Off The Grid: Leaving Social Media Without Losing All Your Clients

With the state of the world, it's easy to believe that creative work is a waste of time. But I believe our businesses, art, and lives can be powerful forces for change. Not just by default, but through simple-yet-radical practices.To help us orient toward personal power and collective freedom, I shared a free class and compiled this list of 50 ways your creative work can be a force for liberation (and fight fascism in the process).Remember: Your work matters. Your art matters. And it can change the world — if you make it. Tune in to hear this list (or read it right here). Then make your own!  ✨ Sobremesa.Institute is where learning Spanish feels fluid, lived, and shared. Join our Language & Culture Retreat in Barcelona in May, and explore the full 2026 collection here.

Welcome to season nine of Off the Grid!We're kicking this one off by talking about why I'm kinda closing my business…Or more accurately: how pruning one tree helps another grow. Tune in to hear all about:Abolishing ICE & Standing with MinnesotaWhat I did before I started Softer SoundsMy step-by-step transition from side hustle to small businessThe one strategy that brought in 6 months of $$$Why I started this podcast… and then almost quit making itThe 3 keys to Off the Grid's successHow I'm turning this tiny indie show into my full-time job in 2026 LINKS & RESOURCES:

In this episode preview, I'm joined by Miana Melendez to talk about the major astrological transits of 2026 and how they might shape our year in creative business. Miana is a Certified Astrologer, Certified Life Coach and Brand Strategist who helps ambitious leaders, divine disruptors and soul led entrepreneurs step into their next evolution of identity, leadership and vocal expression. Tune in to hear us chat about:Why presence is the word of the yearHow Neptune and Saturn in Aries might shape our visionThe powerful potential of Uranus in GeminiWhy Chiron in Taurus and Jupiter in Leo will give this year a lift& lots more! To hear the whole episode, join the Clubhouse at offthegrid.fun/clubhouse When you do, you'll get access to over 30 bonus episodes (and counting), curated tech + creative business newsletters, and more. Plus your own private podcast feed, comments threads, and behind-the-scenes updates on the show. Please join the Clubhouse to support the show! And find this specific episode here :)  ✨ Sobremesa.Institute is where learning Spanish feels fluid, lived, and shared. Join our Language & Culture Retreat in Barcelona in May, and explore the full 2026 collection here.

Join me for a deep breath, an invitation to release expectations, and an update on what's happening in the Clubhouse before Off the Grid returns on January 28th. And if you want more Off the Grid right now...  --> Join the Clubhouse ASAP! Three exclusive episode are going live in the next week:

At some point last year, I realized I was on my phone… a lot…And I was kind of working all the time….And while I was promoting my book all about attention…I wasn't doing the best job of tending to my attention myself!So in 2026, I'm reclaiming my attention, creativity, and workday. Not through grand proclamations or whole-life-overhauls. But through a few small shifts that I trust will help me reconnect with my body, recenter my mind, and reorient toward my deeper vision for Life.Tune in to this free episode preview — where I talk about why I'm:Deleting all work and distraction apps off my phone — including email!

Today we're putting the cherry on top of your 2026 marketing toolkit with a long-form episode on trends!To do that, I'm joined by growth marketing strategist Amanda Laird to chat about five things we're forecasting for the year ahead, including:New ways of building trust

You don't have to be an extrovert to host events. (I promise.)In today's episode, I'm talking to licensed therapist and intuitive copywriter Arianna Smith about the event series she's been hosting since 2023 and how in-person networking has changed her business for the better.If you're thinking about how to be less online and more IRL in 2026, this episode is for you! Tune in to learn all about:Why Arianna decided to host in-person events & how she found her first venuesDifferent approaches to RSVPs & free vs paid eventsWhy relationships are the only timeless marketing “strategy”How to tend to yourself while hosting eventsDifferent types of events to host depending on your personalityWhat to do if nobody shows up   RESOURCES + LINKS

What are we doing with email this year? And how are we adapting to all the inbox changes?In this episode, Amelia shares her top 3 rules for email marketing and newsletters in 2026.This isn't another overview of the basics. It's part-hot-take and part-informed-opinion on things like:Why welcome sequences matterReasons to let people opt-out of sales cyclesThe best way to use a waitlistAn argument for breaking up with the weekly newsletter& more!   Tune in for a free email education, then listen to these episodes for more:

