Celebrating 1 Year on Substack
1 Year on Substack, 2k Subscribers, 3 Big Wins and 4 Lessons Learned

Before we dive in, just a reminder: My digital products are designed to help writers and creators build faster without getting stuck in overwhelm.
One year ago, I stumbled across an article on Medium.
The author was raving about this platform called Substack
Out of curiosity, I decided to give it a shot.
That same day, I launched my newsletter and published my very first post.
Twelve months later, I’ve learned more than I ever imagined about writing online, growing an audience, creating offers, and making money as a digital creator.
And like they say, you never know what you’re missing until you start.
Last month, I took a short break from writing to teach a summer class.
Coming back, I opened my dashboard and found that I’d crossed 2,000 subscribers.
I guess it’s a moment to celebrate and a chance to reflect, learn, and set a new path for the future.
So in this post, I’m sharing:
3 Big Wins from my first year
4 Lessons I learned the hard way
And what’s next for Year 2
Let’s go.
3 Big Wins from the Last 12 Months
1. Audience Growth
This is the most obvious one and, honestly, the most satisfying.
I started growing my audience here from scratch. I didn’t have an email list or social media following.
The first four months were slow.
I published weekly and only hit 100 subscribers around October 2024.
However, things began to pick up in January 2025.
Over 80% of my subscriber growth has occurred in the last six months.
So if you're just getting started or feeling like growth is crawling, keep going.
Growth compounds faster than you think.
2. Income Growth
Two weeks after launching, I got my first paid subscriber.
That $5/month payment gave me more motivation than any number of likes or shares ever could.
Since then, I’ve tested several monetization strategies:
Paid subscriptions
Digital products
1:1 coaching
Newsletter sponsorships
Ghostwriting services
I’ll go deeper into these in a future post, but here's the takeaway:
In 2025, growing an audience online is one of the biggest advantages you can give yourself.
Opportunities will find you once you show up consistently and provide value.
3. Skill Growth
A year ago, my only “real” skill was writing.
But I quickly learned that writing alone isn’t enough to build a creator business.
In the last 12 months, I’ve picked up skills in;
Copywriting
Offer creation
Email marketing
Sales psychology
Podcasting…
Writing online forces you to level up. You either figure it out or fall behind.
And if you commit to writing consistently for one year, I promise you'll look back amazed at how far you've come.
4 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
Now for the hard learned lessons.
Not everything went smoothly. There were moments of burnout, doubt, and even complete silence when life got in the way.
Last month, I took a break to focus on freelance work and teaching. That pause gave me time to reflect on what I could have done better.
Here are 4 key lessons from year one:
1. Not Having a Clear Niche from Day One
When I launched, I didn’t have a specific niche or audience in mind. I was just “writing to see what sticks.”
Big mistake.
People don’t subscribe to your newsletter to hear random thoughts.
They subscribe because they want something specific. It could be a passion that they relate to, or career experience you have that’s valuable.
Having a clear audience and value proposition from day one makes growing so much easier.
If you're still figuring that out, take time to niche down. You will get further with a well-defined audience.
2. No Consistent Publishing Schedule
Some weeks, I posted five times.
Other weeks, I posted once. Sometimes, not at all.
That inconsistency held me back. It confused my readers and made it harder for me to stay motivated.
This year, I’m committing to a regular schedule. Even once a week is enough if you stick to it.
3. No Offer from Day One
This was a big one. I spent months chasing vanity metrics—likes, views, subscriber counts—without giving people something to buy.
It only clicked when I spoke to a creator who had 3x fewer subscribers than me but was earning 10x more. Why? They had a clear offer.
If you’re just starting, don’t wait to create something for your audience.
You don’t need a massive list to launch a paid product. People are already paying attention, so serve them.
(If you need help with this, feel free to DM me. I’m happy to help.)
4. Burnout is Real. Pace Yourself.
Trying to do everything at once—posting, selling, emailing, freelancing… burned me out.
Taking a break this past month helped me reset. You don’t need to be everywhere or do everything.
Just be consistent, and give yourself grace when you need rest.
What’s Next for Year Two?
Year one was about experimenting, learning, and laying the foundation.
Year two is about building.
Here’s what I’m focusing on:
Grow to 10k Subscribers
A big goal, but I’m feeling confident.
I’ve learned a lot, and I know what works.
Time to apply it.
Launch One New Product Each Month
Last month, I launched Creator’s Vault—a bundle of all my products, free for paid subscribers.
Going forward, I want to create more valuable resources based on what my audience asks for.
(Stay tuned for a new surprise product is dropping soon)
Publish Weekly Podcasts
I’ve always loved the idea of podcasting, but I kept procrastinating.
Last month, I finally did one on a whim, and the response was great.
I’ll be doing more, at least one a week.
Help More Creators Succeed on Substack
I get tons of DMs from fellow creators asking for help.
I do my best to respond thoughtfully, and I’ll keep doing that.
We’re all on this journey together.
If I can help you avoid some of the mistakes I made, I’m more than happy to.
Thank You
If you’ve read, shared, subscribed, or simply supported me this past year, thank you.
This journey has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life, and I’m excited for what year two will bring.
Let’s keep growing and helping each other along the way.
See you in the next post.
Peace ✌️
If today’s newsletter inspired you, check out my shop. I’ve created templates, guides, and resources designed to help you grow, and monetize your skills.
Great job, Mark, on your achievements. I enjoy reading your publication, keep up the good work.
This is a GREAT article. I just subscribed I wrote about macro economics and financial markets. I will dm you about pay structures and possibly doing that now. I’m gaining momentum. Please do subscribe back. We will have a conversation about scale! Big CONGRATS On your growth sir!!! 👌🏾💯