In this week’s episode, I sat down with Luis and Rui Sousa, co-founders of The AI Break, a Substack newsletter that’s grown to more than 90,000 subscribers in under two years.
The two brothers shared how they turned their side-project into a full-time business, combining paid ads, organic growth, and practical AI education.
🧰 Grab your FREE Substack Starter Kit: https://www.writebuildscale.com/podstarterkit/
We also covered:
- Why paid ads became their biggest growth engine - and how they reinvested every dollar to scale (02:41)
- How they monetize their newsletter through 3 powerful income streams (13:00)
- Why the best way to sell your services might be to stop pitching them altogether (19:40)
- The smart paywall strategy that converts free readers into paying subscribers (21:00)
- How to start using AI if you’re feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by it (28:20)
- How you can create high-quality content with AI - that actually sounds and feels like you (37:00)
- Why you should start monetizing your knowledge right now - even if you only have 10 subscribers (01:00:45)
And much, much more…
Connect With Rui & Luis Sousa:
📙 Follow Rui Sousa on Substack: https://substack.com/@ruisousa11
💼 Follow Luis Sousa on Substack: https://substack.com/@luissousa28
▶️ Subscribe To The AI Break Substack: https://theaibreak.substack.com/
In this week’s episode, I sat down with Michael Lim - a full-time solopreneur who scaled his one-person business past $30K/month.
We talked about building a business around your skills, using leverage to scale, and how to stop overcomplicating the path to six figures.
We also covered:
The 3 P’s of starting a one-person business; how to turn your profession, pain, or passion into profit (00:02:41)
Why any niche - no matter how weird - can scale to six figures a year (00:05:44)
The exact step-by-step path to go from freelancer → consultant → digital product creator (00:11:07)
How to use social media to validate your offers before you build them (00:20:27)
The easiest way to add leverage: sell one offer at different price points (00:29:31)
The mindset shift that helped Michael scale past $30K/month (00:40:08)
And much, much more…
Connect With Michael Lim:
In this week’s episode, I sat down with Taylin John Simmonds - a former college teacher turned $500k a year content copywriter - to unpack how to start as a ghostwriter, land your first clients, and scale your income as a writer.
Connect With Taylin John Simmonds:
📙 Follow Taylin John Simmonds on Substack: https://substack.com/@taylinsimmonds
💼 Follow Taylin John Simmonds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylin-john-simmonds/
✍️ Follow Taylin John Simmonds on X: https://x.com/TaylinSimmonds
▶️ Subscribe To Taylin’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@taylinsimmonds
💻 Visit The Ghostlii Website: https://www.ghostlii.com/
In this value-packed episode, we cover:
- The surprising way he landed his first ghostwriting client (00:50)
- How Taylin scaled from $3K/month to $40K/month in just four months (05:59)
- The dark side of “fast success” (07:30)
- How Taylin rebuilt his business to run without him (09:29)
- The mindset that separates six-figure ghostwriters from those who give up (13:02)
- The 3 types of leverage Taylin uses to scale his business without burning out (22:00)
- The best online platforms for writers in 2025 and beyond (30:02)
- The million-dollar advice Taylin got from a mentor - and how it changed his focus overnight (33:43)
- The belief shift every new writer needs to make to start earning real money (40:00)
And much, much more…
In this week’s episode, I sat down with psychologist and executive coach, Corey Wilks (Psy.D), to discuss how creators can navigate imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and limiting beliefs, so they can reach their full potential.
With 16+ years of experience in psychology, Corey has worked with some of the top creators and communities in the world (like Ali Abdaal, David Perell, and Jay Clouse).
