Live now
Start Here
How the Academy works, the long-term goal you’re building toward, and the money mindset that keeps you going when growth is slow.
The Academy from 9-To-Thrive
Learn to grow and earn
on Substack.
The Academy is the Substack learning hub from 9-To-Thrive, created by Substack Bestseller Carrie Loranger. It brings together every course, workshop and system I used to grow from zero to 12,600+ subscribers in 20 months, organized into 11 step-by-step modules: from setting up a Substack that converts, to growing with Notes, to building and launching an offer. The Academy is included with a paid 9-To-Thrive subscription, and new modules open regularly.
$300 a year with a paid 9-To-Thrive subscription. Enter your email on the next screen, then choose the paid plan.
These are my results, not typical ones. Most people grow more slowly.
By Carrie Loranger · Last updated
11 modulesStep by step
8 live nowMore opening regularly
$300 a yearPaid subscription
$600 a yearVIP
Sound familiar?
So many questions.
Answers that contradict.
You started a Substack because you have something worth reading, and maybe something worth buying. Then the questions piled up. What goes on the homepage? How many Notes a day? When do you turn on paid, and what do you sell after that?
Every answer online contradicts the last one, so you tweak a little of everything and wait. The subscriber count barely moves, and you start wondering if you picked the wrong platform.
Substack rewards the order you do things in. A homepage that doesn’t convert wastes every Note that sends someone to it. A paid tier with no plan behind it gets a few kind upgrades and then goes quiet. When the pieces go in the right order, each one makes the next one work harder.
What’s inside
Eleven modules.
In the order that works.
Go in order, or jump straight to what you need this week. New modules open regularly.
Live now
Positioning
Name the reader you’re writing for, choose your niche, map your content pillars, and write the description that makes a stranger hit subscribe.
Live now
Set Up to Convert
Your homepage, About page, Start Here post, welcome email, sections and subscribe buttons, set up so visitors turn into subscribers.
Live now
Grow with Notes
Start with Lesson 22 to get found by new readers, then go deeper in the Notes Secrets Course, the formats behind my highest-converting Notes, including some that brought in more than 600 subscribers.
These are my results, not typical ones. Most people grow more slowly.
Live now
Grow Beyond Notes
Recommendation swaps, promoting yourself without cringing, Chat and Lives, getting found in Google and AI search, and growth from outside Substack.
Live now
Welcome and Nurture
Your welcome sequence, segments and automations, plus how to know which email to send and when.
Live now
Build Your Offer
Map where your money comes from, find the buyer types in your audience, gather your social proof, choose your paywall model, and build and price an offer people want.
Live now
Sell It
Plan the content mix that sells, handle objections, write your sales page and sales emails, and turn on paid subscriptions when you’re ready.
Coming soon
Add Income Streams
Sponsorships, affiliates and Build Your First Digital Product: my method for picking a product your readers will buy and building it in a single day.
Coming soon
Launch
Plan the launch, write the emails, get through launch day, and leave with a 90-day plan.
Coming soon
AI, Agents & Vibe Coding Accelerator (VIP)
Build AI assistants, agents and simple tools that run parts of your publication for you.
Paid or VIP
Two ways
to join.
The Academy is included with a paid subscription. VIP adds a 60-minute 1:1 call with me and Academy LIVE group coaching. Cancel anytime.
Paid · $300 a year
The self-paced path.
- All live Academy modules, and new modules as they open
- My bestselling digital products free on the member perks page
- A free month of WriteStack
- Every monthly challenge
Enter your email on the next screen, then choose the paid plan.
VIP · $600 a year
For people who want me in their corner.
- Everything in paid
- A 60-minute 1:1 strategy call with me
- Academy LIVE group coaching: four cohorts a year, each with one live call a week for six weeks
- The AI, Agents & Vibe Coding Accelerator (coming soon)
- The Substack Audit plugin
- My Prompt & Skill Library of ready-to-install Claude skills and AI prompts
- A discount on 1:1 coaching
Enter your email on the next screen, then choose VIP.
