Episode 99: Substack Live | Forget Algorithms. Here's How We're Actually Growing on Substack Over 40

With guest Csilla Gergely, writer of Feminine Energy for Midlife Women What does it actually take to build a meaningful presence online after 40, without losing yourself in the process? In this episode, Kiran sits down with Csilla Gergely, a former corporate finance executive turned pole dancer, choir singer, and Substack writer based in Spain. Six months ago, Csilla had three subscribers, one of whom was herself. Today she's building a quietly powerful community of midlife women, one joyful, honest conversation at a time. Together, Kiran and Csilla pull back the curtain on what actually moved the needle for both of them, and it wasn't the algorithm. They talk about the co-authored article that changed everything for Csilla, why easy questions get the most honest answers, and the compound effect of ten women showing up together. Kiran shares her own turning point, the moment she stopped performing as the expert and started writing from the messy, real, 3 am version of herself. And what happened when Instagram and Facebook suspended her accounts without warning, and why it turned out to be something of a gift. This is a conversation about vulnerability as strategy, connection as currency, and what it looks like to build something that genuinely belongs to you, not to a platform that could disappear tomorrow. If you're a woman over 40 writing into the void and wondering if it's worth it, this episode is for you. In this episode: Why Csilla went from 3 to 145+ subscribers by asking one simple question about joy The mechanics behind a co-authored article that actually builds community What made Kiran finally drop the expert persona, and what happened when she did On vulnerability online: healing, not oversharing Why focusing on one platform changed everything The truth about algorithms, suspended accounts, and building something that's actually yours Links mentioned: Csilla's Substack: Feminine Energy for Midlife Women Joy Over 40: Part 1 & Part 2 Kiran's series: 85 Weeks to Fifty Midlife Circle membership: £8/month or £80/year This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.kiransinghuk.com/subscribe