For the past 2 years, Write • Build • Scale has run on three people.
Me, Philip (my husband and business partner), and Jari (our co-founder).
Before that, it's only been Philip and me for 5+ years.
No full-time team, just a few freelancers and agencies we pulled in for specific jobs.
And it worked: We became the biggest Substack education business out there.
More clients, more success stories, and a longer track record than anyone else in our space. 💅
That's usually the moment you exhale. You've made it. You get to relax now.
But we decided to do the opposite.
This week, we onboarded our first full-time team member.
Someone whose whole job is to help us serve our clients better and take every one of our programs to the next level.
That's a much bigger commitment than hiring a freelancer for a project.
It's uncomfortable and challenges us in entirely new ways, which is the whole point.
Here's what I want you to hear: real growth doesn't happen in your comfort zone.
You see it everywhere: in sports, in relationships, in business.
The moment something starts to feel safe and settled is usually the moment it quietly stops moving.
Being number one isn't a reason to sit back. It's a reason to keep pushing for excellence.
And the same is true for you.
Maybe you've been publishing on Substack for a while.
Maybe you already have real expertise, a business, a reputation you've been building for years.
And maybe some quiet part of you keeps saying you'll go all in "later." Once things calm down. Once you feel more ready. Once it feels "safe."
But the growth you actually want is on the other side of the thing that scares you a little.
The bigger commitment. The real investment. The decision to stop trying to figure it all out alone.
Worth Your Time This Week
If you want to build the kind of foundation that doesn't wobble every time the platform changes, start here:
→ How to Get Your First 100 Substack Subscribers From Zero. The exact 3-step system we use to get creators to their first 100 subscribers, no existing audience required.
→ Want a Substack Publication That Stands Out and Converts Better?. Jari's walkthrough for designing a homepage that turns first-time visitors into subscribers around the clock.
→ You Can Be the Least Polished Person in Your Niche and Win Anyway. How Rachel is building a Bestseller-level community in the margins of a law firm and three kids.
→ How to Grow a Bestselling Substack in a Boring Niche. Why a small or "boring" niche is usually your biggest advantage, not your ceiling.
Comfort is nice, growth is better,
Sinem