Most Substack “growth” advice trains you to chase false proxies: likes, restacks, viral Notes, badges, and other easy-to-measure numbers that don’t reliably create conversations, clients, or paid subscribers.
In this free preview from the February 2026 Circle/Inner Circle workshop, I show you how to stop checking the wrong scoreboard—and start defining success on your terms.
You’ll hear:
Why most creators are measuring what’s easy instead of what matters
What “false proxies” are (and why they keep you busy, not effective)
The metric that actually matters: your smallest viable audience
Why Substack is a tool, not a strategy
The “Lifestyle Freedom Priority Statement” as your ruler for decisions
Upgrade your Creative on Purpose Substack subscriptionfor the full replay and workshop resources.
In the complete workshop replay, we go deep on The Marketing Trifecta (from Seth Godin’s Marketing Seminar/This Is Marketing) and I walk you through the three questions that sharpen your writing, clarify your offer, and make your marketing feel like connection—not performance:









