✍️ How I'm Quietly Building My Substack From Zero and Actually Sticking With It
The 90-Day System I Built Using 10+ Years of Content Strategy Experience
I’m starting this newsletter from zero, the same way most creators start anything: from the beginning, with more questions than answers, and without a roadmap that feels certain.
But I’m not starting as a complete beginner.
I’ve spent more than ten years creating content professionally. I’ve written for small businesses, organizations, and federal agencies, grown social media audiences past 100,000 followers across platforms, and increased engagement rates by 316% for clients who needed real results but had limitations on how they could engage with content.
I’ve built brands, designed communication strategies, and helped organizations clarify their message in ways that actually moved people to action.
I know how to create content that works. I’ve done it for others for years. What I haven’t done yet is build a newsletter for myself (somehow this commitment is scarier). And that’s what I’m doing now.
This post is about the plan I’m following to grow my newsletter. It’s the strategy I’m using, the lessons I’m applying, and the systems I’m putting in place to make consistent publishing feel sustainable instead of overwhelming.
Some of this will work better than I expect. Some of it won’t work at all. I’ll adjust as I go, and I’ll share what I learn along the way.
If you’re building something from scratch too, or trying to rebuild after inconsistency, this is for you.
The Three Biggest Mistakes I’m Avoiding
Before I get into the strategy itself, I want to be clear about how I’m approaching this. I’m building quietly.
I’m taking a focused, intentional approach, starting genuinely from zero on Substack and committing to one platform instead of spreading myself thin. Rather than pulling in an audience from elsewhere, I’m allowing Substack’s built-in discovery and community features to support steady, organic growth.
For me, quiet building means setting up systems that support consistency, growing steadily instead of chasing virality, and focusing on meaningful engagement rather than reach.
The goal is meaningful engagement in one space, built slowly and on purpose, instead of a scattered presence across many platforms.
With that context, here are the three biggest mistakes I’m intentionally avoiding:
Mistake 1: Treating everything the same way
Substack has two different engines: Notes and Posts. Notes work more like social media. They reward frequent posting, engagement, and visibility in the feed. That’s where I’ll use some of the strategies that have worked on other platforms.
But Posts are different. They’re not about interrupting someone’s scroll. You’re entering their inbox because they invited you. That changes everything about how you create.
I’m treating Notes like a discovery and engagement tool. I’m treating my newsletter Posts like a conversation with people who chose to be here. Different purposes, different approaches.
Mistake 2: Thinking you need everything figured out before you start
I’ve seen creators delay for months because they don’t have their content calendar mapped out for the year, or their branding feels incomplete, or they’re still refining their welcome sequence.
But you don’t need everything figured out to begin. You need enough clarity to take the first step, and you figure out the rest as you go.
I’m starting with a clear direction and a sustainable schedule. The details will emerge through practice and action. Momentum comes from publishing, not from preparing to publish.
Mistake 3: Publishing without intention
Consistency matters. But consistency without purpose is just showing up to show up. You can post every week and still not grow if you’re not clear about what you’re creating and who it’s for.
I’m not winging this. I have clear goals for what I want to accomplish in the next 90 days. I know what I’m creating, who I am talking to, when I’m publishing, and how I’ll measure whether it’s working.
Why Substack Is Different (And Why It Matters)
When I grew my TikTok account to 90k+ followers, I optimized for three things: hooks that stopped the scroll, content that sparked emotion, and posting frequency that kept me visible in the algorithm.
Newsletter growth on Substack works differently.
Substack combines the best parts of blogging, email marketing, and social media in one place.
You’re not just building an email list. You’re building a publication with built-in discovery through Notes, recommendations from other creators, and the ability for readers to find you through Substack’s network. That’s more powerful than a standalone newsletter service like Flodesk or Mailchimp.
You own your subscriber relationships.
If TikTok changes its algorithm tomorrow, your reach could disappear. If Instagram decides to deprioritize certain content, years of audience building can vanish. But when someone subscribes to your newsletter, that connection belongs to you.
This is why building a newsletter matters even if you’re active on other platforms. Social media is rented land. Your email list is property you own.
Substack’s Notes create a discovery advantage.
Most newsletter platforms require you to drive all your own traffic. You need an existing audience somewhere else, or you need to spend money on ads, or you need to get featured by someone with a big platform.
Substack is different. Notes let new readers discover you organically. When you post valuable content in Notes, engage with others, and build relationships, people find you without you having to promote yourself constantly on other platforms.