Connect With Corey Wilks:
📙 Follow Corey Wilks on Substack: https://substack.com/@coreywilkspsyd
📧 Subscribe To The ‘Creator Alchemy’ Newsletter: https://www.creatoralchemy.com
🎤 Listen To The ‘Creator Alchemy’ Podcast: https://creator-alchemy.captivate.fm/listen
💻 Visit Corey Wilks’ Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/
Connect With Us:
📙 Write • Build • Scale Substack: https://writebuildscale.substack.com/
▶️ Subscribe To YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteBuildScalePodcast
⭐ Free Substack Bestseller Guide: https://mwa.kit.com/substackbestseller
In this value-packed episode, we cover:
- How to deal with imposter syndrome - and why it’s actually a good sign (1:07)
- The #1 mental shift for writers who struggle with perfectionism (10:12)
- The 4 subconscious fears keeping you from success as a creator (13:19)
- Why studying productivity hacks doesn’t matter if you don’t work on your mindset (20:00)
- The most effective psychological technique to overcome procrastination (22:29)
- Why you should give yourself permission to be great (39:02)
And much, much more…
In this week’s episode, I’m sharing the step-by-step playbook to go from zero subscribers all the way to Substack Bestseller (100+ paid subscribers). This is the exact system we’ve followed at Write • Build • Scale, and it helped us grow our publication to 17,000+ subscribers and 750+ paid subscribers in just over a year.---Substack System Is Now Open For EnrollmentSubstack System is a step-by-step program designed to help you grow your audience and income on Substack - without the guesswork, overwhelm, or burnout.👉 Enroll at substacksystem.com In the 70+ actionable videos of this course, you’ll learn how to:
👉 Enroll at substacksystem.com
Free Masterclass: Take Your Substack Growth To The Next Level
This Thursday (October 2nd), we’ll host a live Substack Growth Masterclass where we share exactly how to grow your audience and income on Substack.
This live masterclass is completely free to attend, so secure your seat now and set yourself up for success on Substack:
https://go.writebuildscale.com/substackmasterclass
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In this week’s episode, I sat down with Sinem Gunel, my co-founder at Write • Build • Scale, to talk about how she grew an online audience of 100,000+ by writing on Medium and Substack.
In this value-packed episode, we cover:
Why writing ‘consistently’ isn’t the right advice - and what you should focus on instead (01:06)
The most important writing tip Sinem learned from publishing 150+ articles on Medium (03:54)
What asset every online writer should have if they want to build a profitable writing business (12:08)
Why focusing on one proven platform leads to faster growth than being “everywhere” or chasing the hottest social media platforms (15:04)
How Sinem got over her limiting beliefs on monetization and realized she deserved to get paid for her work (18:54)
What skills you’ll need to learn to make the shift from writer to business builder (23:00)
How to move from “building an audience” to building a writing business that creates long-term freedom (28:55)
And much, much more…
Ollie Forsyth is the creator of the NEW ECONOMIES newsletter on Substack (75,000+ subscribers).
In this episode, we discussed newsletter monetization strategies, how to make your newsletter stand out, and how to earn your first $100,000 on Substack.
Connect with Ollie:
Subscribe To The NEW ECONOMIES Newsletter
Listen To The NEW ECONOMIES Podcast
Connect With Us:
📙 Write • Build • Scale Substack: https://writebuildscale.substack.com/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteBuildScalePodcast
⭐ Free Substack Bestseller Guide: https://mwa.kit.com/substackbestseller
Timestamps:
What makes a paid tier irresistible - and how Ollie got his first 100 paid subscribers (03:11)
How to price your paid subscription so it feels like a “no-brainer” (08:39)
How small Substack publications can find potential newsletter sponsorships in their niche (19:22)
The 90-day growth blueprint to set your Substack up for a $100k year (24:11)
How Ollie added 33,000+ subscribers through the newsletter recommendations feature (27:00)
How to future-proof your newsletter in the age of AI (33:42)
Ollie’s advice on monetization - paid tier, sponsorships, digital products, and more (37:19)
In this episode, I sat down with writer, podcaster, and Substack creator David McIlroy to talk about how online writers can get paid, grow their audience, and build their personal brand.
In this value-packed episode, we cover:
How David made the shift from writer to entrepreneur (02:59)
The #1 mistake most creators make when trying to monetize their knowledge (04:29)
How to find a profitable product idea by looking at what you’re already doing in your life or business (8:46)
How David grew his Substack newsletter to 29,000+ subscribers (11:00)
Three practical rules for building your personal brand as an online writer (18:01)
The one piece of advice David has for anyone looking to get started on Substack (27:35)
Connect With David McIlroy:
Veronica Llorca-Smith is a published author, international public speaker, Substack creator, IRONMAN triathlete, and mom of two.
In this episode, we talk about how online writers and creators can boost their productivity, conquer procrastination, and build a lifestyle-first business.
