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Every Saturday morning, I wake up, make my coffee, open my laptop, and write an email to thousands of women about what’s really happening in my life and business.

Honest struggles, lifestyle stuff, lessons I’m learning and what’s actually working in the online business world.

The real behind-the-scenes that never makes it to Instagram.

And all of this happens through Kit (formerly ConvertKit). Not Substack. Not some other platform.

Kit is the tool that made my entire business possible, and I want to tell you why that matters if you’re choosing between these two platforms.

Because here’s the thing… all my revenue comes from the emails I send through Kit.

Not some of it. All of it.

My blog playbook sales, my other workshops… everything happens because of the email sequences and Saturday diaries I send to my list.

So if you’re trying to decide between Kit and Substack, let me share what I’ve learned building my business on Kit and why I’d choose it again in a heartbeat.

How I Actually Use Kit (The Real Story)

Let me paint you a picture of what my business actually looks like with Kit.

Someone discovers my blog through Pinterest. Maybe they read a post about leaving your 9-5 or building a blog business or moving to abroad.

At the end of that post, there’s an opt-in to join my Saturday email diaries.

They subscribe. And immediately, Kit’s automation takes over.

They get a welcome email from me introducing myself and what to expect from my emails. Then over the next few days, they get a short sequence that shares my story, builds connection, and introduces them to the idea that yes, you can actually build a business through email and blogging.

This all happens automatically.

I set it up once, and now it runs for every single new subscriber without me touching anything.

Then every Saturday, I write my diary email. I talk about what happened that week, what I’m learning, struggles I’m facing, income/growth updates, behind-the-scenes of building this life.

These emails are personal, honest, real. They’re not polished blog posts. They’re me talking to my people like we’re sitting at a cafe in Bali together.

And woven naturally into these emails, I mention my playbook courses.

Not in a pushy way. Just like “hey, if you want to learn how I built this, here’s the playbook that shows you everything.”

That’s how I make money. Through these relationships I build via email. Through the trust I create by showing up consistently and being real. Through the automations that nurture new subscribers even while I’m sleeping or traveling or living my life.

This system has made me more money than anything else I’ve tried.

And it only works because of Kit’s features.

Why Substack Couldn’t Give Me This

I looked at Substack when I was starting. It seemed easier, simpler, less to learn. Just write and publish, right?

But here’s what I would have lost…

I wouldn’t have been able to set up those automated welcome sequences that nurture new subscribers. On Substack, everyone just gets added to your list and receives whatever you send next. There’s no way to automatically build connection with new people.

I wouldn’t have been able to sell my playbooks the way I do now. With Kit, I can create landing pages, checkout flows, email sequences for buyers, everything I need to sell my playbooks.

Substack is built for paid subscriptions only. If you want to sell a $97 digital product? You’re out of luck.

I wouldn’t have the flexibility to monetize in multiple ways. I do affiliate marketing, I sell two different digital products at two different price points, I have the freedom to experiment with new offers.

Substack locks you into one model: people pay monthly/yearly to access your content.

And maybe most importantly, I wouldn’t have been able to build the kind of intimate, personal business I have now. My Saturday diaries work because they’re part of a larger ecosystem.

New subscribers get nurtured automatically, existing subscribers get weekly connection, buyers get special sequences. It all works together.

Substack would have forced me into a much simpler, more limited model.

What Kit Actually Gave Me

Kit gave me freedom. Not just the “work from Bali” freedom (though yes, that too). But the freedom to build my business exactly the way I wanted.

I wanted to send weekly personal emails that felt like love letters, not corporate newsletters. Kit lets me do that while also handling all the business stuff automatically in the background.

I wanted to grow my list without constantly promoting myself.

Kit’s automations mean that when someone finds me, they automatically get welcomed, nurtured, and introduced to my offers without me manually doing anything.

I wanted to make money without feeling salesy or pushy. Kit’s sequences let me build trust and connection first, then present offers naturally to people who are already bought into my philosophy.

I wanted my email platform to grow with me as my business evolved.

When I created my second digital product, I could easily add it into my existing system. When I wanted to experiment with a new lead magnet, I could set up a sequence for it in an hour. Kit gives me room to grow and change without rebuilding everything.