Search has always driven web traffic… but what is SEO in the era of AI? And how will that impact our creative businesses in 2026?Today I'm joined by SEO expert, podcaster and romance novelist (!) Meg Casebolt, who's here to help us understand the current landscape of search and how AI is remapping the web.Tune in to learn:What's shifting in the world of SEO — including AIO, GEO, AEO & LLMEOHow these changes might just liberate us from Google…Why you never need to use keyword tools again!Tips for optimizing your digital presence in 2026 — whether you're just starting out or have a lot online alreadyHow to think about search if you're not interested in using AIWhy Meg is returning to blogging in 2026 This conversation made me stop stressing about AI and quit worrying if anyone will ever find my website again. Tune in, read Meg's blog, and enjoy!

Happy New Year & welcome to a brand new season of Off the Grid! Today we're kicking off this year-in-biz with our annual creative marketing toolkit  —  five episodes in five days to set you up for success in 2026!Press play to hear all about it, and tune in this week to learn:Our top 3 marketing strategies for 2026Need-to-know advice on SEO, AI & blogging in this era of the internetMy rules for email marketing + newsletters right nowHow to network better + host fun events (even if you're an introvert)& What trends will grab extra attention in the year ahead!You'll hear from amazing guests like Meg Casebolt, Arianna Smith, and Amanda Laird. It's basically a mini-of-the-moment-marketing-masterclass all for free on the pod feed this week! So please subscribe and share it with a friend xoRESOURCES + LINKS

Back on January 8th, Amanda Laird and I recorded an episode about the four marketing trends she was forecasting for the year ahead.Now that it's December, we're revisiting those trends to talk about what actually happened!Tune in as we recap what happened in the world of creative small business, specifically around: AI, social media, Substack, and IRL events.This is a free preview of our conversation. To hear the whole thing, join the Clubhouse at offthegrid.fun/clubhouseWhen you do, you'll get access to over 30 bonus episodes (and counting), curated tech + creative business newsletters, and more. Plus your own private podcast feed, comments threads, and behind-the-scenes updates on the show.Please join the Clubhouse to support the show! And find this specific episode here :)

This week, we end season seven of Off the Grid with an honest conversation about self-employment amidst polycrisis.I'm joined by the inimitable Shivani Mehta Bhatia — who returns to the show to help us weave our experiences of grief, witnessing, conflict, rest, deep sorrow, and profound joy.It's been a long year, and we quite literally laugh and cry as we reflect on how 2025 has clarified our commitments — including how we've (imperfectly) kept working through it all.Tune in, then if you want to process together: join me for a free end-of-year journalling session on December 9th. We'll gather, look back at 2025, and do our best to hold it all collectively.

Fifteen minutes to center us in radical generosity + energetic sovereignty before the biggest shopping + selling days of the year.Tune in for a tiny pep talk, and to hear more about the Off the Grid Small Biz Gift Guide! & If you want to shop Off the Grid deals through the weekend:

Today we visit the Off the Grid archives and Podge Thomas returns for a reflective conversation about why being self-employed invites (and requires) decolonizing how we learn, how we communicate, how we operate, and how we relate to others. Podge has recently created a FREE email course on Metacognitive Learning Design. I want you to get the course, check out her Decolonized Learning Glossary, and then tune in to the episode. Together we explore:The coercive effects of traditional education ⛓️‍

If you're tired of being tired, this episode is for you. Today I'm joined by Jordan Maney, the Radical Joy Coach™ and creator of the RestLab. Through her facilitation and coaching, she helps people who give a damn (including you, dear listener!) learn the radical practice of rest. In this conversation, we get into:Why we can't talk about rest without talking about workThe self-fulfilling prophesy of “invisible labor”How to rest when you really love what you doWhy creative work requires creative restRest equity as a guiding principleRejecting “calm supremacy”Why a sabbatical probably isn't the antidote for burnout…  Tune in then, join Jordan in RestLab 101 for support slowing down and sustaining your creative work, your community advocacy, and your rest.  RESOURCES + LINKS

Listen to this episode before you begin holiday shopping or selling!Today I'm sharing a conversation I had with Rachel Duncan for the Money Healing Club Podcast where we go deeeeeep into how social media impacts our spending habits and finances.We talk about budgets, boundaries, and screentime. Then we explore why restriction isn't necessarily the answer to addiction — and why rebellion and pleasure may be better antidotes for feeling too online.We also explore the core concepts of my book, including: what's wrong with the attention economy, the negative impacts of extractive algorithms, and my 5 principles for gardening your attention.➡

Let's get into it with phone addiction and doomscrolling.

