In conversations like these, we are reminded that true dialogue is not mere exchange—it is a bridge between worlds, a weaving of perspectives into something newly alive. When we listen with depth and speak with presence, we become midwives to ideas that may nourish futures yet unseen. This spotlight feels less like illumination for its own sake, and more like the lighting of a sacred lantern in the long corridors of discovery.
As voices converge with curiosity and care, new constellations of understanding begin to form—both humbling and emboldening. How might we become better stewards of the dialogues that shape the landscapes of tomorrow? ♾️
She had ten years experience working fulltime as a digital marketer. That gave her a huge head start. She could write, "See Spot Run" and get subscribers ... LOL.
Thanks for the comments, Tom, but I couldn't quite grasp your feedback, especially after seeing the LOL remark. I'd be happy to respond better if you could please elaborate on what you mean precisely.
It was just a joke. What I meant was that the content itself had no inherent or lasting value. It was only to help others promote themselves. I myself have never wrote with the intention of marketing; it was always about the subject matter. Probably why I haven't had many sales.
Dr Yildiz I absolutely love your posts and read them all the time. I started following and reading you when I came to Medium and through your posts I discovered other greats on here like Ms. Sinem and Ms. Yana. Ms. Yana is a true gem here and she is my mentor and I consider her a good friend along with you as well. I hope that is ok to say. At any rate you both are great at what you all do and are very inspirational to me. I wish you both many many blessings. Love you both tons friends. Hope I'm not offending. Blessings. :) :)
Dr. Yildiz, Yana, this was a fantastic conversation to read!
Yana, your journey is proof that success isn’t just about talent but about mindset and execution. The way you’ve taken your experience in tech and applied it to writing with such precision and strategy is inspiring. You don’t just write, you build, you test, you optimize.
And Dr. Yildiz, your questions brought out so much depth, especially around well-being and the balance between ambition and sustainability. It’s refreshing to see a conversation that goes beyond tactics and dives into the mindset that actually makes things work. Great exchange!
Thank you, Sara! To me this is all bout mindset, and also mindfulness and well-being. We have to take care of ourselves first, otherwise success is not there. Thank you so much for reading!
I completely agree Yana! Mindset, mindfulness, and well-being are the foundation of true success. When we prioritize our health—both mental and physical—everything else falls into place. It was a pleasure reading 😊
Interview a true, dyed-in-the-wool "typical writer", as she calls it, a true believer in the craft who always just wanted to be a writer, and not some domain specialist who also writes, and let's see if there are any similar overnight success stories.
Congratulations on your deserved success. All I meant was for the interviewer not to present it as a writer's success but a highly specific kind of writer's. The kind whose writing has little to do with creative writing, which is still my understanding of writing in its purest form. I don’t mean it in any elitist sense: poor struggling poets and playwrights and novelists have no power, voice or influence anymore. And it has little to do with them and much more with how we define success, how well we present ourselves, whose wheels we grease, and any amount of stuff that is anathema to poets and philosophers (who still, now more than ever, have much to say to bring us back from the brink). To equate what content generators do with the disappearing craft of creative writing is to dilute their contribution when they need help the most. What we need are new forms of monetisation and distribution and support that are democratic or at least unfailingly reward merit, and not (just) hustle or marketing. I apologise if my take offends. I have respect for what you've achieved and couldn't do it myself without dumb luck. Or at all, ever. Because I wouldnt want to. I am not interested in productising my art form. I, and others like me, need misleading assurances like a hole in the head.
I got it the first time, no offence taken. I've had many conversations like this in the past. I believe, as you said, it's not "just" marketing. I'm a product developer at heart, so that's what I do with my writing. I productise and sell.
Creative writing is a different story and it also has its own realm of what can be defined as "success".
The problem? The model where a writer writes and a publisher sells is gone. If you want to make money, you have to sell. That's where marketing comes. So it's really up to you whether you want to have it as a hobby or as a business. I'm looking at it as a business and I'm helping others (some like you) to earn something out of their writing.
This interview is full of valuable insights. Yana is a smart person and also focus on holistic health. No wonder she is so successful. Thanks for introducing her. It was a delightful read for me.
I loved this interview showing that anyone putting effort can be recognized on Substack. Thanks Dr Yildiz for introducing us another high achiever. I liked Yana's approach to writing as a business very much.
Thank you, Aiden! It is a business to me. I think you can truly grow it once you approach it as such and then run it as such. I love your work in ILLUMINATION community, thank you for all the efforts, help and support!
Hi there Mike when you get your Substack up please let me know. I do suffer from some of these conditions including Anxiety Stress Disorder, ADHD which has taken me off focus I believe with my writing and my job. Thank god I have a really good Nurse Practioner who is helping me tons but I could always use more support. I wish you much luck and happiness s on here my friend. Blessings. :) :)
In conversations like these, we are reminded that true dialogue is not mere exchange—it is a bridge between worlds, a weaving of perspectives into something newly alive. When we listen with depth and speak with presence, we become midwives to ideas that may nourish futures yet unseen. This spotlight feels less like illumination for its own sake, and more like the lighting of a sacred lantern in the long corridors of discovery.
