Olivia Wickstrom – How to Take Your Substack Full-Time

Here’s What You Get:

What this course is.

It’s the exact system I used to take Petal + Hearth from zero to full-time, broken into lessons and handed to you in an order that works.

We start with your foundation: your why, your reader, your pillars, the positioning that makes you recognizable. Then we set up your publication so it looks like something worth paying for. We build a content engine so you never stare at a blank page again. We grow your audience intentionally, through Notes and engagement, the same way I grew 95% of mine. We turn that audience into income with paid tiers, founding members, sponsorships, and your own offers. And we finish by setting you up to actually run this full-time: the money, the workflow, and how not to burn out.

Every lesson comes with a short video where I show you the strategy applied, not just explained. And every lesson has a matching workbook page, so by the end you’re not holding a pile of notes. You’re holding your whole business plan, written in your own words.

In short: every lesson ends with something done, not just something learned.

Curriculum

Welcome! I’m So Glad You’re Here 💕

• Overview of the Course, What to Expect, and Workbook Download (4:17)

The Foundations of a Bestselling Publication

• Uncovering Your WHY (3:46)
• Identifying Your Niche and Target Audience (4:05)
• Your Content Pillars, Voice, and Brand Identity (8:59)

Setting Up Your Publication

• Designing Your Substack Newsletter for Maximum Impact (15:32)

Content Strategy and Creation

• Your Long-Form Content Strategy (7:43)
• Your Notes Strategy (5:12)
• Planning Your Content Calendar and Publishing Schedule (2:26)
• Leveraging Guest Posts and Collaborations (7:13)

Growing an Engaged Audience

• Your Engagement Strategy (7:35)
• Using Social Media to Drive Traffic and Engagement (2:20)

Monetization and Revenue Streams

• How to Build a Paid Tier (10:30)
• How to Build a Founding Member Tier (3:53)
• Exploring Additional Income Opportunities (sponsorships, affiliate marketing) (6:24)
• Your Publication as a Business Ecosystem (4:33)

Managing Your Business Full-Time

• Analyzing Metrics and Feedback (3:30)
• The Importance of Consistency, and What to Do When It’s Not Working (8:21)
• The Full-Time Math and the Leap (2:16)
• Legal and Financial Basics for Independent Writers (2:43)
• Working Sustainably and Scaling Without Burning Out (5:06)

Lifetime Updates

• You Made It! Plus Your Lifetime Update Reminder (0:42)