The $90k Mindset Shift: Substack Gave Me My Life Back

reflecting on being happier than I've ever been

oh my gosh you guys, something exciting happened today. so i’m celebrating with a free post for all about how substack has, quite literally, given me my life back.

this morning we hit a milestone i’ve held in my heart for the last few months (not longer, because several months before that i didn’t even think my own growth in this space was possible)—900 subscribers on the 9 year anniversary of my podcast AND the 9 year anniversary of being with my husband. 999 energy, anyone?!

writing, to me, has always felt like a kismet, match made in heaven, didn't-choose-it-but-it-chose-me, electric way to understand my own thoughts kind of magnetic pull. in many ways, especially before having kids, it was my reason for being. in most ways, it still is. it’s my way of making sense of a world that otherwise constantly makes me wonder why i incarnated here in the first place.

that said, i’d happily blog for free for decades.

well actually, i did blog for free for decades. every single day. from 2013 until now, i showed up for my audience either on my OG blog, my instagram, podcast, live events, the quantum method, or all of the above. usually, all of the above.

and now that consistency is paying off. showing up has been more worthwhile than anything in the world. forging these relationships with each and every one of you has changed me from the inside out.

it’s not “numbers” or “growth” to me, it’s community. it’s knowing your names, recognizing your faces, supporting your work and your value, doing fun giveaways to share the love, being a safe space for you to come to when you’re going through something hard, and so much more.

and THIS IS NOT to toot my own horn in any way!!

i simply realize i’ve reached a place where it feels okay to take a deep exhale, a resounding sigh, and say, “actually, i AM proud of what i’ve done. actually, i no longer feel like i have to act ‘cool’ or extra palatable or super nonchalant about what i’ve created.’

this type of consistency has given me everything i have today, and why not own it? while many of my peers were building product lines, becoming the CEO’s of brands and businesses, pouring their hearts into the consumer goods space or going to school to get their nutrition degrees or whatever else, i was doing this.

i was writing.

i was showing up in a space that had long since ‘died out’ (blogging) just because i felt like it (rather than becoming a CEO and hiring a bunch of employees and doing stuff i never wanted to do).

for so many years i felt like i was doing something SO DRASTICALLY WRONG by not building a product line or expanding my business further offline. my podcast made it easy to coast by feeling like i *did* create something offline and more personalized for many years (9 years this week to be exact), but once everyone and their mother and THEIR mother started a podcast… the space got so saturated i worried i may have put all of my eggs into a basket that was finally drying up… and that terrified me shitless.

my entrepreneurial origin story:

what you may not know about me, because it doesn’t really fit with the rest of my reflector-ish identity, is that the entrepreneurial spirit runs through my blood. my mom and dad were both self-made, extremely successful entrepreneurs.

my dad built a company from the ground up starting at the age of 20 and then became an ultra savvy investor (he’s an icon with INSANE money tips, you’d better listen to him on the pod), and my mom created sacramento’s finest & chicest clothing store, Flirt, that people still beg her to bring back to this day!

me and my parents in Lake Tahoe, circa 1997 <3

but what is different about me than my parents and particularly my dad, is that i have never chased success—in fact, i’ve never even *thought* a whole lot about success and i most definitely never thought about money. i know it might sound counterintuitive, but it’s just the truth.

anything worthwhile i’ve ever done in my life, i’ve let come to me. it’s been born from nothing but passion & joy, which is what eventually made it explode.

take my blog for example, which i started in 2013. i started it on a whim, on an airplane home from maui, with zero intentions of it becoming anything big. i didn’t even know blogs could get big. it quickly became my passion, my everything, my all. within the year i was quitting my prestigious grad school program and doing the blog full-time.

same with my podcast, started it on a freaking whim. i had no idea it would become something, but i knew enough at that point to have a feeling that it just might—just like the blog. the audience was there, the timing was right, and as with everything… i went all in.

who remembers the OG 2016 podcast cover artwork!?!?

on the side of the pod and blog, i was always innovating. from cleanse programs to TBV apparel (which later became my pod merch which we still sell!), from hosting yoga retreats to creating all sorts of spiritual programs (who remembers waking back up to your own soul?!), masterclasses, subscriptions, and eventually TQM, and doing endless brand deals & collabs, the innovation has always been where i’ve felt at home.

…but you know where i’ve felt MORE at home, the whole time!??!