All sales are final. No refunds. Results aren’t typical and aren’t guaranteed; yours depend on your effort, niche, audience and market. Refund policy · Earnings disclaimer
Who The Academy is for
A clear path
to grow and earn.
Writers, coaches, consultants and creators who want a clear, step-by-step path to grow and earn on Substack.
You don’t need a Substack yet. The free Jumpstart and the Set Up to Convert module walk you through setting one up the right way.
If you mostly want to write for fun, the free 12-Day Substack Jumpstart may be all you need.
In their words
What members
say.
“Carrie’s newsletter is one of the few that actually shows the real numbers and systems behind it. It feels more like learning from a smart friend who’s a few steps ahead than from another online business guru.”
“Hands down, one of the best trainers on Substack today!”
“Carrie is extremely knowledgeable about what she does, and generous in sharing it. Her advice and support definitely helped me to achieve the bestseller status on Substack. She is one of the few creators and writers I know who genuinely lives by her own words.”
“You helped me! I learned so much […] including the benefits of regular Notes. On September 1, I had 62 free subscribers and 174 followers. Today I have 184 subscribers and 654 followers.”
“Carrie’s knowledge is super-helpful BUT it was the implementation, the strategies, and examples that made it actionable. I highly recommend her for expertise, great teaching methods and accessibility.”
“Carrie is extremely knowledgeable and shares her wisdom in short and easily manageable lessons. I was grateful for her support throughout, and would recommend the program to anyone who wants a better understanding of how to grow your publication, regardless of your niche and overall goal.”
“this has been a blast!! such a fun 21 days! From 180 to 279!! Thank you Carrie for hosting this!”
Some of these writers and I recommend each other on Substack. Testimonials reflect individual experiences and aren’t a guarantee you’ll get the same results. Earnings disclaimer
Start free
Not ready
for paid yet?
These are free for every subscriber.
The 12-Day Substack Jumpstart
Twelve lessons you can work through at your own pace, from deciding what you’re building to your first 30-day plan.
The Zero to Bestseller Blueprint
How I would rebuild my publication from zero if I lost it tomorrow.
The Substack Notes Crash Course
How many Notes to post, how a strong Note is built, and the formats that bring in subscribers.
Who is The Academy for?
Writers, coaches, consultants and creators who want a clear, step-by-step path to grow and earn on Substack. If you mostly want to write for fun, the free 12-Day Substack Jumpstart may be all you need.
What’s the difference between paid and VIP?
Paid is the self-paced path. You get all live Academy modules and new modules as they open, my bestselling digital products free on the member perks page, a free month of WriteStack and every monthly challenge.
VIP is for people who want me in their corner. It includes everything in paid, plus a 60-minute 1:1 strategy call with me, Academy LIVE group coaching (four cohorts a year, each with one live call a week for six weeks), the AI, Agents & Vibe Coding Accelerator (coming soon), the Substack Audit plugin, my Prompt & Skill Library of ready-to-install Claude skills and AI prompts, and a discount on 1:1 coaching.
Paid is $300 a year. VIP is $600 a year.
Do I need a Substack already?
No. The free Jumpstart and the Set Up to Convert module walk you through setting one up the right way.
How often do new modules open?
Modules open one at a time. Members get an email from me whenever a new module, tutorial or challenge goes live.
Can I start for free?
Yes. Start with the 12-Day Substack Jumpstart, the Zero to Bestseller Blueprint and the Substack Notes Crash Course. Monthly challenges are a paid member perk.
Included with every paid subscription
Join The Academy
from 9-To-Thrive.
The Academy is included with a paid subscription: $300 a year. VIP is $600 a year and adds a 60-minute 1:1 call with me and Academy LIVE group coaching. Cancel anytime.
Disclaimer. My results aren’t typical. Yours may vary depending on many factors, including the effort you put in, your niche, your experience, the time you have, your market, your audience and many other variables. The Academy teaches strategies and systems; it does not guarantee subscribers, income or any specific result. Earnings disclaimer