How to Start From Scratch With Zero Audience (And Stay Off Social Media)
This question came in from one of our community members recently, and I loved it so much I wanted to answer it here in full.
"Hey, I have no idea where to start - I've had two businesses in the past which I have shut down because they were not aligned and now I'm kinda stuck because I am starting from scratch with 0 audience. Ideally, I want to stay off social media (because it doesn't do me much good), but I would love to start growing my email list and I'm not sure on how to approach it all in 2026, because the landscape changes too quickly! Thank you soo much!" - Homaira
Starting over takes courage
First, I just want to say — the fact that you walked away from things that weren't right for you says a lot about how well you know yourself.
Before building anything new, take some time to look back at what those businesses were trying to teach you. Not to judge yourself, but to get curious. What did you love? What drained you? What would you do differently? The lessons you gather there become the foundation for everything you build next. If we don’t take the time to really reflect on the lessons, we are end up repeating the pattern over and over until we learn the lesson.
Alignment is about facing what you may be avoiding
Growing an aligned business means getting outside of your comfort zone in ways that bring you closer to your most authentic self. It doesn't mean avoiding the hard parts — it means finding your own way of doing the things that your business needs you to do in order for it to grow. The marketing, the email list, the showing up — those things still need to happen. But they can happen on your terms.
Choose platforms that work while you rest
For me, that looks like search platforms instead of social media. Pinterest, YouTube, my podcast. Things I create once that keep working long after I've moved on. A pin can drive traffic two years from now. A podcast episode lives forever. When you go on YouTube, you'll see videos that are anywhere from 10 minutes old to 10 YEARS old!
Start with a blog
If I were starting from scratch, here's what I'd do — and it's what I did in the beginning and what I still do now: start a blog on my own website.
A blog is a wonderful way to start feeling safe sharing your thoughts, opinions, and inner voice. Don’t write for the purpose of “What do people want to hear?” No, no, no. Write for the purpose of “What does my innermost self want to say?” It’s only from that place that you can attract people to WHO you are as a PERSON. That’s the approach that changes everything and gives you the breathing room to grow a business and a community that is ALWAYS aligned.
Put newsletter sign-up forms everywhere. If you don't have anything for people to buy, add a link to book a call with you at the end of every blog post (to learn why I recommend this, check out my podcast here). Your knowledge and experience are already worth something right now.
Then add a podcast
Once the blog feels natural, add a podcast. By then you already know what you want to say — because the blog taught you. You just press record.
Podcasting has simplified and supercharged my content marketing more than anything else. Here’s how I do it: I have a thought I want to express, I sit down, record it, and press publish. No script or editing required. The whole process takes minutes.
From there, that one episode turns into a blog post, a Pinterest pin, a YouTube video, and something to share in my newsletter. It's the heart of my marketing — because it's me.
One idea, expressed honestly, becomes a blog post, a podcast, a YouTube video, an email, and an offer. Week after week. Quietly building something that is entirely and permanently yours.
The power of your voice
There's something really powerful that happens when you allow people to tune into your voice. And most women aren't using this power, often because we have a lot of healing to do around it. We've been taught in so many ways to make ourselves smaller, to second-guess what we have to say. But your voice is one of the most magnetic things about you.
For all of my guidance on podcasting, check out Piece of Cake Podcast inside of Say Yes to Desire.
Always tell people the next step
At the end of every single piece of content — every blog post, every podcast episode, every YouTube video — tell people what to do next. It doesn't have to be a hard sell. It can simply be an invitation: "If this resonated, then you might be interested in [insert product or service here]" Simple. Warm. No pressure.
But don't skip this part. People are looking for guidance, and when you leave them with nothing, they just drift away. When you give them a next step — even a small one — you're deepening the relationship. You're saying: there's more where that came from, and I'd love to keep going with you.
At the very least, make sure you are inviting people to join your newsletter.
Don't focus on showing up for an audience. Show up for you and the rest will follow.
The whole system only works if it's genuinely yours — if you're writing about things you actually care about, recording episodes that light you up, creating content that you'd want to exist in the world even if nobody was watching yet. Because before anyone else can see you, YOU need to SEE YOU. Every time you share your thoughts, opinions, voice, reflections, that’s you seeing you. That’s you tuning into your inner child and saying “I got your back. You can speak. It’s safe now.”
That's what makes it sustainable. And that's what makes it magnetic. Because deep down, that kind of self-acceptance and permission is what everyone desires. We love being around people who have given that permission to themselves.
Closing Thoughts
This approach might feel slower at first — you're not chasing an algorithm or jumping on trends. But the slower way is the faster way. Because you're taking the time to build something that is genuinely true to you, and that's what actually lasts.
Think of it like a health journey. You can go on a crash diet, lose weight fast, and gain it all back — plus the mental and emotional toll that comes with it. Or you can take the slower road: really learning how to take care of yourself, building sustainable habits, honoring your body, and letting health and fitness be the natural byproduct.
Your business is the same. The quick plays might work for a season, but they'll cost you. The sustainable path — the one built around your voice, your values, and your natural rhythms — is the one you can actually stay on.