WRITING!

in my bed, in my pajamas, with a coffee or an iced tea in hand, typing away. writing lists. writing 12 things tuesday posts. writing books. DM’ing you guys back. being creative, tapping into the quantum realm, and basically… blogging.

it was always blogging for me. quite literally always.

with that, the $90K mindset shift…

i know you’re here for the tips, so let’s get into them. but first thing’s first:

this friday, at 11am PST, i am hosting a live substack masterclass on exactly how i grew my substack, how to write your first post, how to tap into your inner writer, the energetics of writing/growth/manifestation, and so much more.

we’ll cover how to:

🪩 write your first post (or your next viral one)

🪩 know when to turn on paid subscriptions (and how to do it successfully without pissing people off and/or getting nothing but crickets in return)

🪩 tap into your inner child for creative flow—this is energetic, spiritual, quantum, trust me

🪩 build an authentic, aligned audience… in a way that is actually natural & organic, not REALLY in a way that can be taught (bc TBH that’s all a bit of a scam), but we will try

🪩 create from a place of abundance and ease so that you can have an endless well of inspiration without burning out… and so much more !!

to join, all you need to do is become a paid subscriber (it’s $9 — literally the price of a fancy tea at Erewhon, or 1/3 of a smoothie 😂)! once you’re in, you’ll get the invite link directly through the substack app.

& yes, there will be a free replay link for all paying subscribers, for anyone who can’t make it in real time!!!! <3

now, into the $90k mindset tips:

everything i shared in this post (also free) are still my best growth tips as far as organic and natural substack growth goes, but i want to give you some new tips so read that and THEN read this:

1. write from overflow, not emptiness.

the most magnetic writing comes when your own cup is full. instead of forcing a post, fill yourself up with what inspires you—nature, movement, laughter, life, friendship, days off, walks on the beach, gathering true inspo. the internet feels the difference between a rushed post and a soul transmission. it’s ALL ENERGETICS. remember that!

2. make your Substack a frequency, not a platform.

what energy do people feel when they land on your page? warmth? truth? healing? desperation to grow? insecure and lack? decide the desired frequency of your Substack—is it a sanctuary, a spark, a movement—and infuse that energy into every post, image, and interaction. if you’re coming from a place or rush or feeling out of ease, people will feel it.

3. write like no one is watching (because energetically, that’s when everyone starts watching).

when you write from the purity of your voice, not trying to perform or predict what will “land,” you tap into truth. and truth travels faster than algorithms ever could. word of mouth IS THE NEW “algorithm.” trust me on this. (my bestie Jenna Zoe said this yesterday, so shoutout to her. she always gets it.)

4. more is not always better.

we’ve been conditioned to believe that consistency equals success, because in many ways that is true. but there is such a thing as overdoing it (i may have done that last week, WHOOPS lol). we that more posts, more emails, more output automatically means more growth. but on Substack (and in life), energy trumps volume every time. aka, quality > quantity FOREVER.

if you’re writing from depletion, people can feel it. if you’re posting just to stay “active,” your words lose their spark. but when you write from alignment, even one post per week can ripple out further than ten forced ones ever could.

trust that your potency doesn’t come from how much you produce, but from how deeply what you do share resonates. one post written from soul will outshine a dozen written from strategy. so slow down. say less. but make what you say matter.

5. be seen where you’re scared to be seen.

the post you’re afraid to publish is usually the one that will change your life. my vaccine injury, for example? i never thought i’d touch that topic with a ten foot pole. my peptides and glp1 microdosing experiences? SAME THING.

fear is often the signal that your truth holds power. write the things that other people are afraid to say. ACTUALLY go there. going through a rough patch in your marriage? talk about it. not for content purposes but for writing purposes. real writers, write the hard shit.

6. infuse intention into every paid offering.
whether it’s a masterclass, a monthly post, or a paid series—let it be anchored in devotion, not desperation. when your energy says, “this is sacred work,” readers feel invited, not sold to.

no one wants to buy another thing online… trust me, *no one.* instead, invite them into your world. make them a VIP of your life. give them a reason to come in, and a reason to stay. treat them like your friends, because they are. never get too big for your britches. this is all important.

oh & dog gone it, if you want paid subscribers, you must become a paid subscriber to others. if you don’t put that energy out into the world or you are stingy, self-righteous, or precious about it, the energy will not be able to flow back to you. point blank.

for numbers 7-10 and beyond, join our MASTERCLASS this friday!!!! all you need to do is become a paid subscriber. <3

plus then you get access to the archive, the group chat, the fiction, the iconic unfolding to come… oooohhhh my excitement is so real & i am SO ELATED to keep growing, sharing, expanding, and connecting on here.

but most of all… writing. so excited to keep writing.

i love you all. thank you for seeing me. thank you for being here.

i promise to keep bringing value and hopefully making you feel seen in this little corner of the internet :’)

questions?! thoughts!? topic requests?! ideas?! you MUST comment below and tell me everything you wanna know, i need to know who’s reading on the other end of the screen. remember… i wanna know your names! your faces! your passions! your kid’s names! kk, that’s all. xx