How to Write for a Living
How to Write for a Living
218: What no one tells you about going solo as a writer (with Erica Schneider)
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218: What no one tells you about going solo as a writer (with Erica Schneider)

Solopreneur lessons, AI workflows, and the mindset shifts writers need to grow an audience, make real money, and still feel like themselves.
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➡️ Stop overthinking and finally publish that article — join The 5-Day Article Sprint that gets you from idea to inbox in under a week. Get it here.


Season 2, episode 18 is here!

In this episode,

shares what it really takes to go from full-time agency work to running your own solopreneur business as a writer.

We chat about personal pivots, marketing strategies and emotional clarity in writing - this one’s a real deep dive into the mindset and mechanics of modern creative work.

What we covered:

  • Why Erica left a stable agency job and what she learned from cycling through multiple business models before finding the right fit

  • The surprising pressure behind selling cohorts and one-on-one offers, and how to know if they’re right for you

  • How Substack Notes helped Erica gain traction and drive hundreds of subscribers from a single viral post

  • What it actually takes to thrive as a solopreneur, and why charisma, bias for action, and self-awareness matter more than a polished plan

  • A breakdown of how Erica writes emotionally resonant emails, builds confident offers, and uses AI as a creative partner, not a replacement

  • Her “MP3” framework for building a personal brand that connects

  • How to close the recognition gap and future-proof your writing business in the age of AI

👉 Make sure to subscribe to Erica’s publication before you go, and check out the latest episode of her podcast with

here. 👇

How Solos Scale
#18 Standardize your offer
Today, we’re talking about standardization, why it matters more as you grow beyond $20k months, and how it unlocks clarity in your offer, marketing, sales, and client delivery…
Listen now

Go deeper:


What’s next?

I’m ready and waiting to support you in the next stages of your creator journey. Here’s a reminder of 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. The 1K Daily Writing Challenge: Build a consistent habit by writing 1,000 words daily for 30 days. Along the way, you'll get encouraging video prompts, accountability support, and plenty of inspiration to ignite your creative spark. Nail your rhythm. Find your flow. Transform your writing journey forever.

  3. Substack Basics: A video guide showing you exactly how to: set up your first publications; create polished posts from scratch; share, structure, and schedule effectively; and master Notes, CTAs, and growth levers (bonus section: Going Live on Substack).

  4. 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.


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