As voices converge with curiosity and care, new constellations of understanding begin to form—both humbling and emboldening. How might we become better stewards of the dialogues that shape the landscapes of tomorrow? ♾️
She had ten years experience working fulltime as a digital marketer. That gave her a huge head start. She could write, "See Spot Run" and get subscribers ... LOL.
Thanks for the comments, Tom, but I couldn't quite grasp your feedback, especially after seeing the LOL remark. I'd be happy to respond better if you could please elaborate on what you mean precisely.
It was just a joke. What I meant was that the content itself had no inherent or lasting value. It was only to help others promote themselves. I myself have never wrote with the intention of marketing; it was always about the subject matter. Probably why I haven't had many sales.
Dr Yildiz I absolutely love your posts and read them all the time. I started following and reading you when I came to Medium and through your posts I discovered other greats on here like Ms. Sinem and Ms. Yana. Ms. Yana is a true gem here and she is my mentor and I consider her a good friend along with you as well. I hope that is ok to say. At any rate you both are great at what you all do and are very inspirational to me. I wish you both many many blessings. Love you both tons friends. Hope I'm not offending. Blessings. :) :)
Thank you so much for the kind words, Bill! Means a lot!
Yana rocks! 🧡
Hugs :))
Dr. Yildiz, Yana, this was a fantastic conversation to read!
Yana, your journey is proof that success isn’t just about talent but about mindset and execution. The way you’ve taken your experience in tech and applied it to writing with such precision and strategy is inspiring. You don’t just write, you build, you test, you optimize.
And Dr. Yildiz, your questions brought out so much depth, especially around well-being and the balance between ambition and sustainability. It’s refreshing to see a conversation that goes beyond tactics and dives into the mindset that actually makes things work. Great exchange!
Thank you, Sara! To me this is all bout mindset, and also mindfulness and well-being. We have to take care of ourselves first, otherwise success is not there. Thank you so much for reading!
I completely agree Yana! Mindset, mindfulness, and well-being are the foundation of true success. When we prioritize our health—both mental and physical—everything else falls into place. It was a pleasure reading 😊
So true: „writing is a business and when you treat it like that you win“. Insigthtful interview of two admired writing experts!
Thank you so much, Gunnar!
Interview a true, dyed-in-the-wool "typical writer", as she calls it, a true believer in the craft who always just wanted to be a writer, and not some domain specialist who also writes, and let's see if there are any similar overnight success stories.
Thank you, Ben!
Congratulations on your deserved success. All I meant was for the interviewer not to present it as a writer's success but a highly specific kind of writer's. The kind whose writing has little to do with creative writing, which is still my understanding of writing in its purest form. I don’t mean it in any elitist sense: poor struggling poets and playwrights and novelists have no power, voice or influence anymore. And it has little to do with them and much more with how we define success, how well we present ourselves, whose wheels we grease, and any amount of stuff that is anathema to poets and philosophers (who still, now more than ever, have much to say to bring us back from the brink). To equate what content generators do with the disappearing craft of creative writing is to dilute their contribution when they need help the most. What we need are new forms of monetisation and distribution and support that are democratic or at least unfailingly reward merit, and not (just) hustle or marketing. I apologise if my take offends. I have respect for what you've achieved and couldn't do it myself without dumb luck. Or at all, ever. Because I wouldnt want to. I am not interested in productising my art form. I, and others like me, need misleading assurances like a hole in the head.
I got it the first time, no offence taken. I've had many conversations like this in the past. I believe, as you said, it's not "just" marketing. I'm a product developer at heart, so that's what I do with my writing. I productise and sell.
Creative writing is a different story and it also has its own realm of what can be defined as "success".
The problem? The model where a writer writes and a publisher sells is gone. If you want to make money, you have to sell. That's where marketing comes. So it's really up to you whether you want to have it as a hobby or as a business. I'm looking at it as a business and I'm helping others (some like you) to earn something out of their writing.
I think the platform economy itself needs dismantling, but then I am just a contrarian writer. Thanks for the open-minded response. Power to you!
Same to you! I love to connect with people who are challenging the status quo :)
Do you work with creative writers?
This interview is full of valuable insights. Yana is a smart person and also focus on holistic health. No wonder she is so successful. Thanks for introducing her. It was a delightful read for me.
Thank you so much, Dr. Albert!
I loved this interview showing that anyone putting effort can be recognized on Substack. Thanks Dr Yildiz for introducing us another high achiever. I liked Yana's approach to writing as a business very much.
Thank you, Aiden! It is a business to me. I think you can truly grow it once you approach it as such and then run it as such. I love your work in ILLUMINATION community, thank you for all the efforts, help and support!
I like what Yana said in this conversation. Thanks you for introducing her insights. I will follow her closely. She is a role model in our community.
Thank you so much, Dr. Mike! Means a lot!
Hi there Mike when you get your Substack up please let me know. I do suffer from some of these conditions including Anxiety Stress Disorder, ADHD which has taken me off focus I believe with my writing and my job. Thank god I have a really good Nurse Practioner who is helping me tons but I could always use more support. I wish you much luck and happiness s on here my friend. Blessings. :) :)
I did subscribe, friend. Thanks for the invite. Blessings to you. :)
Thank you so much, Dr. Dominic!!
Thank you, Carrie! I firmly believe this is the only way to true success