I just did something for the first time in my creator career: I published a full breakdown of how I make money.
Not a vague "multiple income streams" kind of thing.
The actual numbers and sources.
Plus, the funnels behind them.
And honestly... it felt scary to hit publish.
Because talking about money is weird. Especially in a space where people love to throw around big revenue numbers without ever showing what's behind them.
But when I look back at my early days as a creator, the content that helped me most wasn't another "10 tips to grow your newsletter."
It was someone pulling back the curtain and saying: here's what's actually working. Here's where the money comes from. Here's what I'd do differently.
That kind of honesty is rare, and I wanted to lead with it.
So I sat down and mapped it all out — every income stream, every funnel, every platform that feeds into Write • Build • Scale.
The full video just went live on YouTube.
But here's a key message I want to emphasize at this point:
When we talk about monetization, audience growth, and building a content business, we often talk about specific platforms.
In our case, it's been Substack for the past 1.5 years because the platform is growing rapidly right now and provides a massive opportunity for creators, coaches, authors, consultants, and experts to share their message and gain visibility.
But regardless of which platform you choose to use, the platform itself is always just a tool. 🛠️
The point is to build a business that allows you to:
- do the work you care about
- help the people you want to help
- and live a life that doesn't require anyone's permission.
You're using these platforms to build a business that fuels your life. Not the other way around.
On a similar note, I also noticed something shifting with my YouTube channel lately.
After re-launching it last summer, it felt like pure survival mode for the first few months.
I was desperately trying to get a new video out every week.
And I had horrible experiences with video editors until I finally found a team I feel comfortable with.
During that period, my only goal was to keep showing up.
No big strategy tweaks. No optimization. No growth talk.
But lately? The flywheel is finally starting to turn.
Our content, platforms, and networks are connecting in ways that feel less like grinding and more like momentum.
And that shift is exactly what I break down in this week's video as well.
If you're still in the survival phase of your creator journey, I get it. It's exhausting.
But building momentum does take time - even if you have fantastic mentors and a great team by your side.
I published my first YouTube videos over 5 years ago. And it's only now that I feel like things are finally falling into place.
So give yourself some grace and enjoy the journey! 💌
Worth Your Time This Week
→ A quote I loved:
Your time is limited. Satisfy your soul, not society.
→ How I Built a $50K/Month Substack Publication — A complete breakdown of our income streams, funnels, and content strategy. This is the behind-the-scenes video we've never made before.
→ Substack Notes for Beginners: Complete Tutorial — A full breakdown of what Notes are, how they work, and how to use them for growth
→ 27 Ways to Find Your First or Next Paying Customer — A new workshop for our paid members on Substack. If you're looking for practical ways to monetize, this one's for you.
Cheers to building the business behind the platforms,
Sinem
P.S. If you watched the income breakdown and thought 'I want to build a similar structure' — reply and tell me where you are right now.
Every month, we work with a handful of creators 1-on-1.
So if you're ready to step up and are looking for direct, personal support, our VIP coaching program could be the perfect fit for you.