How We Grow
How We Grow is a podcast about branding and practical career growth. Hosted by Ana Calin, it shares simple, actionable advice for building a portfolio career, with the goal of making progress in weeks rather than years. The show is part of the howwegrowtoday Substack publication and focuses on practical steps listeners can apply.
Episodes
Why the Most Profitable Substack Creators in 2026 Will Be Storytellers, Not Strategists
The rules have completely changed. If your perfectly planned content calendar isn’t converting subscribers into buyers, you’re not alone. Your analytics look good, open rates are decent, you’re consistent and providing value. And yet... crickets when you ask for money.In this video, I reflect on my journey of growing my newsletter from 0 to over 70,000 subscribers in less than a year and discuss t
Why I stopped trying to be “relatable”
The Vulnerability ParadoxI’ve been struggling with the word “vulnerability” lately.It’s become this gold standard in the online world. If you aren’t bleeding on the page, if you aren’t posting the crying selfie, if you aren’t giving a play-by-play of your burnout, are you even a creator? Just this morning I saw another “I almost quit” note, and two scrolls later the “3 months sober” one.We seem to
Everything you’ve been taught about audience building, content creation, and monetization is backwards — and most creators will never figure it out.
The internet sold us a dream.Build an audience. Post valuable content. Grow to 10,000 followers. Then monetize. Launch a course. Build a membership. Scale to six figures. Hire a team. Become a thought leader.I bought into this dream too. It left me exhausted and broke.These online gurus set you up to completely misunderstand how creator businesses actually work. It’s hard to escape because everyon
50K Strong & Growing!: Ana Calin’s Substack Playbook That Breaks the Rules
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howwegrowtoday.substack.com/subscribe
She made 5x her investment in 7 days. Here’s how.
One week after joining my Money Map Bootcamp, Marni:✅ Doubled interest in her own coaching & ✅ Revamped her offer✅ Got 5 paying members immediately✅ And best of all — she’s just getting started.In this live, she shares exactly what changed, why the 30-day support made the difference, and how the Money Map Bootcamp gave her clarity and momentum.Marni also shares the details of her own bootcamp happ
How to monetise your newsletter and everything growth with my guests
(BTW, we just reached 50,000 beautiful souls on How We Grow and to celebrate, my annual subscription is at 50% off - only until April 24 EOD. If you wanted in, this is your chance now) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howwegrowtoday.substack.com/subscribe
The Money Map Bootcamp and everything growth with Michael Simmons
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howwegrowtoday.substack.com/subscribe
The money map bootcamp and everything growth
Your Path to Multiple Income Streams Starts April 15th – Don’t Miss Out!The bootcamp starts April 15th, and special pricing ends Wednesday, April 10th:Regular price: $297 Special offer: $147 (50% off, ends April 10th)Paid members: Just $97 (my thank you for supporting How We Grow) - check your access at the bottom of this email.And if you're on the fence about becoming a paid member...My annual me
Substack Growth Hacking: How I Created the Holy Grail for Struggling Creators.
Only 3% of Substack writers have a clear strategy for growth. Most of us wing it, hoping that good content will magically attract readers. But the truth is, consistency is key. It's not about writing the perfect essay or pouring your heart out. It's about showing up, day after day, with value that resonates. The question is, what's your plan for the next 30 days? Discover how I cracked the code to
Most people make offers that get ignored.
Most people make offers that get ignored.They drop a link and hope.They slap a price on something and pray.They assume people will just know why it’s worth it.That’s why they don’t sell.Here’s how I make an irresistible offer:I stack the value.I don’t sell a newsletter. I sell results.✅ Growth challenges that get you more subscribers.✅ Live workshops with step-by-step guidance.✅ A community that h
I Reverse-Engineered the Top 1% of Bestselling Creators—Here’s the 3-Step System They Use to Monetize
Here’s What No One’s Telling You.Ever wonder why some creators effortlessly turn followers into paying members—while others, despite posting consistently, never break past free subscribers?I did. So, I went deep.After months of testing, tweaking, and analyzing hundreds of successful monetization strategies across newsletters, YouTube, and online courses, I found something shocking:The creators who
An irresistible Substack offer starts with…
Thank you Florian Martinon, Elle Wolfe, Chris Jenkins, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Join me on my next Live Webinar and learn:All growth members get access to this webinar and the entire Growth Challenge this month. Join them so you can grow your Substack exponentially too. (Save 27% off on the annual plan for the next 15 subscribers) Thi
A bit of Monday motivation
Join me for my next live video in the app This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howwegrowtoday.substack.com/subscribe
Monday motivation
Join me for my next live video in the app This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howwegrowtoday.substack.com/subscribe
💡 How I Turned Notes Into a Subscriber Engine (and How You Can Benefit From It)
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know my thoughts on social media and growth.For a long time, Notes felt like just another feature. Post something, get some likes, move on. I didn’t see the potential.But then something changed.Join now my Notes to Subscribers January Growth Challenge by becoming a paid member and get access to weekly growth webinars, tools, notes boost and our communit
Nobody Commented on My Posts. Until I Learned to Ask the Right Questions.
