I launched my Substack this week and would love it if you subscribed! Subscribe to Lively, Lately
You may have first heard about Substack in my blog post from 2024. Substack has grown a lot since then, but a lot of people (like my sister clearly lol) still don’t know what it is. In 2026, it boasts over 35 million users and earlier this year, Newsweek published this article, “How Substack Became the Hottest Social Media Platform.”
Basically, Substack is a newsletter platform. Posts get published and sent out to email subscribers via email, but they also live all together on a user’s Substack site (publicationname.substack.com). What makes Substack special is that it’s for long-form writing. A lot of the popular Substacks are about how to get through every day life and feeling your feelings, and less about trying to show a polished version of life where everything shines. It’s a social media platform, but it feels more like an online community. Substack writers and readers are engaged and vulnerable and seeking connection. A lot of food and fashion influencers have joined Substack, posting their recipes and linking their favorite clothing finds. Really, there’s a Substack for anything.
Your Substack homepage is tailored to your interests with a social feed that is a lot like Twitter, but instead of hate and internet trolls, it’s full of wholesome content. The algorithm is excellent. I’ve found a lot of different Substacks from just scrolling through and clicking on random posts. Some of my favorite Substack publications right now are Midnight Crumbs (feeling & reflecting), Gut Feelings (health & wellness), and Ticket To Sarahdise (LA tourism), as well as my friend Trisha’s Thinking, Unfortunately (feeling & reflecting).
I also like how Substack hasn’t become too corporate. Writers can post links, but there are no other ads that brands can buy to disrupt your reading. I hope it stays that way, but as someone who works in the advertising industry, I know it won’t. Brands will weasel their way on there as they try to buy attention.
I’ve been considering making content for Substack for two years, but I didn’t know what I wanted to write. The marketer in me knows I can’t just re-publish everything that’s on my blog onto Substack. After doing some brainstorming and consulting ChatGPT, I figured it out.
So, what is the difference between Lively By Laura and Lively, Lately?
Lively By Laura will be the home of my in-depth guides and travel itineraries. Upcoming posts include: a week in Honolulu, a summer weekend in Big Bear, the best cafes to get work done in LA, my Ladder review. Lively, Lately will be an extension of the blog and the new home of the more random posts that I’ve been publishing on here that just never felt quite right: mixed bags, journaling, and R.E.P.O.R.T.S. My Substack posts will be more casual, less researched, more frequent life updates. You can read my first Substack post here: Got Lei’d, re-discovering Keke Palmer, a short before 30 bucket list
Hope that clears everything up! Thanks in advance for your time! I hope you enjoy Lively, Lately and find other publications that feed your brain and make you feel seen and understood.
