Today I’m traveling to Shanghai for work!
The reason is public speaking: I’m delivering 2 workshops for a law firm and can’t wait to visit the place where I lived in my 20s as an intern working for the Spanish government.
And as the topic of October is public speaking to boost your creative business, I want to encourage you to find new ways to connect with your community and humanize your content with your unique touch and personality.
So… why not go live?
Before you say that it’s not for you, hear me out.
I started doing lives on Substack in January 2025 and it was a game-changer, both for my creative business and for my personal development. It also helped me gain new subscribers (free and paid).
What’s better, throughout the process, I discovered that I have FUN connecting with my community in the spot: I greet viewers, answer questions and push myself to serve my people in new ways that take me out of my comfort zone.
Below are 5 takeaways from the sessions (25 minutes) to help you create an engaging live session that attracts new subscribers - and perhaps even paid ones.
This session is for paid subscribers but you can enjoy a FREE preview and upgrade to watch the full recording and access my entire digital library:
30+ actionable videos (short and sweet) to grow and monetize your writing business:
🎬 Becoming A Substack Bestseller
🎬 Collaboration Strategies For Writers & Solopreneurs
🎬 How To Build A Writing Business [Without Selling Your Soul] with Derek Hughes
🎬 How To Grow A Profitable Gumroad Business with Anfernee
1. Mindset matters: Show up as your authentic self
As an introvert and a creator with a Spanish accent, I never imagined I’d be hosting live sessions one day. Yet, I’ve discovered that approaching live streams with a growth mindset and positive attitude makes all the difference.
It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being real and helpful. When I shift my focus from me and how I sound to my community and how I can help my audience, I feel much more confident and relaxed.
Use your fears as a stepping stone. I still get nervous before every session, but I’ve come to see that fear is just the beginning of courage. Embracing that moment helps me focus and grow each time.
Positive self-talk is key: tell yourself you’re here to share your genuine experience, not to be an expert or lecture anyone. Authenticity lands more than perfection ever will.
2. Be Strategic: Plan with purpose
Having a clear plan turns a daunting session into an engaging experience. I don’t script my sessions, but I focus on one core message that I want my community to walk away with.
Think about your audience:
What are their goals and challenges?
How can you help them go from A to B?
What are some tips that can help them succeed?
For me, each session is an opportunity to help my community move from confusion to clarity and action, whether it’s about growing their business, public speaking, or publishing books.
Whether you go solo or with a buddy, make sure you have a framework to guide you.
Here are some simple and effective structures I have used in the past to keep the session clear and on point:
Listicle: 10 tips to achieve x, 10 frequently asked questions…
Before-and-after: share the journey step by step (e.g. how to have a successful book launch)
Key pillars: this session for instance, is structured into 3 main parts:
Mindset
Strategy
Tips
Find a framework that feels right and go with your intuition (but please don’t have a script!)
3. Practical tips and tech
Before
Set a positive intention for your session: What does success look like?
Connect 5 minutes before the livestream to check your setup (camera positioning and angle, lighting, sound, uncluttered background). That small preparation makes you feel more in control.
During
Greet viewers as they join, invite participation and do quick summaries to keep everyone engaged as viewers will join throughout the session. Treat it as a friendly chat rather than a broadcast.
Keep your sessions concise: I aim for 25-30 minutes to stay focused and energized. Longer often leads to me rambling, losing concentration or going flat.
Closing
Do a final recap to let viewers process the content and end with a clear call-to-action. Whether it’s inviting people to subscribe, check out a course, or join an event, take it as an opportunity to keep the conversation going.
Never lead your audience to a dead-end street!
4. Maximize impact
Live sessions aren’t just a one-time event that finishes when you press the stop button: they can add ongoing value for your community.
I love turning my live sessions into bite-sized snippets for social media: short clips, quotes, or bullet point summaries. Substack makes this really easy with clips you can share directly from the recording after the live session.
With just one click, you can create a mini-video (ideally 60 seconds max) and turn it into a Note.
I also send a Video-Post to all my subscribers after the session with a summary (just like this one) so those who prefer reading still get value.
My paid subscribers get access to the full recording, which adds exclusivity and incentivizes upgrades (examples above).
5. Embrace the journey
Honestly, I still get nervous before every live but you have to show up to build confidence. There’s no proxy for practice.
Action always precedes confidence.
You can start by partnering with others and experimenting with different formats. The key is to test, learn, and enjoy the process.
Remember, courage is on the other side of fear and instead of asking what’s the worst that can happen, focus on what’s the best that can happen?
If you are ready to take your writing business to the next level and use the power of public speaking to grow your community and create new income streams, you will love my Creator Starter Bundle: 2 courses in 1 for only 158 US$++ (save 78US$).
How To Win On Substack: strategy to grow and monetize your publication (88US$++)
Speak To Scale: Your blueprint to add public speaking to your strategy and get paid to speak (148 US$++)
