36 Comments

Peggy sends her apologies about the retching. She’ll do her best not to retch on future podcasts.

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Her retching is her ART, Helen! It's self expression!

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I really enjoyed this chat. I'm not loving Substack lately mainly as I feel overwhelmed by my in box and long newsy reads. I just don't have time to take them all in. Helen put it all in perspective with her usual down to earth and very honest approach. I can now see the potential and point of Substack! Thank you.

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Same! I put the long posts aside to read later when I have time but I rarely get time!

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I am sure I would like those long emails, but if I am busy when they arrive, that’s it, gone from my brain!

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Thanks Polly. 😍

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Well, that was a lovely chat! I've been on Substack for a few months now and I'm struggling with deciding whether to move over completely from Flodesk or keep both since run a product business, I'm also working on a course that feels like it will be my life's work and I'm thinking substack could be a great place to share and talk about all things bookbinding.

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Haha also found the volcano under the floor very funny. I can’t wait to read that piece Helen x

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When I read it I was hoping for a dead body 🤣 love a good murder mystery 🤩

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Me too! So disappointed to find a sink hole, no where near as exciting!

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Lols me too 🤫🤭🫣

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Yes I agree Emily, it does sound like they are sitting around Helen’s kitchen. Loved this ladies, really loved hearing about your navy cords Helen. Your so right those colour memories definitely transcend beyond our homes, they filter into our wardrobes and ‘branding’. Thanks for sharing Helen xox

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Wearing my navy cords right now. Worn at the knees, need to add a new pair to my Christmas list!

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👌🏼

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I know it’s not what really happened, but when I was listening I was convinced that you were all having a lovely gossip round Helen’s kitchen table. Although I was disappointed not to hear the kettle whistle 🤩 ☕️

I got all excited when I realised that I did that thing with my website where I wrote my name (in fancy handwriting admittedly) and put some pictures round it for my branding. Then I did the same for my Substack wordmark (or possibly the other way around) 😁

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I’m only about half way through and I’m loving this conversation and getting so many ideas! I hope to hear more interviews with artist 💛

Thanks ladies for the inspiration 🌼

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I loved this sooooo much. Everything about it...how relaxed it was (“I’m not going anywhere, just putting the kettle on”) to all the wonderful tasty tidbits of wisdom served up. I’ve said this before about listening to you, Sara and Keeley (and now Helen) but when I hear you speak of Substack, it feels light, and that’s how I know it’s my truth. 🪄

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Thank you for this, it's really encouraging! I've been procrastinating for so long about posting on Substack and I've just bitten the bullet and posted! ;-)

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Lovely drawings. Congratulations on your first post!

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Oh Helen, I so appreciate your ease of being you — I laughed at your self-sabotaging own-rule bans, and relate to so much that you share. I cannot WAIT to dig into your House Chat! So much to navigate, always.

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Ah thanks for cheering me on Margaux.

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Brilliant and enjoyable chat! Great information on starting out with Substack too (as I've just done!)! Thank you : )

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Lovely chat...thanks! I liked the bit where you were talking about "telling tiny stories" and letting a lot of the detail and learning come through the comments...it made me realize that, even though I've only been on Substack for about 6 weeks, I may have already wandered off from my original intent which was to explore, play with, muse on what my "next life" could be (I'm a shopkeeper looking at moving on)...I've become so consumed with creating "perfect, useful, informative" posts that I've had no time to lighten up and let my mind wander forward...I'm off now to have a little talk with myself about this...!

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Ha! Yes, so easy to fall into that trap of thinking you have to say it all. Yes have a word with yourself 🤣 Good luck. Hx

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Have a word with yourself, the number one rule for EVERYTHING 😂

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Felt quite spooked listening to your lovely chat 👻 Helen is practically a neighbour to me and I went to Glasgow Art School AND style is my specialist subject 🤓 I have been burying myself setting up my Substack so intensely recently 😳I need to wake up and look around me!!

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Spooky! 😂 Nearly my neighbour? Are you in Northumberland?

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Just moved a couple of years ago to Horncliffe and I am a friend of Tania's!!

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Such a good chat. Learned so much.

I am wondering... when Helen mentioned sharing her online workshop via substack and in doing so gained 200+ paid followers, do you think a teaser line was shared, followed by a 'click here to upgrade to paid for the good stuff' button? I've just gone paid and am wondering if the dangle technique (my terminology 😂) is best, or is there another way to share paid content to free subscribers so they have an option to opt in to the paid content? thanks for any wisdom! (essentially I have such a small amount of paid subscribers it feels funny creating paid content, for a small few... so want to share it widely, but heck what's the classiest way to do that?) thanks!

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Yes, I sent a couple of emails to everyone, paying and non paying, to announce the workshop would happen, with a ‘become a paid subscriber’ button. I chatted about what would happen in the workshop and made it very easy for people to join by saying we would still be pals even if they joined for the workshop then unsubscribed. Lots of people stayed for though, so that’s great!

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Thank you Helen! Such helpful advice. Esp the 'we'll still be pals' part. That's key!

x Lindsay

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Loved listening to this it was so inspiring. I’ve not posted on Substack for ages because I had nothing to say and I don’t enjoy writing anyway. But images I can do!

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Images are the way to go! Better than LONG FORM CONTENT 😨

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Yay! I was beginning to think I wasn't worthy (not being a writer!) x

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I would argue you provide something even better. Especially for us visual types.

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Hi Ladies, Such wonderful podcasts. So connecting. I am at the early days of my substack journey. I have question and sorry if the info already somewhere on your site. How do you record your three way conversation so its seamless and clear as if you are in the same room?

Keep being your essential selves.

Megan x

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