Your Substack, Your Terms

What I learned in my social media struggles, how I found community on Substack and how you can, too

I am all about community—creating, being part of, connecting them.

• In high school, I connected the geeks and jocks as the straight A-student and captain of the cheerleading team

• In college, I was an enthusiastic tour guide—I wanted every prospective student to know the uniqueness of our university

• Before my wedding, I wrote a story that connected every person at our celebration to us and other attendees

• I’m always game to host serious-but-fun gatherings for my non-profit and investment partners at my home

• I lead a community of global learners through people-connected Venture Travel

You get the picture. I’m a connector.

Social media has naturally been part of my community building. I believe virtual communities are an important complement to our real-life ones.

My favorite social media is LinkedIn.

I joined in 2004 and was among the first 250,000 users. It was instrumental to my success in leading sales for a start-up investment company. My profile opened conversation doors.

On LinkedIn, I show up as me—I write like I speak, share favorite ideas in written and video form, celebrate my connections, and weave the personal and professional (you regularly see my husband in my posts).

I can’t tell you how often a conversation with a long-lost connection starts with “I love reading everything you share on LinkedIn.”

Even with no interaction, I know they’re reading. It makes it worth the effort.

I’m trying to put aside my growing LinkedIn annoyances:

• Unsolicited DMs (enough with the irrelevant pitches!)

• The rise in “how I achieved 1 million LinkedIn followers in three months and you can, too” claimants

• The more limited ability for collaboration (unless we consider “collaboration” a cohort appeasing the algorithm by agreeing to comment on others’ similarly-timed posts so each individual gets more views)

I have a love/hate relationship with Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram.

I love how Facebook connects me to extended family, my high school and university classmates, and the young people I meet in my travels in emerging economies.

Today, Facebook feels far removed from its original mission of “giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” Between the hateful comments, barrage of ads, manipulative algorithm, privacy issues, disinformation—and leadership’s unwillingness to control its spread—I’m ready to be done.

As for the other mind-numbing and vitriol-fueled platforms? No need to discuss.

---

I’ve been considering how to address this all.

I have friends who have happily sworn off social media altogether. But swearing off social media doesn’t work for me.

But I made some resolutions.

• LinkedIn. I resolve to connect more deeply and celebrate those who do LinkedIn well. I will continue to bring creativity and fun to this more business-focused platform. I’m excited to see the inspirational young people I meet globally active on LinkedIn. I want to support them; I want a front-row seat to what they do next. In short, LinkedIn will continue to be an important virtual community (connect with me)

• Meta. While I can’t completely give up Meta platforms—they are too connected to my work—I will spend less time there. For my sanity, I need to skip the political mayhem. I will spend less time creating posts—it’s just not worth my time. I’m threatening to delete the apps on my phone. In short, I’ll access Meta platforms more on an as-needed basis.

Which brings me to Substack…

---

I assumed Substack was just another writing platform.

Years ago, I posted several of my blog posts on Medium. They never went anywhere. It always felt like you had to be deep into the writing world to play on this playground—and I was not. I didn’t spend time there.

Heather Cox Richardson and Kirsten Powers brought me to Substack. I set up a Substack account (Jodi Morris) because I wanted their blogs in my inbox. While the subscriptions could be free, I loved reading that readers demanded the money-shy professor Heather be paid for her tireless work (New York Times)

I’ve followed Kirsten since her CNN days—always a voice of reason during trying times. Through her book Saving Grace and her Substack, she invites us to join in her personal explorations. Her life—and Substack—is a series of fits and starts (and I love people who keep it real). I’m happy for this friend I’ve never met. She’s seemed to find home with her new husband in Italy and with her Changing the Channel Substack.

Late last year, I saw my copywriting guru friend Jen Baxter was not only on Substack, but coaching on how to set up on the platform. I explored the Substack site, downloaded the app, and chatted with Jen.

---

This year, I set up my Substack.

Let's Venture | Jodi Morris connects you to people and ideas that change your thinking about life, defining success and making an impact—weaving intentional travel, financial independence, and personal growth.

I’ve learned a lot about Substack these past few weeks. My biggest learning?

If you relate to my struggles, this might be a place for you, too.

Substack is building a new economic engine for culture—with writers and creatives at the center.

