Substack has become home to some of the industry's most closely watched voices — a defining platform where writers are building loyal audiences, shaping culture, and offering brands new ways to reach engaged readers directly. We hosted a conversation on the rise of Substack and what it means for marketing, PR, and talent representation, featuring Noora Raj Brown, former EVP of Brand at goop and author of Objects of Desire; Natasha Silva-Jelly, former magazine editor and contributor to Forbes, CNN, and The Guardian, and author of The New Front Row; and Jordan Rose, luxury travel designer and author of Atelier Le Monde. They discussed what's driving the shift to independent media, how these relationships are evolving, and where the opportunities are for marketing and PR professionals right now.

The takeaways: 

• Trust is shifting from institutions to individuals, as readers gravitate toward writers whose perspective and personality they can actually get to know..
• Niche beats scale on Substack; the platform rewards writers who aren't trying to please everyone and instead build a smaller, deeply engaged audience around a distinct point of view.
• Authenticity and expertise-backed perspective are what separate a Substack from an influencer feed — readers want to know the writer has real experience or authority behind what they're saying.
• The advice for anyone starting a Substack is consistent: just begin, and expect to find your niche through trial and error rather than a perfect plan.
• Recurring content series (interviews, city guides, trip dispatches) build reader loyalty and give an audience something familiar to return to.
• Monetization is typically a slow burn; most panelists recommended keeping content largely free early on to build trust before introducing paid subscriptions.
• Where a paywall sits matters strategically — placing it further into an article builds reader investment before asking for conversion, rather than gating too early.
• Brand partnerships work best when brands give writers creative latitude instead of rigid briefs, letting the writer translate the brand story in their own voice.
• Disingenuous brand deals are quickly detected and costly — audiences notice, and trust erodes fast when a partnership feels misaligned.
• Rather than spreading across every platform, panelists advised choosing the channel that matches a writer's natural strengths, then cross-pollinating content from there.
• Substack audiences behave differently than social audiences — they take time to read, comment, and act on recommendations, making the platform feel more actionable.
• For PR professionals, personalized, thoughtful pitches sent directly via email outperform generic outreach.
• Overall, Substack represents an early but lasting shift — one where independent, expert-backed storytelling is becoming a legitimate long-term media and business model.