Big launches have been all the rage this year. But I've been working very quietly behind the scenes, growing my membership with small launches to a private waitlist.How's it gone? Pretty great, actually! I've invited in 6-18 new members every 4-6 weeks all year long. That's over 70 new people! Bringing in over $10,000 in revenue! And my nervous system has stayed regulated the entire time.So, as I do… I'm here to tell you exactly how I've done it.

Here's the thing: Off the Grid isn't just a marketing podcast.

Let's get visionary!

Today we welcome copywriter Nicole Cloutier back to the podcast (yay!) to help us avoid the most dreaded small biz experience: putting something new into the world and hearing … nothing … in return.We talk through launch basics then go deep into the strategies that have helped grow our sales — even in this challenging year.Join us as we stare into the void together and discuss:What a launch really is (hint: it's pretty simple)Why it's so important to pre-launch and “warm up” your audienceNicole's 3-part pre-launch framework (with timeline!)Behind-the-scenes stats like Amelia's email open rates

My book is here! Learn more & buy your copy at offthegrid.fun/attention 

The most radical choice I've made in self-publishing is not putting my book on Amazon.Tune in to this episode to learn: Why I made this decisionWhat it means for my bookHow I'm going to find readers anyway& Exactly how many books I'm hoping to sellThen join me in my journey of self-publishing without giving Jeff Bezos more money… by joining the waitlist for my book! It comes out next week!  Mentioned in the episode:Postcards from: Carolyn Yoo, Debora Figueiredo, Kening Zhu & Chelsie TammsFifty Feminist MantrasIngramSpark & LuluHow to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine   RESOURCES + LINKS

Welcome back to Book Week! In this behind-the-scenes episode (from the Clubhouse!), I tell you all about: The story of my first book (& why I had to rewrite that story to move forward)Why I decided to write this book (instead of just making more podcast episodes)My process for writing the 15,000 word manuscript in ONE WEEK (a wild choice)How I ended up getting a book offer from my last publisher…And the exact sentence that made me turn that offer down

Bailey Lang is a book coach, editor, and ghostwriter who helps business owners, creatives, and academics tell stories that matter.In this episode, Bailey and I pull back the curtain on the book-writing process. I share the messy middle and behind-the-scenes challenges of bringing my own book to life, while Bailey offers grounded guidance on what to do (and what not to do) if you're dreaming of writing one yourself.If you've ever thought “maybe I have a book in me” — this one's for you.Tune in, then make sure you're on the Your Attention is Sacred waitlist. Early orders open there in just a few days!!RESOURCES + LINKS

Tracy Candido is a creative coach and the host of Hidden Parts, a podcast about the inner voices that shape how we live, work, and lead.Today she joins me on the podcast to help me unpack how my inner perfectionist, procrastinator, and hyper-achiever showed up in the book writing process.To do that, she teaches us a lot about Parts Work. Tune in to learn:What Parts Work is (and how it's different than Internal Family Systems)How to identify protector partsTracy's 3-step methodology for quieting mental chatterHow Parts Work can heal overachiever patterns & visibility wounds RESOURCES + LINKS

This summer, Cody Cook-Parrott deleted their Instagram account. In doing so, they “lost” 80,000 followers and gained so. much. more.In this conversation, we dig into why Cody decided to delete IG, how their creative attention has shifted since, and what it really looks like to build a business (and publish a book) off the grid.Tune in to this episode to hear us explore:Why Cody deleted their account instead of deactivatingWhat it means to archive your work onlineThe realities of giving up social capitalSacred witnessing and ways to cultivate the feeling of being seenHow Cody is approaching their next book launch without social mediaWhy we love self-publishing & the fate of Amelia's first zine project 

