how to start creating content
and what I've learned over the past 16 years
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Last month, I spoke at The Gathering—a private summit hosted by The Riveter and AARP—about my 16-year journey creating content online. It was a full-circle moment.
The venue? MM.LaFleur’s DC showroom. MM.LaFleur is the first brand I ever collaborated with as a creator, and the first company I angel invested in.
The moderator? Amy Nelson, a dear friend who helped launch my speaking career 7 years ago, at the inaugural Riveter Summit.
The audience? It was full of leading podcasters and newsletter writers and dear friends. But the person I wanted to impress the most was my father (who was tagging along on this leg before a Rhoshan Pharma trip).
The most special part of it all was having my father there. We built my pharma career together, so having him there to see this other side of my professional life (writing, speaking, building this small business) meant a lot to me.
It was full-circle moment that made me realize a few things:
I wouldn’t have my content career without my pharmaceutical one.
I wouldn’t be the CEO I am today without having created content.
And I certainly wouldn’t be a multi-hyphenate without both.
After the talk, person after person came up to me asking the same thing: “How do I start?”
I don’t think we can afford to not be a multi-hyphenate. The way we’re working is choosing to fail the needs of the workforce. Many of us are building portfolio careers for flexibility, multiple income streams, and the ability to prioritize our non-professional roles with the same ambition we bring to our work.
A personal brand is the foundation of a portfolio career. Creating content is the most impactful way to build that brand (once you’ve done this, and this).
This is your sign to start creating content, and this post is the playbook.
Start with 1.
Is there something you want to see on social media, and keep scrolling to find it? Does it match your brand’s words (at least one of them)? Is there a form of that content that you can pull together daily, even on your worst days?
That’s what you’re going to start. Start 1 content series on one platform. Commit to doing it every (week)day, for 30 days.
This approach has worked multiple times for me. A simple graphic helped one of my first packing posts go viral on Pinterest (and quickly shifted my blog’s focus to travel and packing). #5SmartReads started on Instagram Stories (when the ‘swipe up’ feature was fairly new), and quickly expanded to Substack (months after it launched).
For these two successes, there are plenty of failures to launch or pivot. These are the usual reasons why:
Wrong format. Each platform has their content type they’re prioritizing. On Instagram, it’s still Reels (and Reels created or edited in Edits). On Substack, it’s live video. You’ll have a greater probability of success if you pick the format that the platform is prioritizing—as long as you can be consistent with it.
Inconsistency. I’d get caught up on the post needing to look and sound perfect instead of just showing up, and I’d kill my momentum in the process.
Hence the 30 day challenge. It’s approachable, and you’ll gather enough data to evaluate how you continue, adjust, or abandon. Set a new 30 day challenge, rinse, and repeat
Get engaged.
Engagement is the most underrated content strategy, despite being the easiest to do.
It’s very simple—show the love to the people showing you love, and show the love to the people you love.
Put two 10 minute blocks on your calendar (one of them should be 45 minutes after a post goes live), and use that time to respond to every comment and DM you receive, and go comment and engage with other creators’ content that resonate with you. If there’s a post that speaks to you in some way, share/repost it with a comment AND DM the creator to tell them why it spoke to you. If that content was a piece of advice, follow up with them a week or two later to share how you incorporated their advice and what the results were. DMs are the new networking, and this is how to do it authentically. This strategy also works well on LinkedIn.
Build your own base.
This advice predates every social media platform, and will probably outlive it.
Build your list.
As soon as you start publishing content, you need to start collecting email addresses, either using a email provider or Substack or even a Google Form.
You don’t own your social media content. You rent it, and you’re at the mercy of the few men who run these platforms.
Directing people to sign up for your list does not get easier—you just get better at how cringe it is. The sooner you do it, the faster you get over the awkwardness and it seamlessly becomes a part of how you create.
Substack is not an email provider. I use it as a blogging platform that allows me to collect emails, and I need to manage my list on another platform. Layla Shaikley wrote a great post on how she uses Substack and Flodesk together, and it’s something on my 2026 content plan.
Quantity over quality.
Create and publish “bad” content, as much as you possibly can. I think TikTok is the perfect platform to practice on—it’s meant to be off-the-cuff, unfiltered, and imperfect.
The more you create, the better you get. You’ll script and write faster, get more comfortable filming, and develop your visual and editing style that feels authentic to you. Get your reps in.
My current 30 day challenge + content plan
I committed to writing 1,000 words a day for the rest of the month (with a goal of writing my book proposal next year, and the book the following year). It led to an impromptu rebrand of this Substack and publishing multiple posts a week: at least two #5SmartReads, this weekend newsletter, and adding to the library of swipe files and “recipes.”
I plan on posting to IG stories 5 days a week. I try to share:
something smart (usually from #5SmartReads)
something to stay well (sharing how I’ve used the plan to take care of myself that day)
something sisterly (amplifying my friends’ content or accomplishments)
something to share (something I’ve bought and loved)
I want to get back to 3 Instagram feed posts a week. I like the 6 post cycle I currently have, and just need to create the content imperfectly instead of waiting a time to make it perfect.
For the rest of the month, I’m ignoring the metrics as much as I can. My goal is to re-establish consistency and letting go of my ego on how it should look or be edited.
I have a more detailed playbook here:
If you haven’t visited my Substack lately, there’s a lot to catch up on:
things I’m loving right now
I want to be the Christmas cookie baking kind of person, but baking is not my strong suit. These cookie mix tips are excellent, and I’m hoping to bake these cookies this weekend with the kids.
Gifts I always have on hand for hosts: the most delicious (and beautiful!) olive oil, my favorite cava, or some Daily Provisions treats they can enjoy the next morning.
Reshma Saujani’s new documentary is so necessary right now (and you can sign on as an associate producer for only $25!). It’s a timely release, especially when you juxtapose it with Jo Piazza’s insight on how we’ve hit peak tradwife right now.
Lands' End is so good right now. I have my eye on this cozy sherpa and these knit pants right now, and my puffer has kept me warm for my morning walks in the freezing temperatures.
The Olivia Nuzzi-Ryan Lizza drama, explained (and honestly, the only article you need to read to know what’s going on).
The handful of things I bought during BFCM that are still on sale: this speaker, these humidifiers (this brand has been fantastic, and their vacuum has outlasted our Dyson), and a new set of my favorite earrings. Over Thanksgiving, I influenced my cousins to buy my affordable red light mask, the foolproof makeup palette that looks good on everyone, and this $60 smart ring (I got this after my Oura broke, and only use it to track steps).
If you enjoyed this weekend’s letter, please consider:
tapping the ❤️ icon below
tapping the 💬 to ask me your content creation questions
upgrading your subscription, if budget permits
Wishing you a wonderful week.
xo,
HPN
This was the kick in the pants I needed -- thank you!
This is really helpful and indeed feels like a playbook in that I know what I need to do TODAY to start on this journey. Thank you!