Balancing Business and Creativity on Substack with mentor Astrid Bracke

“This idea that we are playing a game that we never really know the rules for, and I think that's a feeling that many people have, like thinking about the algorithm and how often should you post and should you do reels and should you do whatever. That feeling made me feel really bad, and I'm just happy that I don't have to deal with that anymore."— Astrid Bracke

This episode is supported by my Diamond Members here on Substack. You’ll find links to their publications at the end.

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WELCOME BACK TO Sparkle on Substack the podcast! Conversations with creatives who use Substack and make it make sense for them.

Astrid Bracke is a dedicated mentor for small business owners, freelancers, and creatives, championing a slower, gentler approach to business that remains financially rewarding. She aims to help professionals break away from the constant hustle and productivity hacks, nurturing their emotional and mental well-being while ensuring profitability. Astrid supports her clients through personalised one-to-one mentoring and innovative group programs like "Marketing Without Social Media and “Substack for Small Businesses”

Additionally, she offers a mini-course on Substack tailored for small business owners and curates a Substack newsletter, which includes a paid segment, providing continuous support and insights for those aspiring to create a balanced and successful business.

“And then in October 2021, I fell ill with severe clinical depression. And at that point, I'd actually just decided to take a three week break from Instagram because I just launched a digital product. But with the depression, that break just extended itself for, I think, about five or six months before I started thinking again about, oh, right, there's this thing called Instagram."— Astrid Bracke

🌐 Episode Highlights:

1. Journey to Selling Products and Services: Claire opened up about her experience transitioning from word-of-mouth promotions to actively selling her offerings. She addresses the common challenge many face – the difficulty of promoting paid services and the risk of giving away too much value for free.

2. Clarity in Communication: Both Claire and Astrid emphasise the importance of clear communication. With readers often missing key messages due to short attention spans, it's crucial to consistently remind your audience about what you offer.

3. The Power of Connection: Astrid highlights how she nurtures a sense of community through her Substack, "female owned," and her website astridbracke.com. Monthly discussion threads, accountability clubs, and new features for collaboration are just a few of the ways she fosters connections.

4. Managing Notifications and Boundaries: Substack is a fantastic creative outlet, but managing notifications can be overwhelming. Claire and Astrid share their strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between personal and business use of the platform.

5. Doing Business Differently: Astrid's approach to business – slow, gentle, and profitable – resonates deeply. Her one-on-one mentoring and group programs, like the marketing without social media initiative, offer a refreshing alternative to traditional business strategies.

6. Overcoming Social Media Challenges: After experiencing clinical depression, Astrid took a hiatus from Instagram and discovered other effective marketing avenues. Her journey inspires many who feel pressured by the constant presence required on social media platforms.

7. Free Resources and Upcoming Courses: Astrid's plan to create more free resources for her subscribers in the coming year is something to look forward to. Plus, don't miss the upcoming relaunch of her self-paced mini course for small business owners, freelancers, and creatives, focusing on using Substack for business growth.

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"If we have a scale on which one to one mentoring is, the most intense way in which I can support people or intensive rather then the newsletter here is at the other end of the scale."— Astrid Bracke

Timestamped Overview

00:00 Balancing work, motherhood, and self-care.

05:15 Challenges of social media and online focus.

09:51 Feeling relieved to leave social media challenges.

12:58 Questioning value of social media; prioritizing happiness.

15:05 Newsletter supports small business owners and freelancers.

18:26 Substack takes time, learning, and patience.

21:33 Using Substack for business and marketing strategies.

24:33 Thinking creatively about creative outlets on Substack.

26:49 Using Substack blurs personal and business boundaries.

32:41 Focusing on nurturing community, fostering growth.

33:35 Community building, mini podcasts, and new features.

38:45 Encouraging sharing and selling to make money.

40:57 Balancing self-employment and selling products.

44:03 Expressing appreciation for connection and collaboration.

Thank you to my Diamond Members who make my work on the podcast possible and help pay for my time and professional edits by Kerry Hinns.

✨ Diamond Sponsors 💎

Alice Kuipers from Confessions & Coffee

Amanda B. Hinton from The Editing Spectrum

Amy Ray from The Meandering Muse

Caroline Donahue from Book Alchemy | Website

Catherine Rayner from Catherine Rayner Studio - behind the scenes... | Website

Catherine Wilde - SoulCareMom from Soul Care Mom with Catherine Wilde | Website

Danusia Malina-Derben from Parents Who Think | Website

Gray Jordan from Gray Jordan: Spellbound by Colour | Website

Gill Moakes from It's a People Thing | Website

Jan Fortune from Alchemical wonderings with Jan Elisabeth | Website

Jennifer Murphy from The Celtic Creatives | Website

Jo Taylor from Seeds, Weeds and Wildflowers

Layla O'Mara from beauty & bone | Instagram

Louise Edington from Cosmic Owl | Website

Louise Tilbrook from Everyday Knitter | Website

Nicole Lawrence from Re:birth with Nicole Lawrence | Website

Ruth Cooper-Dickson from Coffee with Coops | Instagram

Steph Wright from in the arena | Instagram

Tuğba Avci from as slow as possible

Zoe Gardiner from Postpartum Matters CIC | Website

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