Why Engagement MattersWhen I started writing on Substack, I had this picture in my mind: I’d hit publish, people would rush in, comments would flow like wine, and my inbox would light up with notifications.Reality? Crickets.It took me longer than I care to admit to realize this: you don’t get engagement by accident.Engagement is something you create. It’s the secret sauce that turns passive reader
Substack Secret Santa 🎁: So We Can Grow Together This Holiday Season
🎁 This December, let’s grow together—Secret Santa style. 🎁Substack can feel like a solo game sometimes—just you, your keyboard, and the hope someone’s out there reading.But growth isn’t just about audience size or paid subs—it’s about connection. It’s about building relationships with people who get what you’re doing, who cheer for you when you’re not in the room.That’s what this is about: A littl
🎯 5 Ways This Challenge Will Change How You Pitch Forever
We’re rolling into Week 2 of the December Growth Challenge: Get Your First Brand Deal! 🚀Over 50 creators have already joined, and the momentum is real. Whether you’re here to land your first deal or level up your brand, this challenge is about so much more than just brand partnerships.This Challenge Will Help You:✅ Learn how to pitch like a pro – A skill that’s useful for brand deals, client work,
How I Became a Substack Bestseller in 3 Months
That’s the headline, but you know what’s missing?The messy, chaotic, not-so-glamorous truth behind it.The truth that “overnight success” is just what people call the years of work they didn’t see.Thanks for reading How We Grow! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit howwegro
How I Became a Substack Bestseller in 3 Months (and What They Don’t Tell You About Growth)
On November 15th (my husband’s b’day), I woke up to see How We Grow marked with that shiny Bestseller badge. Three months after going all in on Substack, and I hit a milestone I wasn’t even sure was possible this fast.🎉 26,000 subscribers in 3 months 🎉That’s the headline, but you know what’s missing? The messy, chaotic, not-so-glamorous truth behind it. The truth that “overnight success” is just w
🟡 3 key mindset shifts I made to build new income opportunities
In 2016, I was stuck in a successfully dead-end 9-to-5, with a looming question:“Is this all there is?”Today, I’ve built multiple income streams, diversified my career, and work on projects I’m deeply passionate about—all without abandoning financial stability.At the heart of this transformation lies the concept of a portfolio career.It’s a simple yet powerful idea: instead of relying on one job o
5 Questions on growth & monetisation
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit howwegrowtoday.substack.comHow do I get people to subscribe?How do I start with monetisation?How to balance a 9-5 job with family and side projects?& more…Thought we’d do something a bit different today. I reached out to the community recently and asked you all for your questions, anything you’re curious about, whether it’s about buildi
9 Lies You’ve Been Told About Building a Portfolio Career
Let’s get one thing straight: You’ve been sold a lie about building a career. Actually, you’ve been sold nine.The world is full of half-truths, especially when it comes to success and wealth.For years, we’ve been sold the idea that the only way to become a millionaire is aiming for the stars—launch a startup, create the next big app, or revolutionise an industry.But what if I told you that the fut
🛑 How I Stopped Chasing 100K Followers and Landed 27 Brand Deals instead
Let’s get real for a second: I also used to believe the biggest lie on social media—that more followers equals more success. We’ve all been there, scrolling through Instagram, seeing those influencer accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers and thinking:“That’s what I need to land brand deals.”But here’s the truth: it’s total b**s**.I’ve landed more than 27 solid brand deals without ever h
9 Quick & Simple Headlines That Will Make You Write Better
No fluff, no jargon — just pure, actionable insights.It’s a harsh truth, but a headline is your first and only chance to make a good impression. It’s what people see in search results, in their social feeds, and in those overstuffed email inboxes. So if you’re stuck with bland, boring titles, your masterpiece is going to end up like a fine wine at a frat party — completely overlooked.But don’t wor
🔴 How I Accidentally Crowdfunded My Way to Success
Back in the year 2018, I launched my first crowdfunding campaign online. Believe it or not, it all started because of an “ugly cat” portrait I made.I was a “struggling artist”, barely making ends meet. I just quit my corporate career and started to do art for the first time, without any art network or even art making practice. So, it was challenging to say the least. How We Grow is a reader-suppor
🍅 Ketchup got Heinz in trouble. Again.
Did we solve world hunger and world peace already?Because we’re now nitpicking ketchup ads.Yes, ketchup ads.I remember when ads were just ads.We laughed at silly jingles, smiled at clever lines.Now, we're digging into every frame like it’s a crime scene.Take the Heinz wedding ad.People were furious because the dad wasn’t in it.Suddenly, it’s a symbol of erasing Black fathers.Then Heinz drops anoth
🍅 Ketchup got Heinz in trouble. Again.
How did we get to the point where ketchup ads are now the battlegrounds of racial representation debates? Well, grab your fries 🍟, because this Heinz controversy serves up a whole lot more than condiments.Let me start by saying that advertising isn’t easy—especially these days. I get it. Brands are in constant pursuit of that elusive viral hit, trying to stay relevant, "woke," and sell you somethi
I quit my corporate job to become a professional juggler (Part 1)
"I Quit My Executive Role After 15 Years... to Become an Artist."Sounds crazy, right? It’s the classic midlife crisis move: abandon the corporate ladder for something *wild* and unpredictable. But here's the twist—it worked, and it transformed my life in ways I never saw coming.For over 15 years, I was living the executive dream. Jet-setting across continents, managing high-stakes projects, and en
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