This episode explores why Substack has become a central platform in Sara’s work and creative life. It is particularly relevant for women who feel fatigued by traditional social media and are seeking a more grounded, relational way to share their work. The episode examines the tension between visibility and values, and what it means to communicate without performance or algorithm-driven pressure. It also offers a broader reflection on writing, community, and sustainable ways of building a body of work.
In this episode, we explore:
- The shift from traditional social media to Substack
- How Substack supports depth, consistency, and relational connection
- The role of writing as a creative and spiritual practice
- Differences between algorithm-driven platforms and email-based publishing
- Building community through conversation rather than performance
Resources:
- Subscribe to elle-même, Sara’s Substack
Key takeaways
- Substack allows for direct, unfiltered communication through email, creating a more intimate connection
- The platform rewards consistency and depth rather than virality or performance
- Many women with nuanced, meaningful work find traditional platforms misaligned with their values
- Writing can function as both a business tool and a creative or spiritual practice
Episode FAQs
What makes Substack different from traditional social media platforms?
Substack centers on direct communication through email rather than relying on algorithm-driven feeds. This allows for a more consistent and personal connection between the writer and reader.
Who is this approach to visibility most suited for?
It is particularly relevant for women engaged in depth-oriented work such as coaching, healing, teaching, or writing, where nuance and relationship are central.
How does Substack support a different kind of creative process?
It allows for longer-form writing and more natural expression, without the need to adapt ideas into short, attention-driven formats.
Is Substack only for writers?
No. While it is well-suited to writing, it also supports audio content, voice notes, and other forms of communication.
What role does community play on Substack?
Community is built through ongoing dialogue, including comments, direct messages, and shared conversations, rather than passive consumption.
Read the Full Transcript
Hello, beautiful women. I am joining you today from the US. I’m here for a couple weeks. I started this trip at one of my favorite places in the world, Kripalu, a big yoga and wellness center in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts. If you’ve never been, it’s stunning, especially at this time of year with the early signs of spring.
One of the benefits of jet lag is waking up early and taking early morning yoga classes. It’s always a treat having meals prepared, enjoying the buffet lines, receiving treatments in the Healing Arts Center, and taking long walks on the grounds. It’s incredibly nourishing.
I was there leading my Healing from Heartbreak retreat. We use IFS and spiritual principles to help navigate challenging and uncertain times, both personally and collectively. I’ll be returning later this year.
Right now, we are in week four of the current cohort of Self CEO. We’ve just finished the first pillar, the Sacred World of Your Business, where we explore how to partner with the guidance of your highest self and the highest self of your business. Now we’re moving into the inner world of your business, applying IFS to the parts that arise as women steward their work.
Back in France, I’ve been reflecting on something that has become central to my life and work over the past couple of months, which is why I’ve been publishing less on the podcast.
One of my core values is simplicity. I don’t chase trends or complicate things unnecessarily. Recently, I passed my two-month mark on Substack, called LMM, and I’ve gone all in on this platform.
I want to talk about why. Especially for women who feel exhausted by what visibility requires today.
When I moved to France last fall, something shifted. My life became fuller, richer, and I found myself wanting to write more—about daily life, observations, and discoveries. Writing has always been a spiritual practice for me, not just a business tool.
I wanted a place to write that felt real, not filtered or optimized. Substack offers that. It’s not just for writers—you can publish audio, voice notes, and more—but it allows for expression that feels closer to how I write in my books.
Social media has changed significantly over the years. It has become dominated by algorithms, requiring content to be shaped in specific ways to be seen. While I still show up authentically, it often requires filtering my voice through formats that aren’t natural.
Substack is different. While it has an algorithm, it is designed to connect you with aligned readers. When someone subscribes, your work goes directly to their inbox, creating a more intimate relationship.
It rewards consistency, voice, and trust built over time, rather than spectacle or virality. These values align with the way many women in healing, coaching, and spiritual work naturally operate.
There is also a social feature called Notes. Initially, I resisted it, but I found it functions differently from traditional social media. It’s more conversational, more natural, and part of a daily rhythm.
In the past two months, I’ve experienced genuine community—dialogue, collaboration, and connection. It feels like writing to someone who writes back.
This has also informed how I support women in my mastermind. Many are seeking ways to share their work without compromising their values. Substack is one option that supports that.
For women with depth—healers, teachers, writers—Substack allows for long-form expression, nuance, and direct connection. It’s not just a marketing strategy but a form of sovereignty.
For me, joining Substack was both an external and internal decision.
It has been a rewarding creative and business project so far. I continue to learn, but it already feels aligned.
If you’ve been questioning where to share your work, this may be something to explore. Above all, continue listening to your inner knowing and seek spaces that support genuine connection and expression.
