236: $1M Experiment I’m Running in Public
The Unfiltered Journey to $1M: Why I’m Building in Public on Substack
Most people wait until they’ve reached the finish line to share their story—but what if you got to watch the whole messy, brilliant, in-progress journey instead?
In this episode of the Creator’s MBA podcast, I’m pulling back the curtain on a live experiment I’ve launched: the $1 Million HobbyScool Experiment.
My goal? To scale HobbyScool into a million-dollar brand I can eventually sell—and I’m documenting every step of the way in real-time on Substack.
No filters. No polished case studies. Just the actual strategies, decisions, and pivots I'm making as I build.
I also share why I chose Substack as the home for this experiment, and how it’s become more than just a publishing platform. It’s my behind-the-scenes lab, diary, and accountability partner all in one.
If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to grow something big and bold in real time, this episode is for you.
What You’ll Learn:
Why I’m choosing to build HobbyScool publicly toward a $1M exit
What makes Substack the perfect platform for this kind of live case study
The difference between my free and paid Substack newsletter content
How this experiment connects with everything I teach in Creator’s MBA
The raw, unpolished truth about testing new strategies and failing forward
Why seeing the “messy middle” can be more powerful than any polished success story
How this journey could help you apply the same growth strategies to your business
This isn’t about waiting until it’s perfect. It’s about showing up, building boldly, and learning out loud. I’d love for you to join me inside the $1 Million HobbyScool Experiment over on Substack.
The links to both the free and paid versions are in the show notes. Let’s grow something big...together.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to my Substack for free here to follow along.
And if you want the full unfiltered story — including the financials — join the paid version right here.
The Unfiltered Journey to $1M: Why I’m Building in Public on Substack
Most people wait until their story has a polished ending before they share it. I’m doing the opposite. I’m inviting you to watch—in real time—as I attempt to scale HobbyScool into a million-dollar business I can eventually sell. This isn’t a theoretical case study or a step-by-step guide. It’s a living, breathing experiment that I’m documenting publicly. The failures, pivots, messy middles and all on Substack.
Why? Because I believe in the power of building in public. I believe creators deserve to see what real business growth looks like, not just the highlight reels. So today, I want to take you behind the scenes of the why, the how, and what this could mean for you too.
Why I’m Building HobbyScool to $1M (and Sharing the Journey)
HobbyScool is my digital brand focused on helping people turn their hobbies into life-changing experiences. It’s a mix of online learning events, a membership community, and digital products created for the creatively curious.
I’ve had a big vision for HobbyScool for a while now—but I knew I needed something bold to challenge myself and truly test the rinse-and-repeat strategies I teach in Creator’s MBA. So, I planted a stake in the ground: scale HobbyScool into a $1M brand I could sell. And I decided not to wait until I “figured it all out” to start sharing. I wanted you to see it as it unfolds.
This isn’t just a passion project. It’s a real-time lab, a diary, and a living case study that aligns perfectly with what I teach—building digital product businesses with systems, strategy, and sustainability.
Why I Chose Substack as My Experimental Playground
You might be wondering, “Destini, why Substack?” I’ll admit—I was curious too. I started digging into how other creators were using it, especially as more of my Newsletter Profit Club members started asking about it.
What I discovered was more than just a newsletter platform. Substack blends elements of social media with direct email delivery. There’s built-in discovery, which means new readers can find your work without having to constantly play the social algorithm game.
It’s simple, but powerful. And when I looked at what I needed for this experiment—a way to document everything transparently, deliver both free and paid content, and stay connected to my audience—Substack checked all the boxes.
Now it’s more than just a newsletter. It’s the home base for the $1M HobbyScool experiment.
What I’m Sharing Inside the Substack
Every week, I’ll be updating the Substack with new insights, real-time strategies, and honest updates on what’s working—and what’s not. Here’s what you can expect:
Behind-the-scenes decisions I’m making in HobbyScool
Growth strategies I’m testing (some I’ve never tried before!)
What’s flopping, what’s sticking, and why I’m pivoting
Tactical breakdowns of tools, funnels, and offers I’m building
Lessons I’m learning—and how they apply to your own business
The free version of the newsletter will give you a solid overview. But the paid version? That’s where the raw, real-time gold lives. It’s like getting a seat inside the war room as I scale this brand from the ground up.
What This Means for You as a Creator
If you’ve ever felt like you’re the only one in the messy middle… you’re not.
One of the biggest disservices in our industry is how we only spotlight the wins. But the truth is, growth is often uncomfortable, uncertain, and full of pivots. That’s exactly why I’m sharing it this way—so you can see how rinse-and-repeat systems actually evolve in the real world.
Whether you're scaling your own digital product business, building a newsletter, or testing out AI tools, my goal is to bring you the clarity and confidence to move forward—even if it’s messy.
