Hey, friend.
I believe in having fun while building a business, and experimenting seems to be a must from what I’ve learned.
With this mindset, you don’t really have anything to lose.
Even if one thing doesn’t work out, you tackle one or two elements of it at a time and see how it goes. Give a new project one year to really see its potential. And if not, you can try something else.
The only way to not make it in business is to actually give up. For the rest of us who stay in the game long enough, it’s just a matter of time.
So, with that, I want to introduce you to something I feel called to do - an experiment in public. Something that the old me (from 6 months ago, which feels like a lifetime ago, honestly) wouldn’t have even considered possible.
We’re entering a new quarter, the final one for 2026. And knowing that life is too short, we might as well go after our goals and even reach them sooner than what is considered normal.
If others have done it, so can we! That’s one of my mottos, and that’s why I share everything I do.
So what I’m doing is setting a big goal for the next 3 months: to reach 100 paid subscribers by December 31st.
The Bestseller badge itself isn’t something I care about, honestly, but it just happens to be a big deal on Substack. I believe authority and trust can be gained without that - by showing up week after week, producing content that actually helps people get results, and being your most authentic self.
But this is also a business, and Substack’s monetization model really appeals to me. And while I will have digital products and other fun things for you over time, I first want to invite as many of you as possible inside my paid tier (only if you find value in my work, of course, and if you need some guidance while growing your publication).
I know accountability is one of the things most of us struggle with. So let’s do this together and keep each other accountable. How about that?
What’s your big goal for Q4?
If you feel like participating in this experiment, feel free to set a goal that feels uncomfortable.
Maybe it’s to double your free subscribers.
Get your first paid ones.
Reach 50-100 paid ones.
Maybe you want to reach $2,000 in annual recurring revenue.
Or to find 3 coaching clients from Substack by the end of the year.
It could be that you want $10K in actual profit (through the paid tier but also digital products and other offers you have).
Tell me your Q4 goal in the comments. I’ll be checking in throughout the quarter, and I’d love to know what you’re working toward.
And here’s the thing. This isn’t just about getting a badge or hitting 100 paid members. What I’m really going for here is this:
Can I deliberately grow my Substack business to the next level in 90 days, and what happens when I document the process?
And that’s where the value comes for everyone else.
It can inspire some. Or trigger others (that’s good too).
Maybe some of you will go for bigger goals, or be more consistent, or not take weeks off around the holidays just because everyone else does.
This is business, not corporate. We work whenever we want to, and we show up if we set a goal.
So, here’s my goal:
Starting point: 39 paid subscribers
Q4 goal: Bestseller status
Success metric: 100 active paid subscribers by December 31st
Over the next 3 months, you’ll see me take specific actions.
I’ll probably be sharing 3 post updates, at the end of each month. I’ll also share little updates, wins and lessons inside the chat (for paid members)
I don’t know what the result will be at the end of December, but one thing is sure: I’ll learn a lot, because I’ll do a lot. And so will you if you’re a paid member.
Now, let me tell you the strategic moves I’m planning for this quarter. Some of these areas I’ve never focused on before. Others are things I’m already doing but doubling down on.
And that’s not just a list of random activities. That’s a curated list of strategic moves I’ve chosen to make based on everything I’ve learned on Substack in the past 6 months from experience and from experts.
And, more importantly, it’s the exact steps you can take (if they resonate) to also get your first or next paying members on the platform.
Behind the paywall:
What I’ll do every week in the next 90 days;
The types of Notes I will focus on and why (some I haven’t given a chance before);
The strategies I’ll play with;
The different conversion boosts I can test;
How I plan to make this sustainable.