Tracy Friedlander
I help career-pivoters and experts build an online presence with their words using Substack — and actually make money from it, even with a tiny audience. No massive following required. Just real strategy for people who have something worth sharing.
What if you got really specific about the money?
Hey Reader, I did something that blew my mind last Saturday. Lately I've been using my Saturdays to think and plan with Claude and my double espresso long black. Last week I actually mapped out the actual life I want to be living in three to five years. 🤯 I've been reading so much about money goals and being specific -- but I thought, hmmm... what do I really want? What do I want to have? What do I want to be doing? Because in only 4 years, our daughter will be done with high school. What...
Have you thought about starting a blog or newsletter?
Is 2026 your year to take building your online following seriously? If you've been around here for a minute, you know I'm a fan of creating your own thing ASAP. Even if you don't know *exactly* what you're doing yet... I'm team "Start and figure it out along the way." 😂 And if you're an expert in anything (even if you consider it a hobby) you can 100% grow an audience and an email list around it and turn it into income (and my favorite place to get started right now is SUBSTACK). Everyone's...
The boundary you might need to move forward...
Before I started showing up online as anything other than sharing my dinner pics, I was terrified. I’d spent decades building a career in classical music before that. It was all I had ever wanted — and I achieved a ton. I had a huge network of colleagues, played with many orchestras, even big-time ones. On paper, it looked great. I was known as a horn player. But I wanted something more. Not because music was wrong for me — but because I knew there was something else. Something bigger. I knew...
The credibility hack 99% of online experts won’t admit to
When I started posting online, my confidence was in the crapp—wait, no, it was lower than that. I honestly didn’t think anyone would care what I had to say. I wanted to talk about real career freedom—where people in my industry could create something they actually loved. But I didn’t feel credible enough to lead that conversation. Why? Because I was still stuck in the mainstream career path I wanted to leave. It felt weird. I had all this expertise… but in the old way of doing things. And I...
Afraid to start? Read this
I talk to a LOT of people who want to start their “thing”…whether it's a podcast, their business, social media. But something holds them back. You might even relate to some of these: What if I end up not liking it? What if I can’t keep up with it? What if it doesn’t work? I get it—because I had ALL of these thoughts when I started my podcast. When I started, I had no idea what I was doing. No intro music. No editing skills. No certainty about where it would lead. But I started anyway. And...
What if social media wasn’t your only option?
Breaking News: The secret to social media growth in 2025 is… the same tired advice you've already ignored. Show up. Post daily. Be social. Engage. Comment. Then come the recycled ‘expert tips’—master the algorithm, hop on the latest Reel trend, and chase your own tail indefinitely. It’s endless advice. Why does it sometimes feel so inauthentic? We all know we have to be on social if we want to build a business, but there’s something missing—something that rarely gets talked about. The Social...
What if the key to success was something you already knew?
When I first started playing the French horn, I was just 10 years old. I lugged that horn home on the school bus, excited but clueless. I knew almost nothing about music, but I loved the idea of playing in a group, making music with friends. But did I have a “grand vision” to play professionally? Did I know I’d one day perform with the Chicago Symphony and even play with them in Carnegie Hall? Not at all. I was ten! That innocence—the freedom to dive into something new without...
What's holding you back?
Ever feel like there’s something in your industry that nobody talks about, but should? Maybe it’s a perspective, a frustration, or even a solution that’s been simmering in your mind. The truth is, that thought could be your most powerful source for content. Most people stay quiet about what really matters in their niche. Why? Fear of backlash, fear of judgment, or just the comfort of sticking to what’s safe. But the voices that truly stand out - the ones that build followings and spark change...
Why starting slow is actually the fast way to success
Last week I shared on social media that one of the best ways to figure out what kind of business you want is by diving into business models that you admire. Maybe there’s someone on Instagram you follow, and you see how they show up. What does this person sell? How do they promote it? This is the foundation of their “model.” Looking at businesses where you can see yourself being happy doing every phase of their model is a great place to start—because YOU will have to do those same things if...
Big vision? Here's what to do first
Hey Reader, It’s a new year, and the feeling of making moves and shaking things up is palpable. I know I’m feelin’ it. But sometimes, it’s way more than just a New Year’s resolution or an urge to declutter. Sometimes, your whole life needs a reboot. That feeling can hit for a lot of reasons—becoming a parent for the first time, realizing your career isn’t what you thought it would be, turning 50, or even a worldwide event like everything that happened in 2020. For me? It was all of the above...
I help career-pivoters and experts build an online presence with their words using Substack — and actually make money from it, even with a tiny audience. No massive following required. Just real strategy for people who have something worth sharing.