You’ll see how this experiment ties back to what I teach inside the Creator’s MBA Podcast, my Newsletter Profit Club, and the Creator’s MBA Lab. Nothing is being replaced. Substack is simply where the raw experiments happen, and I’ll be feeding those insights back into everything else I do.
Want to Watch the Experiment Unfold?
If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall of a real, growing online business—this is your chance. I’m not waiting for perfection. I’m inviting you into the process.
Join me inside the $1M HobbyScool Experiment on Substack.
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Creator's MBA podcast, your go-to resource for mastering the art and science of digital product entrepreneurship. My name is Dr. Destini Copp, and I help business owners generate consistent revenue from their digital product business without being glued to their desk—constantly live, launching, or worrying about the social media algorithms.
[00:00:28] Hi there, Destini here. Welcome back to the Creator's MBA podcast. This podcast is all about helping digital product creators, coaches, and service providers scale their business using rinse-and-repeat systems, AI, and strategies that create predictable, consistent revenue.
[00:00:46] Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on something a little different. This isn’t a framework or a polished case study. What I’m sharing is a live experiment I’m calling the $1M HobbyScool Experiment—a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to scale HobbyScool into a million-dollar brand I can sell.
[00:01:08] And instead of waiting to share the story once it’s all done, I’m inviting you to come along for the journey in real time. The main hub for this experiment is my paid Substack newsletter.
[00:01:22] So, why Substack? Over the past year, I’ve been paying close attention to how creators are using the platform, especially after getting a lot of questions from members inside my Newsletter Profit Club. The more I explored, the more I realized that Substack felt different. It’s part social media, part newsletter, with built-in discovery so new readers can find you—without battling Instagram or TikTok algorithms.
[00:01:53] At first, I was just curious and wanted to test it out and report back to my members. But the more I sat with it and started experimenting, the more it became clear: Substack is the perfect place to run this $1M HobbyScool experiment.
[00:02:13] So really, I'm running two experiments here: testing Substack as a platform and scaling HobbyScool to $1M using the paid newsletter format.
[00:02:26] Let me tell you a little more about what HobbyScool actually is. It’s a brand designed to help people turn their creative passions—like their hobbies—into life-changing journeys. We offer online summits, events, a membership, and a collection of digital products specifically for the creative community.
[00:02:50] I’ve had this bigger vision in mind for a while now: to grow HobbyScool into a million-dollar business I can eventually sell. I wanted a goal big enough to stretch me, with a clear number and a clear path forward. It’s about creating something with real impact and reach.
[00:03:11] Instead of hiding the journey and only sharing the shiny win at the end, I wanted to document it in real time. That’s what this $1M HobbyScool experiment is all about. It’s part growth lab, part behind-the-scenes diary, part transparency project—and yes, it also keeps me accountable.
[00:03:36] When you grow something in public, you’re forced to keep going, to make the big decisions. That’s exactly what I wanted for myself.
[00:03:46] So here’s what to expect inside the Substack newsletter. Each week, I’ll be sharing:
The strategies we’re testing to grow HobbyScool
What’s working and what’s flopping
Where I’m doubling down and where I’m pivoting
The unfiltered behind-the-scenes details
[00:04:08] This is not a polished version. There won’t be a step-by-step framework or a final playbook. It’s raw, messy, and in-progress—because that’s what business growth actually looks like.
[00:04:25] When all you see are highlight reels, it can be discouraging. But when you see the experiments, the mistakes, the pivots—you start to understand that’s the real path to growth.
[00:04:40] I want you to feel like an insider, like you’re part of the founding circle watching HobbyScool scale in real time. And I want to bring you the lessons I’m learning so you can apply them to your own business.
[00:04:54] Now, let’s talk about what this means for you as a Creator’s MBA podcast listener. If you’re not already on my Creator’s MBA newsletter, definitely subscribe. I share tons of valuable resources and behind-the-scenes insights every week.
[00:05:10] But if you subscribe to the paid Substack, you’ll get access to a living case study—seeing the play-by-play of how I apply the same growth systems and AI tools I teach in Creator’s MBA.
[00:05:26] On the podcast, I’ll help connect the dots and zoom out to share the bigger picture insights. Inside my memberships like the Newsletter Profit Club and Creator’s MBA Lab, I’ll bring you tactical takeaways on how these experiments translate into real monetization strategies.
[00:05:47] So no, the Substack doesn’t replace anything. It’s simply the secret lab where the real-time experimentation happens—and those lessons feed back into everything else I teach.
[00:06:00] Here’s my invitation: if you’ve ever wanted to see a business scale in real time, to watch the pivots, the “what were we thinking” moments, and the big wins—this is your chance.
[00:06:14] Join me inside the $1M HobbyScool Experiment on Substack. You’ll find links to both the free and paid versions in the show notes.
[00:06:23] Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Creator’s MBA podcast. If you love the show, I’d appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Have a great rest of your day, and bye for now.