By choosing to focus on Substack instead of spreading myself thin across 7 different platforms, I’m already steps ahead. I’m building where discovery, publishing, and community happen in the same place.
What I’m Doing Differently This Time
I’ve started and stopped creating content for myself more times than I want to count. I’d get excited, publish for a few weeks, then life would interrupt, and I’d disappear for months.
The problem was never a lack of ideas or desire. The problem was that I didn’t have a system that could survive real life.
This time, I’m building differently.
I’m planning in 90-day cycles, not annual goals.
Annual goals feel motivating in January and overwhelming by March. 90 days is long enough to build momentum and short enough to stay focused. I can see the finish line, which makes it easier to keep going when motivation fades.
I’m batching content instead of creating daily.
I can’t write a newsletter every morning before work. I don’t have that kind of time or energy. Instead, I’m dedicating a few focused hours each week to batch my content. I write multiple posts at once, schedule them, and then spend the rest of the week engaging with readers instead of scrambling to create.
I’m starting with a sustainable schedule.
One to two newsletters per week. Three to five Notes per day. That’s my starting rhythm.
Right now, I’m in a season where I have more time than usual. I’m using this window to build momentum and establish habits before life gets busier. Come April, I know my schedule will shift completely. A different season will require a different rhythm.
Sustainability looks different for everyone. What makes this schedule sustainable for me is batching. I’m dedicating focused time once a week to write everything, schedule it, and then spend the rest of my time engaging instead of scrambling to produce.
When my season changes, my publishing frequency might change too. But the batching approach will stay. That’s what makes it sustainable long term.
I’m treating this like a long-term practice, not a short-term project.
I’m not trying to hit a subscriber count and then stop. I’m building a sustainable rhythm that I can maintain for years. Slow and steady wins here. Consistency compounds because consistency is a habit, and I am focusing on developing that habit.
The Three Phases of My 90-Day Plan
My plan is built around three phases. Each phase has a different focus and a clear outcome.
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1 to 4)
The first month is about building the infrastructure. I’m setting up my publishing schedule, creating my content systems, and establishing the habits that will carry me through the next three months.
This phase isn’t about growth yet. It’s about proving to myself that I can show up consistently. I’m publishing one to two times per week, posting daily Notes, and getting into a rhythm that feels sustainable.
I’m also clarifying my content pillars, refining my voice, and testing what resonates with the people who do subscribe.
Success in Phase 1 is publishing on schedule every week without feeling overwhelmed.
Phase 2: Consistency (Weeks 5 to 8)
The second month is about momentum. By this point, I’ll have a content routine that works. Now I focus on improving quality, increasing engagement, and building relationships with subscribers.
I’ll start experimenting with different content formats, testing subject lines, and paying attention to what gets opened and what doesn’t. I’ll engage more intentionally in Notes, comment on other creators’ work, and look for collaboration opportunities.
Success in Phase 2 is steady growth and deeper engagement with the people who are already here.
Phase 3: Growth (Weeks 9 to 12)
The third month is about acceleration. Hopefully, by this point, I’ll have proof that my content works. I’ll have built relationships with subscribers, refined my voice, and developed a clearer sense of what resonates most.
This is when I’ll focus on strategic growth tactics: optimizing my presence on Pinterest, deepening engagement in Notes, refining my welcome sequence, and improving my free-to-paid conversion strategy.
Success in Phase 3 is reaching my subscriber goal and having a system in place that continues to grow without requiring more effort from me.
If you want to see the complete breakdown of all three phases, including my exact publishing schedule, content frameworks, and the systems I’m using to make this sustainable, subscribe below. Paid subscribers get the complete 90-day strategy plus every template and resource I’m building along the way.
If you upgrade to paid, here’s what you’ll get access to in the full 90-day strategy:
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)
My exact publishing schedule (1-2 newsletters + 3-5 daily Notes)
Content bucket framework with percentages
Notion system setup
Lead magnet strategy and automation
Brand voice development approach
Phase 2: Consistency (Weeks 5-8)
Weekly content batching system
Habit stacking framework with multiple options
Notes engagement strategy (with examples from top creators)
Community building tactics
Phase 3: Growth (Weeks 9-12)
Traffic generation plan (Pinterest, SEO, Notes)
Detailed SEO guide for every post
Analytics tracking setup
Conversion optimization strategies
Plus, every template, framework, and real-time update as I build here.
