Here’s a question for you:
What if you spent 10 years writing every single day, sharing your story, and offering value—without earning a dime? Would you keep going?
That’s exactly what tribe member and fitness and health writer
did. He didn’t jump into the world of paid newsletters overnight. He didn’t even have a fancy email list when he started. He spent 10 years writing on Facebook for free—just because he loved it and wanted to help others with his weight loss story.The story of a man who went from being clinically obese to being fit and healthy.
Fast forward to today, and Valentin is now ranked #17 in the saturated market of Health & Wellness on Substack,
with more than 1000 (!) paid subscribers, an orange bestseller badge and a thriving six-figure business.
Today, he even shared with me that he’s #1 rising in the Health & Wellness category on Substack. See it for yourself!
That’s not all!
Valentin is from Romania and is now the #1 writer in his country!
Also, today’s post is trending.
But it wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t overnight.
Valentin’s success is a testament to the power of free content, persistence, and the importance of building a community of raving fans who love what you do—and (finally) are willing to pay for it.
In today’s podcast episode, Valentin walks you through the key steps he took to turn his passion for fitness into a business:
Social Media Was His Launchpad
Social media doesn’t have to be bad. For Valentin, it was a launchpad.
Valentin started writing on Facebook.
He posted one science-backed blog post every single day on health, wellness, and fitness. He didn’t have a huge following at first, but he stayed consistent.
After Facebook, he branched out to Instagram, sharing life snippets, funny memes, and motivational posts. By using social media to connect with his audience, Valentin built trust.
And when it was time to ask for support, his followers were more than happy to convert into subscribers and then paid subscribers.
That’s how we went from zero to bestseller in a few weeks.
He Built Raving Fans Based On Free Content
Many say free content is a bad thing and you shouldn’t offer everything for free. Well, Valtning did. For ten years straight.
But he was smart. Valentin didn’t just want people to follow him—he wanted them to love him. And you can’t get that kind of loyalty by cutting corners. So Valentin went above and beyond by providing value in every single post.
He shared everything from fitness tips to personal health stories, always going the extra mile to create an exceptional reading experience. His audience fell in love with what he was doing and the results they achieved by following his advice and tips. And that’s why they’re willing to pay for his insights now.
There’s a lot of free content out there. AI can now also write you a story about fitness and health but not on the personal level and with the context information Valentin writes it.
No Hustle Porn!
Valentin is anti-hustle porn—and he’s proud of it.
He doesn’t glorify 18-hour workdays. Instead, he shares his commitment to balance.
Valentin talks openly about his sleep routine and shares his moments spent with his kids, showing that you don’t need to sacrifice everything for success.
In fact, he believes in going to bed earlier to get the most out of your day. It’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter especially when you’re a fitness influencer you need to walk the talk. He’s sharing his sleep results and shows when he goes to bed and when he wakes up. For him, sleep is wellness.
No Affiliates
While others are accepting brand deals and affiliate offers, Valentin wants to stay true and real and doesn’t include ads, sponsorships, or brand deals in his newsletter or writing.
This level of authenticity and connection is what made his community feel like they were part of something special—and made them willing to pay for access to his writing.
Valentin Spends 6 Hours Per Day Writing
Valentin started out offering one-on-one coaching and courses, but eventually he made the bold decision to go all-in on writing. He now spends six hours a day writing newsletters—yes, six hours a day!—and he loves it.
Valentin’s advice? Daily repetition is key. It wasn’t easy at first, but showing up day after day is what eventually led to his success. He didn’t quit after his first 10 newsletters or even after his first 50.
He kept writing, and that consistency built momentum.
🎧 Want To Listen To The Show?
Want to dive deeper into Valentin’s story and learn how he built a six-figure Substack business? Listen to the full podcast interview where the orange badge Substack bestseller shares his journey and actionable tips you can start using today.
Can’t wait to share this incredible interview with you. Enjoy!
🎙️If you say, “Kristina, let me listen to the show!”…
…now you have the chance to listen to the interview.
You can listen to it as a Substack podcast or on Spotify.
You can also watch it on YouTube.
Enjoy the show!
Want To Meet Valentin Bunea?
Valentin is a friend and tribe member.
You can meet him inside the Online Writing Club membership experience for paid subscribers.
Here you can watch the replay of our LIVE masterclass with him:
🐰 EASTER SALE Get 40% OFF (for 24 hours)
We now have a community of 13,000 writers, artists, dreamers, creators, and action-takers, ranging from 18 to 87 years old! We’re #21 in #Education and are also often rising in Education. Thank you all soooo much for your trust.🙏
Because I want to help you kickstart, grow, and monetize your email list and words, I’m offering 40% off and access to the entire Online Writing Club experience.
✅ Get instant access to:
The Substack Notes Masterclass
The Substack LIVE Masterclass
The Podcasting Masterclass
The Recommendations Masterclass
Access to the whole library of Masterclasses
The full Substack School course
The full Medium School course
Private community access
Access to 1-2-1
All paid posts
NEXT MASTERCLASSES
The upcoming LIVE Masterclasses with couple therapist Colette Jane Fehr on TEDx talks, and yours truly on becoming a Substack BESTSELLER in 2025.
Also, we’re gonna cover how to write an atomic newsletter, make money with Gumroad, SEO on Substack, How to Write for Google, Use AI for good and….
✅Substack’s New Leaderboard - What is it? What does “rising” mean? What do I need to know?, April 28th, 2 pm EST, 11 am PT
✅How to Start an Atomic Newsletter, April 29th, 2.30pm EST, 11.30am PT
✅Why Substack Is Owned By Billionaires And When It Will Go Down,
, April 30th, 2pm EST, 11am PT✅Become a LinkedIn Top Voice & Build a LinkedIn-Substack Flywheel -
May 5th, 4pm EST, 1pm PT✅Speak on a TEDx Stage! Reframe Rejections: If Others Say NO, say “Watch Me” with
, May 20th, 3pm EST, 12am PT✅Become a Substack Bestseller in 2025 with white badge bestseller
Q&A session with mini masterclass, tbd✅Gumroad, SEO, GOOGLE, Medium, tbd
✅Resources (with discount): The Almost Daily Notes Writer, Get Started on Substack Notes, Notes Scheduler, Opened!, 1 Month Substack Content Planner, 12-Month Content Calendar, Substack Notes Analyzer…
I’m not joking! You get this ALL!
Hands-on masterclasses with ALL amazing writers, creators, dreamers, and artists I interview (+ access to all past events, replays).
👉 Click here for the Easter Sale 🐰 + claim your 40% off
I hope Valentin’s story has inspired you to keep showing up—because you never know what could happen after 1 or 10 years of sharing your words with the world. Maybe it’s your turn next!
What do you think?
Talk soon,
P.S. I’ll offer “Become a Substack Bestseller in 2025 “with white badge bestseller Kristina God for paid members! I know many want it (faster) so I’m gonna share some tips and tricks and insights on how to get the shiny badge.
Share this post