joy, freedom, and a far bigger impact than teaching classes ever could.

And the best part? The model works for any teacher or creator who wants to share their skills with the world.

Jo’s transformation is proof that burnout doesn’t have to be the end. Sometimes it’s the beginning of something far bigger.

Liked this? Here’s our podcast interview and the video to check out:

For more join The Online Writing Club and 15000 like-minded writers and dreamers & get all FREE Substack goodies to start your newsletter.

1,600 Paying Subscribers: From Burned-Out Yoga Teacher to Thriving on Substack was originally published in Online Writing and Blogging Made Easy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.