Seth Werkheiser was one of the first 3000 people on Twitter. Now he runs Social Media Escape Club and helps people get off X, Facebook, Instagram, and more.In this conversation, we chart how we've each spent 20+ years online — beginning with AOL, Tumblr, and Twitter all the way through Instagram, TikTok, and the current state of Substack.This one goes out to everyone feeling lost online and looking for the magic of the early internet era again. Join us for this journey through:Amelia's cringe-inducing 2013 Tumblr blog & Twitter handle

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back! Season 7 of Off the Grid officially kicks off next week.

It's finally here, my friends... your first preview of my book!In this episode, I fill you in on exactly why Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media.Then in a you-heard-it-here-first moment, I play you the beginning of the audiobook! And I implore you to join the book waitlist at yourattentionissacred.com — so you can get a copy when it releases this fall.Thank you so much for tuning in to season six of Off the Grid. We'll be on break for the rest of August, but if you join the Clubhouse, you'll get our free summer reset series that starts next week! xoxo, AmeliaRESOURCES + LINKS

Welcome to part one of our season six finale!Today I'm joined by TWENTY past guests sharing tiny pep talks recorded just for you.Tune in for encouragement on everything from surviving Capitalism to fixing your sales page to overcoming overwhelm and getting exactly what you want.You'll hear from:[6:30] Blaize Hall of Weeping Willow Wellness[12:00] Michelle Pellizzon-Lipsitz of Holisticism[14:55] Sarah Arantza Amador of Hawthorne Mountain Tarot[18:20] Arielle Estoria[19:35] Mattia Maurée of AuDHD Flourishing[21:30] Michelle Warner of Sequence Over Strategy[23:55] Amanda Laird of Slow and Steady & Personal Biz[26:15] Chelsie Tamms of Lettering Works[27:30] Elise Granata of GROUP HUG[30:45] Shivani Bhatia[33:30] Maria Bowler[37:10] grace allerdice of home—body[39:50] Megan Leatherman of A Wild New Work[43:40] Maggie Gentry of Rest Day Creative[46:40] Natalie Ross[49:30] Natalie Miller of Mind Witchery[52:45] Rachel Duncan of the Money Healing Club[55:50] Nicole Cloutier of Copy Poetics[60:15] Yarrow Magdalena of Pink Well Studio[63:10] Chelsea Riffe  RESOURCES + LINKS

Here's my truth— I am absolutely, positively obsessed with this episode.Today on the pod, I'm joined by the one-and-only Sarah Faith Gottesdiener.She's popping over from Moonbeaming to pull back the curtain on how the Moon Studio has made more money than ever this year — with a secret marketing strategy and a super minimal social media presence.Hear us get smart on:Inside/outside marketing strategiesKeeping your best work a secretBusiness models that are DOAWhy we love our client communitiesHow to cultivate a clear channel for your marketing& Working with the best people  Tune in, then sign up for Sarah's class Clear Channels! Registration closes in August. RESOURCES + LINKS

Lately I've found myself stuck in an outdated story around success, failure, and where I think I “should” be by now.This seems to happen every summer when sales/downloads/open-rates dip right as my creative energy surges. And while I can notice that pattern… it doesn't make the feelings go away.So to support myself through it, last week I re-listened to my episode on Success Being a Cycle and put up my feelers for some creative wisdom on how to orient yourself when everything seems to go dark.And I found inspiration from a few unlikely places!So in this Clubhouse-exclusive minisode, I weave together:Tilda Swinton on softening your dreamsScottie Scheffler on finding satisfaction outside your workKevin Kelly on a different way to do great work& adrienne maree brown on being satisfiableI hope this episode can serve as the pep talk you/me might need to pause, reorient, and keep working toward our dreams.To hear the whole thing, join the Clubhouse at offthegrid.fun/clubhouseWhen you do, you'll get access to over 30 bonus episodes (and counting), curated tech + creative business newsletters, and more. Plus your own private podcast feed, comments threads, and behind-the-scenes updates on the show.Please join the Clubhouse to support the show! And find this specific episode here :)

