Creator's MBA: Marketing Tips for Digital Product Entrepreneurs

238: Substack Is Doing What Social Media Promised But Never Delivered

Oct 14, 2025

Claire Venus, an engagement consultant and Substack expert, discusses how this platform is revolutionizing creator-audience connections. She compares Substack to traditional email tools, highlighting its support for mixed media like podcasts and videos. Claire elaborates on Substack's culture of collaboration and discovery features that nurture organic growth. Discover how creators are monetizing their newsletters and the importance of fostering real human connections over vanity metrics. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone looking to innovate in content creation.

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ANECDOTE

From Festivals To Substack

Claire moved from festival work to Substack after the pandemic while pregnant and found creative freedom online.
She began teaching others how to stay creative on Substack and focus on audience connection.

INSIGHT

Substack Is A Mixed-Media Home

Substack started as a paywalled platform for writers and evolved into a mixed-media publication host.
It supports newsletters, podcasts, video, and unlimited email subscribers without per-subscriber fees.

ANECDOTE

Freedom From Subscriber Caps

Claire contrasted her MailChimp fear of passing 400 subscribers with rapid Substack growth to thousands of readers.
She credits Substack's lack of incremental costs for enabling experimentation and visible growth.

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If you’ve ever felt stuck using email marketing tools that limit your creativity (and your subscriber count), Substack might be the freedom you’ve been looking for.

In this episode, I sit down with Claire Venus—engagement consultant, audience development mentor, and Substack expert—to explore how Substack is revolutionizing the way creatives and entrepreneurs connect with their audiences.

Claire shares her journey of how Substack became a powerful platform for her writing, podcasting, and community-building efforts.

We dive into the key differences between Substack and traditional email service providers like Kit and ActiveCampaign. Claire also explains the creative flexibility of the platform, the discovery tools that drive organic growth, and why Substack’s culture of connection and collaboration is so powerful.

Whether you’re a writer, a podcaster, or a business owner wanting to experiment with long-form content, this conversation will inspire you to see Substack in a whole new light.

What You’ll Learn:

Why Substack feels like a return to the golden age of blogging
How Substack supports mixed media content (like podcasts and video)
What makes Substack’s discovery and recommendation features so powerful
The surprising way Substack helps foster real human connection
Why Substack isn’t a replacement for your traditional email platform—but a beautiful complement
How creators are monetizing newsletters and building community memberships
A simple Zapier hack to integrate Substack with your CRM and welcome sequences

This episode is packed with inspiration and practical insight for anyone looking to build an audience in a more authentic, creative, and human way. Whether you're just getting started on Substack or you're ready to level up your strategy, Claire’s wisdom will help you find your path. Press play and get ready to reimagine what your newsletter can do for your business and your soul.

🎧 Tune in now and start making the most of Substack.

Mentioned in this episode:

The $1M HobbyScool Experiment on Substack
Claire's website: Website & Substack