What if you could build a thriving business without constantly chasing the algorithm?

In this episode, Holly sits down with entrepreneur, attorney, author, and founder of an $8 million business, Sam Vander Wielen, to pull back the curtain on the organic growth strategies that have fueled her success. From growing a newsletter of nearly 70,000 subscribers to creating evergreen systems that allow her to prioritize life before work, Sam shares exactly how she has built a sustainable business rooted in email marketing...not endless social media.

If you're ready to create predictable growth, write better emails, and build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

00:00:00 – Meet Sam Vander Wielen and the story behind her $8 million business.

00:01:45 – Leaving corporate law and giving yourself permission to pivot.

00:03:30 – How writing a traditionally published book changed her business.

00:06:25 – Building nearly 70,000 newsletter subscribers through organic marketing.

00:09:20 – The evolution of Sam's weekly newsletter over the past decade.

00:11:05 – The biggest drivers of email list growth and why consistency wins.

00:12:50 – Why Sam started using Substack and what she's experimenting with.

00:14:35 – Collaboration, podcast guesting, and strategic partnerships for growth.

00:16:55 – Content batching systems that protect time and energy.

00:18:40 – Living first, creating second: a healthier approach to content.

00:19:50 – Finding endless newsletter ideas through everyday life.

00:21:35 – Why writing is the most underrated business skill.

00:23:20 – Sam's honest thoughts on AI and authentic content creation.

00:24:30 – Rapid-fire business advice, favorite tools, and defining success.

00:26:50 – Where to connect with Sam and access her newsletter and resources.

CONNECT WITH SAM:

Watch Sam's free workshop '5 Steps to Legally Protect & Grow Your Online Business: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/legal-workshop/

Join Sam’s Email List: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/newsletter

Website: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/samvanderwielen/

🔗 LINKS MENTIONED:

🎯 Free Quiz: What's Standing Between You and Consistent Business Income? → hollymariehaynes.com/quiz

👉 Download the Anti-Social Shift Private Podcast → hollymariehaynes.com/shift

🌎 Website → www.hollymariehaynes.com

📲 Instagram → @thehollymariehaynes

🗨️ Chat with Holly → https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/chat

Have you ever felt like you've done all the things-read the books, hired the coach, gone to therapy and yet somehow you still find yourself stuck in the same patterns?

In this powerful conversation, Holly sits down with neuro-somatic practitioner and Identity X expert Riana Malia to explore what happens when personal growth reaches a point where traditional mindset work isn't enough. Together, they unpack how subconscious programming, stored emotions, and outdated identities can quietly shape our decisions, relationships, and business success.

If you've ever wondered why you keep repeating the same cycles despite your best efforts, this episode offers a fresh perspective (and practical tools) to help you create lasting change.

Tune in to hear:

00:00:03 – Why doing more work isn't always the solution when you're feeling stuck

00:04:57 – Understanding the conscious mind vs. the subconscious mind and how old patterns continue to run the show

00:09:08 – The surprising signs that stored emotions and outdated identities may be holding you back

00:12:11 – The restaurant menu analogy: why clarity about what you actually want changes everything

00:16:04 – How negative thought patterns shape your reality and what neuroscience says about rewiring them

00:18:12 – Rihanna's simple 72-hour "Away vs. Toward" exercise for shifting your focus and state in real time

00:23:07 – The frequency metaphor: how changing your internal channel changes what you experience

00:26:11 – Why high-achieving women self-sabotage right before breakthroughs and how to stop the cycle

00:32:14 – The "mental pantry cleanout" exercise for releasing old stories and creating new momentum

00:37:09 – Books, Maui, rest, and the importance of creating space for yourself outside of work

00:41:04 – Where to connect with Riana and take the E.L.L.I.E. assessment for deeper self-discovery

CONNECT WITH RIANA:

Website: https://www.rianamalia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rianamalia/

🔗 LINKS MENTIONED:

🎯 Free Quiz: What's Standing Between You and Consistent Business Income? → hollymariehaynes.com/quiz

👉 Download the Anti-Social Shift Private Podcast → hollymariehaynes.com/shift

🌎 Website → www.hollymariehaynes.com

📲 Instagram → @thehollymariehaynes

🗨️ Chat with Holly → https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/chat

Hey friends, welcome back. Today I'm sharing something a little different — and I think you're going to want to save this one.

This episode is pulled directly from The Anti-Social Shift — my brand new private podcast at hollymariehaynes.com/shift. It's a 9-episode series built around the exact framework I use to run a million-dollar business spending less than 30 minutes a week on social media. The first 5 episodes are the evergreen framework. The last 4 — including this one — drop fresh every quarter. Current playbook, not advice from two years ago.

I'm sharing it here because what we're talking about is too important to sit behind an opt-in.

Here's the question: when someone asks ChatGPT or Claude to recommend an expert in your space — are you showing up? Because your dream client is not scrolling Instagram to find you. She is asking AI.

In this episode I walk you through how we get 50 or more leads a month from AI search, what GEO actually is, and the one blog post that drives more recommendations than anything else we publish.

When you're done — go grab all 9 episodes at hollymariehaynes.com/shift.

Let's get into it.

🔗 LINKS MENTIONED:

🎯 Free Quiz: What's Standing Between You and Consistent Business Income? → hollymariehaynes.com/quiz

👉 Download the Anti-Social Shift Private Podcast → hollymariehaynes.com/shift

🌎 Website → www.hollymariehaynes.com

📲 Instagram → @thehollymariehaynes

🗨️ Chat with Holly → https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/chat