Casey Johnston is a weight-lifting memoirist and former editor at Vice, Ars Technica & the New York Times' Wirecutter.She's been reporting on social media and smart phones for over a decade, and in that time, she built her career on Twitter then left it behind in favorite of a paid newsletter and a phone with fewer than ten apps on it.In this conversation, we dig into the the major shifts that Casey's witnessed in digital media since 2010, as well as how she created a “DIY Dumb Phone” to help her kick her phone addiction last year.Specifically, we explore:How Twitter helped Casey start her writing careerWhy Casey launched a newsletter & how it's become her primary income streamVirality, memes & how they push us to always be onlineThe difference between a Beat, a Brand, and a BusinessThe successes & failures of journalists on SubstackCasey's “DIY Dumb Phone” methodHow algorithms convince us we have problemsWhy Casey quit being a defender of social media  RESOURCES + LINKS

When I self-published my first book in 2018, I thought the process was quite simple. But this go-round I hit a few roadblocks… and there were months where I worried that this book might never hit your proverbial (or literal) shelves.In this episode, I pick up where I left you back in March — having decided to self-publish my book and needing to finish the manuscript. Then I take you all the way through the design process and up to my current launch strategy. Tune in to this free preview to learn:Why I paid a book designer… then DIY'd it anywayHow I prevailed through IngramSpark's Book Building softwareRefusing to work with Amazon in the processAnd how Lexi Merritt helped me figure out my launch strategy!To hear the whole episode, join the Clubhouse at offthegrid.fun/clubhouseWhen you do, you'll get access to over 30 bonus episodes (and counting), curated tech + creative business newsletters, and more. Plus your own private podcast feed, comments threads, and behind-the-scenes updates on the show.Please join the Clubhouse to support the show! And find this specific episode here :)

Welcome to Paradigm Shift Summer!

I'm not a fan of the #girlboss. But I am a fan of women who build wildly successful businesses. And I especially appreciate when they offer eyes-open advice about what it really took to get there.Today on the show, I'm joined by Sam Vander Wielen, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur who's built a multi-seven-figure online business through consistently $100k+ funnels and launches.While income claims like that typically make me roll my eyes… Sam is such an smart, honest, and candid business owner that I just had to ask her a million questions about how her business really works.So if you've ever wanted a values-aligned look into a seven-figure business, you'll definitely want to tune in. We talk about:The relationship between trauma and high-achievementHow social media helped Sam grow her businessClarifying the stages of awareness in your marketingClearing fear around the legal aspects of small businessHow Sam handles hate mail and mean messagesThe realities of Sam's $300k+ launchesWhy you need a copy of Sam's new book  RESOURCES + LINKS

I started my self-employment journey by freelancing… but somehow I've never talked about it on the pod!So today I'm joined by Sarah Jutras of Huzzah Studio and Freelance for Life to dive into how to build a freelance career and/or land a few gigs to make ends meet.Together we unpack a few common Qs, including:What is freelancing?

When my business becomes overwhelming, I turn my focus to my systems.Why? Because systems are the how of everything I do in my work and life. I have a system for doing my laundry, a system for checking my inbox, and a system for making this podcast.And even when I have no system for doing something… that's still a no-system system!Designing my systems with myself in mind has made my life so much better. And I really want that for you too!So this week on the podcast, I'm joined by brigitte, a neurodivergent systems witch who's here to help us all get through our work day with more ease.Tune in to learn:What systems are & who needs themHow to design systems that serve us instead of the status quoExamples of systems from brigitte & Amelia's businessesHow we can embed our values in our systemsBrigitte's 7-step process for creating your own systems!  RESOURCES + LINKS

2025 has been a year of pivots, restarts, and beginning again. So this week on the pod, we're talking about reinventing yourself and your website!To do that, I'm joined by yoga-teacher-turned-meditation-studio-owner-turned-designer Anita Cheung AKA Neets!Anita has pivoted business topics, models and personal brands many times over the past decade, and she's here to share the lessons she's learned, as well as to offer practical advice for adapting our virtual presence as we evolve.Tune in to hear about:Anita's biggest lessons learned from starting over multiple timesWays to embrace change and up-level your failure toleranceHow to reinvent yourself when you want to……VS How to pivot when it's forced on you by hard timesWhether or not you should brand yourself as your name& a HUGE permission slip to abandon your niche Then in the second half of the episode, Anita teaches us her Top 10 Tips to Elevate Your Brand & Website. It's a branding & web masterclass you won't want to miss, just for Off the Grid listeners! RESOURCES + LINKS

Welcome to Off the Grid CPG edition!