The Trade-Off Nobody Tells You About

Yes, Kit has a learning curve. It took me maybe a weekend to really understand how sequences work, how to set up automations, how to create forms and landing pages.

Substack is definitely simpler. You just write and hit publish. No sequences to set up, no automations to learn, no strategy to figure out.

But here’s what I realized… that simplicity is also a limitation.

The weekend I spent learning Kit has paid off THOUSANDS of times over. Because now I have a system that works for me automatically, makes money while I sleep, and gives me the flexibility to build the exact business I want.

If I’d chosen Substack for its simplicity, I’d be stuck writing newsletters and hoping people subscribe to my paid tier. I wouldn’t have the freedom to sell products, create different offers, or build out the complex business ecosystem I have now.

The learning curve was worth it. The automation is worth it. The flexibility is worth it.

When I Actually Use Kit Throughout My Week

Let me get specific about how this actually plays out in my real life.

Monday morning in Bali or wherever in the world I am (because yes, this business model gives you locationf freedom too), I check my Kit dashboard over coffee. I see how many new subscribers I got over the weekend, what my open rates were on Saturday’s diary, which links people clicked.

This takes five minutes and gives me insight into what’s resonating.

Throughout the week, subscribers are flowing through my automated sequences without me doing anything. New people are getting welcomed, nurtured, introduced to my email diaries and business.

Saturday morning, I write my weekly diary. I pour everything into this email – what happened that week, what I’m learning, struggles and wins, income updates, behind-the-scenes. I write it in Kit’s email editor, add any links I want to include, schedule it to send, done.

I’ll mention one of my products in that Saturday email. Very naturally, very soft, just “hey if you want to learn how to do this, here’s the thing that shows you.” And because I’ve been building trust and connection every week, people actually buy.

That’s it. That’s my whole email strategy. Weekly personal emails plus automated sequences working in the background.

Simple but effective and yes… profitable too.

What My Business Would Look Like on Substack

If I’d chosen Substack, my business would be completely different.

I’d be writing newsletters (which I’m doing anyway) but with no way to automatically nurture new subscribers. Everyone would just get the same emails regardless of when they joined or what they’re interested in.

I’d be asking people to pay monthly subscriptions to access my content. Which maybe could work, but it’s not the business model I wanted. I wanted to sell my own offers that people own forever, not charge ongoing subscriptions.

I’d have no way to create different experiences for different people. The person who just discovered me yesterday gets the same email as someone who’s been on my list for months.

I’d be stuck on Substack’s platform with limited control over my branding, my design, my subscriber experience. Everything would look like every other Substack newsletter with minor color tweaks.

And if I ever wanted to leave? My paid subscribers are tied to Substack’s payment system in a way that makes migration really difficult.

I’d be building my business on rented land.

Why I Sleep Better With Kit

Here’s something I don’t talk about often… the peace of mind that comes with choosing the right tools.

I know that my email list is mine. I can export it anytime, move it anywhere, use it however I want.

I know that my sequences are working even when I’m not. New subscribers are being nurtured, buyers are getting their content, everything is happening automatically while I’m sleeping or at the beach or exploring Bali.

I know that I have room to grow and experiment. When I want to try a new offer or create a new sequence or test a different approach, Kit gives me the flexibility to do that without rebuilding everything.

I know that all my business revenue flows through one system I fully control and understand. There’s something powerful about that level of ownership and clarity.

My Honest Recommendation

If you want to build a real business with email – not just write newsletters for paid subscriptions, but actually build a multi-faceted business with products and offers and automated systems – choose Kit.

If you just want to write and charge subscriptions with zero interest in automation or business building beyond that, Substack might work for you.

But for creators who want what I have – the freedom to live in anywhere in the world, the soft business that makes money automatically, the intimate connection with thousands of women who trust you – Kit is what makes that possible.

It’s the tool that let me quit my hotel job. The tool that helped me triple my income. The tool that powers every Saturday diary and every sale and every automated sequence that builds my business while I live my life.

The learning curve is worth it. I promise.

Ready to start your own dream email list the way I did?

Her Soft Digital Empire Playbook shows you exactly how to start your own diary style email list, create your first profitable digital offer and turn your emails into consistent online income in 90 days or less.

→ Get the Playbook here