16,000 Subscribers: My Overnight Success Story (LOL)
Warning: contains reality
Everybody loves the “I blew up fast” story.
It sells.
It sounds sexy.
It makes you think there’s a magical button somewhere, and maybe if you scroll long enough, someone will hand it to you. Or if you buy the “right” course, you’ll know it.
So let me tell you the truth.
Yes. I hit 16,000 subscribers.
Yes. It looks fast.
But the real timeline?
Four. Years.
So it’s an “overnight” success four years in the making.
The Beginning No One Saw
December 2020.
I had just given birth to my son.
Everyone told me to “rest.”
Instead, I opened my laptop during nap time because my brain needed something other than milk schedules and baby wipes.
There was a voice inside me like a tiny rebel with a megaphone yelling:
WRITE.
So I started publishing daily (!) on Medium.
Not because I knew what I was doing.
But because I couldn’t not write.
2022: Enter Substack
I found the buzzy newsletter platform Substack.
It felt real.
Less algorithm.
More connection.
Actual humans reading words like they matter.
Building on land you own!
I launched a newsletter. I had good intentions.
Then life said “lol cute” and I found out I was pregnant again.
So Medium got the consistency. Substack got ignored.
Or in German:
stiefmütterlich behandelt.
(Which means I treated it like an unloved plant you water… twice a year.)
January 2024: The Switch Flipped
Something shifted.
Maybe it was sleep. Maybe it was courage. Maybe it was the quiet realization that no one is coming to hand me a part-time writing career gift wrapped in glitter.
So I made a decision:
Take Substack seriously. Go all in. Turn on paid. Experiment wildly. Show up.
I started posting Notes daily.
And guess what?
Notes is the growth engine. People discover you there.
If your Notes slap? They subscribe. I learned fast. I iterated faster.
And slowly it built. Then suddenly it tipped.
16,000 subscribers.
Not luck. Not easy.
Just persistence disguised as chaos.
⌛ Black Friday Weekend is alsmost over and everything is 50% OFF for the next hours
Your newsletter deserves Swift-level obsession.
Myke the internet scream your name!
Online Writing Club membership + Substack course 50% OFF
Substack Notes Bootcamp 57% OFF for $129 instead of $299 + payment plan
Founding members also get access to
's brand new Substack Notes Scheduler so you can batch, schedule and repurpose Notes like a pro.
If you’re serious about growing your audience, this is the moment.
What Actually Worked
Write notes daily
Schedule notes (become a founding member and get the top Notes Scheduler StackBuddy!)
Write like a human
Be polarizing
Share value without begging
Talk to people like you’d text a friend
Hit publish when it’s 70 % ready
Stop overthinking
Start experimenting
Building relationships
Collaborating with others
You grow by being seen. Don’t play it safe.
I’ve written about ALL of it in this newsletter. So check out my archive of stories from 2024 and 2025, masterclasses, and courses. As a paid subscriber you get access to EVERYTHING.
The Tools & Community I Wish I Had Earlier
If you’re reading this, thinking:
“Okay cool. But how do I grow?”
I brought receipts. And deals. And confetti.
Because yep…
👉 It’s Black Friday Weekend. Claim your 50% OFF before it’s gone
Your newsletter deserves Swift-level obsession.
Make the internet scream your name.
🎁 Black Friday Deal #1
Online Writing Club + Substack Course 50% OFF
Perfect if you want community, accountability, and writing superpowers with matching confidence.
Psst! My Advent Calendar starts tomorrow on Cyber Monday! It’s filled with on-demand and live masterclasses, tutorials, the best tips to join the 5% who get paid, and exclusive insights.
🎁 Black Friday Deal #2
Substack Notes Bootcamp 57% OFF: $129 instead of $299
Payment plan included because your bank account doesn’t need holiday trauma.
Founding members also get access to Patrick’s brand new Substack Notes Scheduler so you can batch, schedule, and repurpose Notes like a boss.
This will give you consistency even when life throws Cheerios at your face. haaha
🎁 Black Friday Deal #3
The “Grow Faster Than Taylor Swift Rumors” Bundle
Okay fine. That’s not the real name.
But it SHOULD be.
Because rumor has it:
👀 Taylor Swift joined Substack.
So… if the internet is about to get a Swiftquake…
You want to be ready.
Final Truth
Everyone sees the numbers.
But the real flex?
I showed up when no one was watching.
So if you’re writing in the dark right now…
Keep going.
Your readers are already on their way. They just don’t know your name yet.
The internet doesn’t need another quiet talent.
It needs the version of you that shows up.
So… what are you waiting for?
Build your own era!
P.S. Hit reply and tell me: What’s ONE tiny step towards your “overnight” success you’ll take today?
Yes, congratulations, the pen is stronger than the tongue and longer lasting. I enjoyed your comment about having the Internet scream your name, constituencies, and patience. I look forward to the day I sit next to you: learning, chatting, and sharing more of our conversations with each other’s stories about how we can help others and how you put the mask on your face first, and then helped others reach their goals!
Kristina,
What an inspiring success story!
I believe the most powerful leadership starts with vulnerability—with sharing the stories we're almost too afraid to tell. I think many of us are here on Substack because we believe our stories matter, and that sharing the messy, uncertain parts can help someone else feel less alone.
I'm Lauren, and I write Permission to Change: Finding Your Ikigai. After years as a physician and clinic-builder, I made a leap that didn't make sense to anyone—including me. I left clinical medicine to become a medical educator. I'm now an assistant dean, Harvard Macy faculty, and an aspiring coach.
I write about reinvention, identity, purpose, and leadership—for physicians, educators, and anyone standing at a crossroads. If you've ever wondered whether your story could help someone else, you understand why I'm here.
Kristina, I'd love to hear any tips you have for those of us just starting out. And to everyone in this thread—let's support each other! Drop your tips and Substack below and let's follow/subscribe to one another. Rising tides lift all boats.
--Lauren