💡 How I Grew My Substack to $166,000/Year and Still Take Full Months Off to Travel the World

A full BTS on what it takes to grow a writing community on Substack!

Hi writers,

I’m writing to you from a high-rise hotel room in Shanghai. The glittering lights are like diamonds outside my window.

Earlier today, I found myself at the 📍 Gongyan Imperial Feast — an eight-course meal straight out of a dynasty daydream. Between each course came live performances: dancers, musicians, the works.

Before dinner even began, I was ushered into a dressing room lined with silk robes and jeweled hairpins, transformed into some alternate-universe version of myself who might’ve ruled an empire instead of my inbox.

I’m two weeks into my month-long adventure across China — tea tastings in tucked-away courtyards, late-night noodles with strangers-turned-friends, and long, Wi-Fi-free afternoons wandering ancient streets with my partner Kyle.

And while I’m out here living offline(ish), something wild is happening online: my Substack just hit $166,000 in annual recurring revenue. Proof that yes — you can build a business that funds your dream life and gives you time to actually live it.

There’s a lot to unpack here — and I’m about to open the vault.

In the full post, I’m pulling back the curtain on:

✨ The most underrated Substack features quietly driving my growth

⚡️ The two-second setting tweak that skyrocketed my subscribers (I couldn’t believe this one when I found it)

🔥 The real reason most writers plateau on Substack — and the early mistakes that nearly tanked my own launch

💭 Plus, my unfiltered thoughts on where Substack is heading in 2026 — and how to ride the next wave instead of missing it

This is the kind of breakdown I only share with paid subscribers — the behind-the-scenes strategy, numbers, and experiments fueling a six-figure Substack.

If you’re ready to grow your own newsletter like a business, not a hobby — this next part’s for you.

⬇️ Unlock the full guide: