Meet 4 Substack Bestsellers Who Write About...Not Substack.
How to be successful writing about your passions
My topic for February is personal brand and I want to wrap things up with something that is at the core of what we do: passion.
Many of my subscribers have recently told me they are feeling frustrated by slow growth and little traction. They want to hear more success stories from writers who have been able to grow by writing and talking about other things than Substack and to be honest, I do too.
It’s inspiring to see people turn their passion into their lifestyle, whether it’s growing a community based on their faith, teaching others about their hobby, or making people laugh and cry through beautiful stories.
This is the type of stuff I’m here for.
Today, The Lemon Tree Mindset brings you 4 inspiring voices who write about very different topics: religion, personal development, nutrition and running.
What they all have in common is the passion for what they do and the fact that they have become Substack Bestsellers with hundreds of paid subscribers who share their same vision.
They have become known for what they love. Personal branding at its best.
Meet Danielle, Annie, Valentin and Terrell.
Danielle Bean: Girlfriends (Religion)
What’s your vision and your ideal reader?
I help busy women grow closer to God. Girlfriends offers authentic reflections on faith, family, and finding grace in everyday moments.
My ideal reader is a woman seeking to integrate her faith meaningfully into daily life, whether she's raising children, navigating an empty nest, or somewhere in between. I share a weekly newsletter, podcast, and live calls for those who want honest conversations about the joys and challenges of living faithfully in today's world, who appreciate finding God in both ordinary moments and life's bigger transitions. Through personal stories and spiritual insights, I aim to create a space where readers feel seen, understood, and encouraged in their own faith journeys.
What makes your newsletter unique in your field?
While there are many Catholic writers and family-focused publications, my work stands apart through its combination of raw honesty, practicality, and hope. I don't shy away from the messiness of real life–from the challenges of homeschooling to the emotions of sending children to college–but I always look for threads of grace woven through these experiences. I do my best to make deep theological concepts accessible and applicable to daily life. My writing style is intimate and conversational, like sharing coffee with a friend who understands both your struggles and your faith. I bring 20+ years of experience as a mom and writer, offering wisdom earned through lived experience rather than just theory.
What’s your strategy for success?
The nitty gritty is that I offer a free monthly newsletter, but readers can upgrade to receive it weekly and participate in challenges, live workshops, and Q&As.
I think my success on Substack comes from consistently offering authentic, relatable content that resonates with readers' real lives. I write from my own experience but in a way that helps readers find meaning in their own stories. I've built trust with my audience by:
- Maintaining a consistent voice that balances vulnerability with hope
- Sharing both the challenges and the grace found within them
- Creating a genuine connection through personal stories
- Weaving faith naturally without being preachy
- Respecting readers' intelligence while remaining accessible
- Engaging with comments and fostering community
The key has been staying true to my voice while addressing the universal experiences and spiritual questions my readers face. I learn something new on Substack every day, and I am just getting started!
Annie Ridout: The Creative Way (Personal Development)
What’s your vision for your publication, and who is your ideal reader?
The Creative Way is all about living and working creatively. Most of my readers are women aged 30-60 who think deeply, intellectualise life’s challenges and feel hopeful about the future (or would like to feel more hopeful). I share pieces on courting yourself, breaking the rules on social media and how failure can lead to success. So, a combination of work-life pieces, creative business tips, self-development tools and personal essays.
One way I make it creative is by illustrating the main image for each piece, and I bring in some poetry, too. I want everyone to see themselves as artists and creatives. Whether their ‘art’ is writing, drawing, baking, gardening, interiors, sculpture, carpentry, ceramics or anything else that gets you into that blissful flow-state and never feels like actual work. And then I teach The Creative Way to earn a living online and other courses, and offer The Creative Way coaching. Because we do need to earn a living, too.
How is it different from other publications on the same theme?
I write about creativity in its purest form, but I also teach ways to earn a living from your art. So, you get to be the creative full-time. Also, I have three children, aged 10, eight and five, one of whom is home-educated. This means that my working hours are quite reduced. But I’m creatively - and financially - ambitious. I want others to see that you can be in a busy caring role, and still have a fulfilling and lucrative creative career.
What’s the strategy that helped you become a Substack Bestseller?
I’m very honest. I share proper failure, not success dressed up as a failure. I tell my readers when I’m worried about money, and what I’m going to do about it. I talk about the ego, and how it can feel to move backwards, financially. And I share the truth about the publishing industry (I’ve had three non-fiction books published, and I was the ghostwriter for a further two, one of which became a Sunday Times bestseller).
I truly want each and every one of my readers to feel successful in their own lives and I believe that living and working creatively is the key to this. So, when I experience any kind of success - work/life - I share the background to how I made it happen. As soon as I had worked out how to use Substack, as a platform, I started teaching others. I think this appeals to the community on Substack.
Also: I’m a saleswoman. I know that if I want to encourage my free subscribers to become paid subscribers, I have to sell. That means coming up with new and innovative marketing strategies and throwing them out there. Some work, some don’t. I’m used to failure (and I’ve also experiencd some success), so whether it works or not, I keep moving forwards.
Lastly: I have stuck with it. I’ve been on Substack since March 2023, that’s nearly two years. I’ve published an essay every single week since I began. Sometimes two or three essays. I’ve tried lots of different things but I’ve never said: this isn’t growing fast enough, I can’t be bothered any more. I’ve remained committed, and it’s paid off. Also, sharing quick thoughts in Notes is a great way to reach more readers.
