211: Growing a writing business with purpose and consistency (featuring Derek Hughes)

➡️ If the thought of promoting your writing gives you the heebie-jeebies, make sure to download my free 3-page guide, Sharing Without The Cringe.

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Season 2, episode 11 is here!

In this episode, I chat to

Derek Hughes

about how he’s built a thriving online writing business on Substack and Medium.

You’ll learn:

• How Derek grew his audience and income with Notes, coaching cohorts, and digital products

• Why autonomy and personal freedom matter more than just chasing big income

• The most crucial advice for new writers: focus on starting and staying consistent

• How to build a rock-solid writing habit and overcome imposter syndrome

• Why success in digital products comes from smart marketing, not just creation

• How simple, practical resources (like templates) can outperform complex offers

• How to stand out as an authentic, differentiated creator in the age of AI

• What a balanced, sustainable writing life looks like, and why it’s worth aiming for

If you’ve been looking for practical strategies, hard-earned lessons, and honest encouragement to build your own writing path, this episode delivers.

And don’t forget to check out Derek’s Starter Kit! 👇

Drowning in advice, but still not writing? The Starter Kit removes the overwhelms and hands you a clear, doable plan.

You’ll finally know where to begin—and how to keep going—without the stress, the guesswork, or the 4am self-doubt.

Get instant access to all the resources here. 👇

Want to work with me to grow your audience and generate more income? Here’s how.

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Go deeper:

• 210: Developing products that solve problems (featuring Orel Zilberman)

• Thinking About Quitting? You Should Do This First

• 4 Proven Strategies to Become a Substack Bestseller

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What’s next?

I’m ready and waiting to support you in the next stages of your creator journey. Here’s how I can help:

1. Start Your Podcast on Substack: A complete course guiding you from concept to launch, based on everything I’ve learned so far during my own podcasting journey. Learn to plan, brand, record, edit, publish, and promote your podcast while building an audience. Perfect for creators eager to share their voice with the world!

2. Sustainable Scalable Social Strategy: This 6-part, online, self-driven course will guide you through the same process I used to develop a strategy for my social media management. When you finish, you’ll have a sustainable social strategy in place that will help you scale your business properly.

3. One-To-One Coaching: Live coaching sessions over Zoom plus a full video audit of your Substack publication. Ideal for those who want to grow their online presence, identify their key strengths, and develop a long-term business strategy. Upgrade to Sustaining Membership for full access.

4. Promote to 19,000+ readers: Get yourself in front of a highly-engaged online audience via email, podcast and social media.

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Table of Contents [Start Here]