The Author Stack Podcast

Hi,This is the recording from December’s Path of Least Friction presentation. While I didn’t record the breakthrough sessions, I took a video of the presentation bit for you.It breaks down your path of least friction, the place where your natural strengths, joy, and effort align to produce disproportionate results with less unnecessary struggle.After working with authors, creators, entrepreneurs, tech companies, and even street performers, I’ve found that everyone essentially faces the same

This week, I’m bringing you sneak peek into Craft Con, a free two-day virtual summit I’m hosting with my friends at Plotdrive happening Thursday, Nov. 20 and Friday, Nov. 21.Craft Con is all about helping authors break through their biggest creative blocks whether you’re stuck in the middle of your novel, struggling to start a story you’ve been dreaming about, or just feeling totally burnt out as the year winds down.I interviewed 12 of my most amazing friends about the blocks they face, how they got

Hi,I ran a live breakthrough session at Author Nation, which meant I needed to introduce the whole Hapitalist system to people who’d never heard of it before. If you want to download that presentation, including a framework for running your own breakthrough session, you can do so here. Otherwise, here is the vibe of what’s in the video if you just want to read it. I’ve been writing about and studying creative businesses for 15+ years, and this is everything I’ve learned about building a successful

Hi, I’ve known (Wheeler Dealer) Maggie Beeler for years. I took her out to breakfast the first year we met and she was incredibly charming, if a little naive. Still, I wish I had an ounce of her ambition and direction at her age. Since then, she’s shed the naivete and evolved into a true creative force We’ve both been in the trenches of this author life long enough to know that success doesn’t come from a single launch or viral post. It comes from relentless iteration, big ideas, and the willingness

Recently, Substack added drip campaigns for “bestsellers”, which means it will probably be launched to everyone in a month or two. Claire Venus ✨ and I jumped on a call (because we’re nerds about this stuff) and talked through the new feature we’ve both been waiting for this for… years, honestly.Drip sequences are standard on basically every email platform—ConvertKit, MailerLite, ActiveCampaign, you name it. Substack, on the other hand, has always been more minimalist. For better or worse.Until now,

In this power-packed session, USA Today bestselling author Russell Nohelty sits down with Shiv Chibber from Kit to break down the exact email marketing system that powers Russell's business—using automation, segmentation, and recommendations to nurture, segment, and monetize a large and loyal audience.Together, they explore how authors can build robust email ecosystems using Kit’s tools, starting from reader acquisition and ending with automated sequences that run on autopilot for years. If you're

Let’s be real. Most advice about growing on Substack feels either too vague to be useful or too hacky to feel good. That’s why we decided to do something different.We’re not outside observers. We live in this ecosystem. We talk to creators every day, see what’s working in real time, and watch what quietly fizzles out once the hype dies. So instead of theorizing, we sat down and gave each strategy a gut-level, real-world rating, based on what we’ve actually seen succeed (and what’s quietly destroying

Substack is having a moment, but not everyone is thriving. In this deeply honest episode, Claire Venus and Russell Nohelty dig into what’s actually working on Substack in 2025, what’s changed, and how it fits into a larger creative business ecosystem.This isn’t a “growth hack” chat. It’s a clear-eyed look at:* What’s broken in creator culture* What’s confusing about Substack as a platform* And what still works if you approach it with clarity, systems, and community🧠 Key Lessons from the Episode:1