Valentin Bunea: Articole Body Engineering (Nutrition)
What’s your vision for your publication, and who is your ideal reader?
I’ve been on a weight loss journey since I was a kid. It wasn’t until 15 years ago that I finally found a solution.
I decided to share my method with friends and eventually online.
I’ve been writing for almost 12 years now. It all started as a hobby, but it eventually became my second job and now my only one.
My engineering career reached its peak when I worked as a Risk Program Engineer on a 14 billion project in Saudi Arabia.
But then, 12 years ago, I made a bold move. I left my stable career to become a nutritionist. It was a risky decision, but it paid off.
Over the past decade, I’ve been sharing my knowledge and helping thousands of people achieve their weight loss goals.
Body Engineering is now one of the leading brands in the industry. Some even say it’s the best in Romania.
And guess what? My official Substack publication in Romanian, “Articole Body Engineering,” is ranked the number one Substack in Romania!
Last year, I decided to expand my reach and started a sister publication called “Valentin Bunea English Edition.” This publication is all about helping parents get in shape and stay fit.
My colleague, Octavian Dobre, is the Chief Editor of this publication (and my first official client 12 years ago). And let me tell you, Octavian is a legend!
Last year, Octavian translated and published the best 100 articles from Body Engineering. We’re constantly adding new amazing content, so stay tuned!
Our first milestone is to reach 500 published posts.
How is it different from other publications on the same theme?
Our motto is, “I help you lose weight without obsessing over fixed hours, calorie counting, weighing your food, or exercising like you’re training for the Olympics.”
We’re brutally honest, we love to rant, and we have a lot of fun. We don’t have any commercial affiliations, and we’re completely financially supported by our readers.
What’s the strategy that helped you become a Substack Bestseller?
In August 2023, I started writing on Substack and, within six months, received my inaugural orange badge.
My second publication, an online course, achieved a second orange badge in just three months. This accomplishment was facilitated by the simple action of transferring all members to the platform.
I have two publications currently featured in the top 30 Health and Wellness Substack leaderboard.
My strategy for achieving bestselling status?
1. Prior to joining Substack, I had already established myself as a “bestseller writer.” I had been consistently writing daily for over a decade, and my members valued my 100% free content.
2. In the past twelve years, I have amassed a substantial online following of nearly 70,000 on Instagram and Facebook. Our growth has been mutually beneficial, and I have earned their trust, which is the foundation of my current success.
3. I publish an average of 25 articles per month and distribute them to approximately 10,000 subscribers. I share these articles on Facebook and Instagram, resulting in an average of 150,000 articles being read per month.
Therefore, my strategy revolves around building and nurturing an audience with authentic and practical advice.
Terrell Johnson: The Half-Marathoner (Running)
What’s your vision for your publication, and who is your ideal reader?
My publication actually started as an outgrowth from another website I used to own, called Half Marathon Guide. I started the newsletter almost 10 years ago, as a way to promote that website by sharing a selection of featured races that runners could run each week. Shortly after I started it, I began writing essays at the beginning, which grew longer and longer over time as readers reacted, and so I just kept going.
Today, I'd say my vision for the newsletter is that it's a place for runners who aren't the fastest or the toughest, but people for whom running is still a passion and a way to see the world -- I celebrate them, encourage them, and share with them amazing places they can go and run.
Also, it's become an amazing community of people, really from all around the world -- and we share in the comments and discussion threads every week. It's a ton of fun.
How is it different from other publications on the same theme?
I believe The Half Marathoner is different from most other running publications in that I focus on the everyday runner -- most other running media is focused on the "hardcore" runner, especially outlets like Runner's World and Outside magazine. That's nothing against either of those -- I love them both. But I feel like mine is for runners who don't feel like they could make it onto the cover of a magazine -- which is most of us, right?!
What’s the strategy that helped you become a Substack Bestseller?
I wish I could say I had a strategy!
Really, my strategy has been to try as best I can to cultivate a strong sense of community among the readers and subscribers -- that's been the part of doing this that has been the most fun for me and the most fulfilling, knowing that there's a community of people out there who care about what I say/write, and who share this passion for running with me.
I feel like I'm, in a very small way, doing something that lifts them up and encourages them to keep going -- and that's a huge thing, you know?
Lemons & Lemonade 🍋
I hope you enjoyed their stories as much as I did and took inspiration from their passion.
And talking about passion…here is my book signing in Hong Kong this week for The Anti-Procrastinator ❤️
As we wrap-up February, here is the lemonade I shared this month on Personal Brand:
🎓 Personal Brand Masterclass by Petra Zink: a must-watch to build your brand strategy
🎬 Video: Personal Brand Tips For Writers & Creators with Substack Bestseller Philip Hofmacher
📝 My Book Launch in India: How I’m building my author brand
🌎 How to Build your Brand on LinkedIn by Jacob Pegs (46K+ followers)
And stay tuned for March…the focus will be on productivity 🚀
Thank you so much for including me, Veronica! I loved reading the other stories as well. I am so grateful for this platform. :)
Awesome! It's so refreshing knowing about other writers who have become bestsellers by writing about their own skills and passions. Instead of writing about writing. Too easy to get caught in that bubble.