Popping in with a behind-the-scenes bonus episode — where Jen Carrington and I pull back the curtain on everything that's been messy, feel-bad, and chaotic in our businesses this year! We talk about exactly how much our revenue is down, the problems we've diagnosed with our marketing and messaging, and what we're focusing on to stay in business through 2025 and beyond. Tune in to feel seen, heard, and (hopefully) less alone.

We talk about community all the time on this show. But what does it actually look like when relationships change the trajectory of your creative career?In this episode, I'm joined by Lauren LoGrasso to unpack all the relationships that led her to her current roles as an award-winning podcaster, producer of We Can Do Hard Things, and VP of Programming and Development at Audacy.Those relationships range from a random guy in Indiana to the agent who dumped her when she moved to LA to her “radio Jesus” who opened the door to everything Lauren is doing today.Tune in as we map how a creative career is built in real-time. You'll hear all about:How Lauren landed an internship on the Ellen show & the slump that followed her early successWhy it's important to learn all the angles of your jobHow Lauren nurtures & unleashes her creativityAmelia's dance between being practical & being delusionalWhy we have to stop rebranding disappointment as failureTwo ways to reclaim your voice from “creative monsters”   And stay tuned to the end where Lauren guides us through a self-love + inner child healing practice!RESOURCES + LINKS

I broke up with Amazon and Google when I left social media in 2021, and this year I decided it was also time to quit using Spotify.Why? Well because my values are not aligned with enriching billionaires like Jeff Bezos, letting Google track my behavior everywhere, or supporting Spotify in paying artists pennies.So in this episode, I share a bit more about my decision-making and how I've managed to stop using the services and tools that these companies create.To be clear — I'm not making a case for why you “should” quit any of these platforms. But if this is a shift you WANT to make, I am offering a few suggestions.Tune in to hear:The 3 mindset shifts that make it possible to leave Google, Amazon & SpotifyMy 5-step process for breaking up with these companies & their servicesAll the tools I used to replace GoogleThe ways I still use Amazon even though I canceled Prime years agoHow quitting Spotify changed my music-listening (more on that here) For a quick summary & links to my fave tools, check out the blog post I wrote when I first made this decision: http://www.ameliahruby.com/blog/getting-off-google-facebook-amazon RESOURCES + LINKS

Today on the show, I'm joined by art psychotherapist Amelia Knott to explore and untangle the intersections of mental health, social media, creativity, and small business.We specifically take on the concepts of “digital wellness” and “ethical marketing.” And we have a nuanced conversation about how we really feel online and what it means to market with care (and without coercion).Join us as we get into:The problem with “wellness” & the possibility of cultivating well-being onlineHow to do an attention audit & figure out how you really feel about social mediaOur thoughts on the major cultural shifts around social media this yearEthical marketing frameworks from a mental health practitioner perspectivePractical tips to make your marketing language more trauma-informed And if you enjoy this episode, make sure you get a copy of Amelia's book, The Art of Thriving Online! RESOURCES + LINKS

Edgar Fabián Frías is an artist, therapist, educator, curator, witch and so much more.Today, they join me on the podcast to talk about the decision they made to quiet quit Instagram at the start of 2025.Together, we explore:The works of art that changed our lives & nonlinear psychic collaborationBeing impersonated on Instagram & how that can impact your businessWhat happens when Meta starts suspending queer artistsHow Edgar blended career paths & built new channels away from social media (including their podcast Your Art is a Spell!)Feeling safer after stepping back from so much public sharingWhy the era of social media is dying Tune in for an inspiring conversation in the spirit of Toni Cade Bambara, who teaches us that — “As a culture worker who belongs to an oppressed people, my job is to make revolution irresistible.”  RESOURCES + LINKS