It feels like a whole new world—a kind and thoughtful one. A world that celebrates writing in all forms, from all sorts of writers. Unlike other platforms, writings can be longer and more intimate, which gives them a longer shelf life.

I feel comfortable being my creative, soul-bearing, sometimes-snarky self. It seems Kirstin Powers does, too.

Substack celebrates more than writing. Videos, podcasts and Substack Live are easy to implement (even for the non-tech savvy). Substack proactively generates promotional content you can share on Instagram, LinkedIn or other social media.

Substack is a collaborative network, not a competitive one. In fact, 40% of all Substack subscriptions and 15% of paid ones come directly from the Substack network.

Collaboration is baked into the business model.

My early days on the Substack home page feel like New Student Week—fellow freshmen and upperclassmen want to help you find your way. Subscribing and recommending other Substacks is the best way to grow a subscriber base. I can’t wait to dive into this more.

And there isn’t an advertisement to be found.

Creators are the center of Substack’s business model. Substack takes a 10% commission from writers’ subscription revenues. Currently, 50,0000 writers earn money from Substack, with the top 10 collectively earning more than $40 million annually (source).

Paid subscriptions are typically a smaller part of most writers’ subscriber base. Heather Cox Richardson is one of those exceptions (and I am thrilled!) though not the rule.

While new Substacks like Let’s Venture are encouraged to set up paid subscriptions, the idea of asking people to pay me felt uncomfortable. I came up with a creative solution—paid subscriptions will be invested in one of my global girls’ education non-profit partners (for 2025 I chose U-Go).

My Substack, my terms.

---

It’s been fun watching the Substack model at work in early 2025.

Esteemed journalists like Jim Acosta and Joy Reid immediately set up their “show” on Substack. They have full decision rights—the content they produce, how it’s shared (written, video, podcast, Substack Live), and how to charge for it.

I want stand-up journalists to be successful—they hold a special place in my heart.

And I want Substack to be successful.

Substack is privately held, with ownership shared among its three co-founders, employees and investors, including VCs like Andreessen Horowitz and Y Combinator. I don’t love that part—I never fully trust VC’s incentives and alignment.

I think Substack’s business model is the right one for our time.

Because it’s not Meta and Medium that are Substack’s competitors—it’s all the other formats fighting for our attention.

Since the election, I’ve been minimizing my viewing of cable and network news. Instead, I rely on my curated short list of trusted leaders on Substack. Nothing would make me (or the VCs) happier than seeing Substack take share from the frothy revenue streams of cable and network media companies.

Substack is built for all of us—the writers and the readers.

You may be reading this and thinking “why bother with Substack when I’m not a writer.”

I get it. Even as a creator, I needed another platform like a hole in the head.

Here’s the thing—Substack is all about serving the thoughtful reader. They do this by serving the creators.

This is why I’ve joined the community.

I encourage you to download the Substack app to check it out.

Substack recently launched a Notes feature—think shorter-form posts (which often link to longer-form posts) like traditional social media feeds. It’s a place to like, comment and reshare restack. You can even join subscriber chats.

Substack is a place where people are kind and thoughtful (please may it stay that way!). I have found people from my real life here who I don’t see on other social platforms.

Substack can be your curated virtual community—in the peacefulness of an ad-free environment—where you decide who you want to see (not the algorithm).

It’s your Substack, your terms.

---

I’m sharing my Substack story and learnings because I believe there’s something here—for me, and for you.

Have you been thinking about setting up a blog to highlight your photography hobby? Do your friends keep urging you to share your unique expertise in gluten-free cooking? Substack just made it 10 times easier and less expensive (free!)

No interest in writing but want to be a more discerning reader? Connect with kind, thoughtful people beyond your real life by curating your community on Substack.

I believe great things happen when we connect communities and individuals, the serious and creative.

Show up as you—as a creator and/or as a reader. All on your terms.

Two more things:

1. I just spilled my thinking. I really want to know your thoughts—on Substack, social media, and how you’re thinking about community. Hit reply, leave a comment.

2. This Wednesday, March 12 at 5pm EDT/2pm PDT I chatted with copywriting and Substack guru Jen Baxter of The Skillful Scribber on Substack Live! Here’s the video & transcript. Make sure you subscribe to her Substack. Jen has been a super helpful guide in setting up Let’s Venture.