How To Build A Healing Personal Brand In A Toxic Creator Economy

#04: The Unexpected Way Substack Helped Me Overcome Burnout And ADD

When “I” is replaced by “We,” even illness becomes wellness.

- Malcolm X

Peace, Legacy Makers,

The hustle culture broke me — exhausted, directionless, and comparing my subscriber count to everyone else’s.

But then I found a path to transform on Substack that rejects clickbait, fear‑driven tactics, and endless “drop your link” posts.

Welcome to Secret #3 of the Legendary Secrets: The Path—your guide to building a truly healing personal brand.

“Healing” doesn’t need any real secrets. You just need to do good enough for people, and everything else will fall into place. If you want to stop reading now, feel free to do so. You already know it all.

But, unfortunately, you’re on Substack, and it can be overwhelming. So, if you want to start, restart, brand, or rebrand, or simply do something good for your soul while using Substack… then, HANG ON.

1.0 Substack isn’t immune to hustle tactics

You’ll see threads begging for subscribers. “Drop your Substack below!” posts. Viral notes are written for shock value. Clickbait headlines with no soul.

Earlier this year. I launched a humble publication called The Legacy Blueprint. Although I was thinking “Legacy,” I came to Substack with a marketer mind — to impress not to breathe.

I thought I was just building a writing portfolio and wanted to impress employers.

It felt like a rerun of the same game I’d escaped from. And it almost pushed me back into hiding. I spent a month between February and March in a metaphorical cave and didn’t publish anything. I DIDN’T even reply to anyone; that’s something I usually rarely miss!

I was not writing. I was just… healing.

Because here’s what I realized: when you’re trying to get noticed and comparing that with others, you forget to listen to your soul.

I didn’t want to compete or compare anymore. I didn’t want to build a “brand.” I wanted to become a human again and build a “legacy brand.”

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2.0 From Hustle to Path: Rejecting Red-Ocean Tactics

In the hustle world, success is defined by urgency and scarcity. Red-ocean tactics tell you to crank viral content, chase SEO keywords, and inflate vanity metrics.

A red ocean is a market where traders fight over money, customers, influence, and business growth. The ocean turns red because of all the fighting and sharks eating young, rising businesses and entrepreneurs.

DO NOT jump into a red ocean. You have very little chance of surviving there.

Research warns against those traps:

• Clickbait headlines boost clicks but deliver poor engagement and even damage your reputation.

• Obsessing over big followings is a fallacy – as one marketing analysis explains, large audiences are often fake or disengaged, while focused communities bring real value.

Dive into a blue ocean, unexplored waters, a market you alone have experienced and considered enough to write about as a pro.

When I took the blue ocean:

• I focused on honest storytelling and spiritual wisdom.

• I wrote as I would journal, inviting readers into my journey.

• I dropped jargon and tactics and offered sincerity and care in their place.

This approach resonated. People who once felt alone in the hustle found companionship in my words.

In short, I wasn’t selling urgency or fear; I was offering hope, and this resonated far deeper.

3.0 Writing as Medicine: My Substack Awakening

It wasn’t about niche strategy or audience building.

It was about exploring something deeper: how, through action, we can live beyond ourselves, leave an impact, and outlive our physical bodies.

But every post I wrote became therapy. It brought clarity, confidence, and calm.

And then something surprising happened: people responded.

Not with likes or emojis — but with comments like:

As much as my words may have brought a smile or inspired someone’s day, their expressing that to me was therapeutic. (I’ll share more of those beautiful comments as you continue reading)

Thank you,

Marwa Essam

,

Sam Cross

,

Dr. Bronce Rice

and everyone who took the time to add kindness to my day. You’re helping me heal.

Substack isn’t like other platforms. It’s not optimized for virality or showing off. It’s optimized for trust and building relationships. People sign up to hear from you. Your writing lands directly in their inbox, like a handwritten letter. There’s no algorithm in between. Just you and them.

3.1 People are noticing it, too

Luckily for this post, one reddit user shared his experience on how starting a “Crypto Newsletter” helped him heal from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as wars, abuse, or natural disasters.

Personally, I didn’t suffer from PTSD, but I had symptoms of Attention deficit disorder (ADD), anxiety, stress, borderline depression, and restlessness.

Knowing that starting a newsletter can help various mental health conditions confirmed what I was observing.

I’m a scientist and need data to confirm; that was all I needed.

I commented on this thread and asked the user if I could use this post to confirm my observations, and this is what he answered:

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4.0 Substack’s Secret Sauce:
Connection. Groundedness. Expression

Now, here’s where I come to play my role in this slightly tapped but immensely transformative world. I’m here to show you exactly how to do it strategically.