Connect With Veronica:
📙 Substack Profile: https://substack.com/@veronicallorcasmith
📧 Newsletter: https://veronicallorcasmith.substack.com/
📚 The Anti-Procrastinator [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Procrastinator-Self-Awareness-Change-Your-Life-ebook/dp/B0DTKG4XRY/
Connect With Us:
📙 Write • Build • Scale Substack: https://writebuildscale.substack.com/
▶️ Subscribe To YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteBuildScalePodcast
⭐ Free Substack Bestseller Guide: https://mwa.kit.com/substackbestseller
Timestamps:
- How Veronica manages her time as an author, entrepreneur, public speaker, triathlete, and mom of two (01:01)
- Effective productivity routines for online writers and creators (06:40)
- How to conquer procrastination by identifying your unique procrastination ‘profile’ (13:39)
- How Veronica managed to write a book (published by Penguin Random House) in only 3 months (15:25)
- The most valuable life lessons Veronica and Jari learned from doing an IRONMAN triathlon (25:33)
- How to design your business so it supports your lifestyle and gives you more freedom and flexibility (33:46)
- What to do to stay motivated and positive when you’re not seeing results as a creator (38:09)
- The 3 business lessons Veronica would tell her younger entrepreneurial self (43:06)
Kamil Banc is an entrepreneur, AI expert, and the owner of the AI Adopters Club newsletter.
In this episode, we discuss how to use AI to transform your online business and skyrocket your productivity.
Connect With Kamil:
📙 Substack Profile: https://substack.com/@banc
📧 Newsletter: https://aiadopters.club/
💻 Right-Click Prompt Chrome Extension: https://rightclickprompt.com/
Connect With Us:
📙 Write • Build • Scale Substack: https://writebuildscale.substack.com/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteBuildScalePodcast
⭐ Free Substack Bestseller Guide: https://mwa.kit.com/substackbestseller
Timestamps:
- How AI is changing the game for creators and entrepreneurs (07:09)
- Why you shouldn't just use AI for incremental progress, but to explore the boundaries of what's possible (10:10)
- How you can use AI as a life operating system (16:02)
- Why “effort ≠ value” (rethinking pricing strategy in the AI age) (18:08)
- Why you should never type again - but use voice instead (22:04)
- Essential skills you need to thrive in the age of AI (30:23)
- Why you should never say no to opportunities ever again (32:23)
- Kamil’s top 5 daily AI tools (35:00)
- Three lessons Kamil would give his younger entrepreneurial self (38:51)
Landon Poburan is an entrepreneur, digital marketing strategist, and online creator.
In this episode, we discuss how to become more comfortable with marketing your work - and how to validate, build, and sell your first low-ticket digital product.
Connect With Landon:
🌐 Website: https://landonp.com/
📙 Substack Profile: https://substack.com/@landonpoburan
📧 Newsletter: https://landonpoburan.substack.com/
💻 Subliminal Selling Workshop: https://landonpoburan.gumroad.com/l/subliminal-selling-substack\
Connect With Us:
📙 Write • Build • Scale Substack: https://writebuildscale.substack.com/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteBuildScalePodcast
📖 Free Course Creation Guide: https://jariroomer.com/10k-mini-course-guide/
Timestamps:
02:14 - Overcoming Marketing Resistance and Imposter Syndrome
07:21 - Authenticity in Marketing and Selling
09:39 - Experimenting With Marketing Strategies
12:12 - Does Selling Alienate Your Audience?
13:57 - The Importance of Validating Demand
15:28 - The Subliminal Selling Method Explained
17:42 - Creating Products Based on Audience Feedback
25:49 - Why You Should Solve Specific Problems
29:29 - How To Launch and Sell Your First Product
34:00 - The Power of Subtle Promotion
38:49 - 3 Lessons Landon Would Teach His Younger Self
45:09 - Which Monetization Method Landon Loves The Most
In this episode, we share the five biggest lessons we’ve learned from building a 7-figure creator business (plus we’ve got a funny bonus lesson for you at the end of the episode).
This episode is packed with practical advice for creators who want to grow faster and earn more.
Connect With Us:
📙 Write • Build • Scale Substack: https://writebuildscale.substack.com/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteBuildScalePodcast
⭐ Free Substack Bestseller Guide: https://mwa.kit.com/substackbestseller
Timestamps:
1:16 — Lesson #1: If it’s a business, treat it like a business
8:10 — Lesson #2: Focus on solving real problems
17:18 — Lesson #3: Collaboration over competition
26:39 — Lesson #4: Monetize the same skill with multiple offers
31:57 — Lesson #5: Choose your customers carefully
37:37 — Bonus Lesson: Take 100% responsibility (and trust your gut)
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