That’s “The Path” I want to take you on to create a newsletter that helps you heal through self-expression, connection, and groundedness.

Here are a few things I’m doing to help me on this path and would recommend to you:

4.1 - Connection: Small Gestures, Strong Bonds

• Free Content
  Readers feel valued and naturally start conversations.

• Free 1:1 Coaching
  Personal help builds instant trust and loyalty.

• Curated Follows
  Engaging only with kindred voices sparks genuine dialogue.

• Weekly Posts
  Predictable rhythm lets you listen, respond, and strengthen ties.

• Always Reply
  A quick thank‑you makes each reader feel seen and appreciated.

4.2 - Groundedness: The Art of Well-Being

Groundedness might sound like a voodoo, new age, or what not fancy word, but it’s not. It’s the most humble thing you can do to heal. It grounds us in space and time so that we enjoy every moment of our life, helps us live in peace and avoids hustle and burnout.

Groundedness is acknowledging and acting upon your very vulnerable state.

I have written two posts (Post 1, Post 2) on the topic, which you can refer to, but here are some quick points:

1. Be present

2. Practice gratitude

3. Practice prayer consistently

4. Sleep well

5. Take a break

6. Connect with people

7. Go outside

8. Embrace your vulnerability

9. Remember death.

And it works.

4.3 - Self-Expression: Through Personal Branding

The wonderful

Deb Burns

restacked this quote from last week’s post. And for once I started seeing myself as a thought leader in a crowded market following a unique and upgraded approach to personal branding.

Personal branding means sharing your truth, even if it doesn’t fit the “perfect clickbait mold.” It’s measuring success by impact and connection, not by likes or page views. And it means trusting that a supportive community will follow when you build with integrity.

Creating with purpose boosts well-being:

• Freelancers who align their work with passion and purpose report huge mental health improvements.

• 92% of workers said it is very or somewhat important to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.

5.0 The world is changing and ethical branding is growin

• Studies show that organizing one's life as a coherent story around personal values and goals boosts well-being.

• Research confirms that having a clear life purpose correlates with lower depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

Ethical personal branding meets this need by letting individuals express their true selves at work.

Nearly 9,500 companies worldwide have become certified B Corporations.

These businesses legally pledge to balance profit with social and environmental goals.

Such companies prove that "purpose and profit can go hand in hand," celebrating a new leadership style for the 21st century.

This reflects a growing desire for communal ties over anonymous consumption.

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6.0 Your First Steps on The Path

You don’t need a perfect plan—just a willingness to begin. Here’s how to take your first confident strides:

1. Write Your First Post

   • Pick one moment in your life that taught you something valuable.

   • Share it as a short, honest story.

   • Don’t worry about marketing. Your authentic voice is the magnet.

2. Invite Your Core Circle

   • Identify 5–10 people who already care about you: friends, colleagues, fellow seekers.

   • Send them a personal note: “I’ve started a newsletter about [your cause]. Would love your thoughts.”

   • Their feedback will lift your confidence—and spark real conversations.

3. Practice Groundedness

   • Schedule a “tech‑off” hour daily: no screens, just reflection or nature.

   • Eat well, sleep well, rest, take a break, and remind yourself that you’re not in a rush.

   • Keep a gratitude log: jot down three small wins or moments of peace and feel it, SINCERELY.

4. Reinvest in Others

   • Pledge a small percentage of any revenue (5% or even 2%) to a fellow beginner.

   • Feature their work or advice in your next issue.

   • Watch how this tiny act of generosity builds reciprocal support and fuels a thriving community.

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7.0 Legacy, Not Likes: A Closing Rallying Cry

You’ve felt the hollowness of chasing clicks. Now, imagine a brand built on healing, honesty, and heart. That’s your true legacy.

• Impact Over Metrics: One reader who emails you, moved by your words, is worth more than a thousand silent subscribers.

• Connection Over Competition: When you lift others, you rise together. There’s no need to drown in a red ocean of noise.

• Purpose over Profit: Money follows meaning. Focus on helping people transform, and revenue becomes a byproduct—never the obsession.

Algorithms or trends don’t define your path. It’s defined by the lives you touch, the souls you heal, and the courage you summon to speak your truth.

The real measure of success is the legacy you leave in hearts and minds—long after the likes have faded.

Welcome to The Path. Let’s walk it—together.

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Ready to walk The Path?

👉 Subscribe for free and get the workbook. (We’re updating it to issue #02, stay tuned you’ll receive it in your inbox)
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I will end with one last screenshot from a recommendation I just received to tell you how wonderful doing things for others would be.