going pro: a live six-week writing course for women who want to use a newsletter or Substack as a functional brand-building tool
WRITING IS THE FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING YOU CREATE
Going Pro is for you if you have something to say and want to learn how to say it in a way that grows an audience and brings income.
People buy from people whose way of seeing the world makes them feel less alone in their own. Storytelling is how that recognition happens. A well-placed story, drawn from your actual life, builds trust, connection and sales.
Your newsletter is the most direct line between your perspective and body of work and the people who will pay you for it.
Going Pro is where you learn to reach into the deepest corners of your psyche, self and life experiences and draw what’s there into writing others can hold, woven so precisely that a reader sees herself inside it, feels something settle, and comes to trust you the way only truth makes someone trust.
Learn to take your stories, your inspirations, your lived experience and weave them into something tangible. Something your reader can step into and not want to leave.
“I just love this course so much! There are gold nuggets in every video; the last I wrote down: “The more precise you are with your feelings, the more universal they become.” Thank you!“
two things
that actually build a brand
After years of watching women build businesses online, I’ve noticed it comes down to this:
1. build something with your name on it
A product, a project, a body of work. This forces you to persuade people to care, which means learning rhetoric. It forces you to understand what others actually want, not what you think they should want, which means practical psychology. It forces you to act without permission and iterate based on what reality gives back, which means real agency. You learn them by making something and putting it in front of people.
2. write publicly. consistently
Writing compresses your thinking into something others can hold. It builds an audience, a reputation, and proof of work, all three of which compound over time. A newsletter is where both of these things happen at once: you are building something, and you are writing about it, and the writing itself becomes part of what people buy.
what we will cover
- WEEK 1 — First impressions
Your welcome sequence, about page, and homepage. How to write an introduction that positions you without sounding like a bio. Exercise: rewrite your welcome email and about page. - WEEK 2 — Publishing & editorial
Find a sustainable rhythm. Your format, your frequency, your voice on the page. How to plan without killing spontaneity. Exercise: write your first (or next) email essay in a format you enjoy. - WEEK 3 — Free vs. paid
What you give away and what you charge for. Structuring your newsletter so it works as a funnel without feeling like one. Exercise: write an issue that naturally leads somewhere. - WEEK 4 — Branding & positioning
Who you are on the page and why it matters. Making your newsletter feel unmistakably like you. Exercise: write about what you stand for (your positioning statement) and integrate it into this week’s issue. - WEEK 5 — Engagement & growth
How readers become clients. CTAs that don’t feel gross. Cross-promotion, Substack network, Instagram click-throughs. Exercise: write an issue designed to convert. - WEEK 6 — Celebration & Open Floor
You’ve built something over these six weeks. This last call is where you bring whatever you need to feel confident moving forward. We open the floor to anything unfinished, unasked, or still turning over in your mind.
the next cohort begins on Monday July 20th 2026
what’s included in
going pro
🎥 weekly live group call
📄 weekly lesson (to complete at home)
✏️ personal feedback on your writing, every week
💌 your body of work in newsletter form
📝 a newsletter written each week
👯♀️ small group > 10 women
🙉 1:1 listening partnership
“I enjoy learning from you, and I love your writing, so being able to learn from you and about your process was just delightful. I also really liked our live group calls and getting to know the other participants through their shares and writing. In fact, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the other participants! :) I also really liked your personal notes & comments on our writing. Your presence, authenticity, & encouragement are felt. :) experience. I enjoyed every moment.“
this is for you if
⤷ You have a newsletter you’ve been circling but haven’t committed to
⤷ You’ve been publishing but it’s not landing — not growing, not converting, not quite feeling like you
⤷ You want your writing to build something: an audience, a brand, a business
⤷ You want someone to read your work and give you constructive feedback
this is not for you if
⤷ You’re looking for a plug-and-play template system. What we build here comes from you — which means you have to show up and do the work.
⤷ You want growth hacks and viral formulas. This is about depth, not volume.
⤷ You’re not willing to write. Every week there is an exercise. The writing is the course.
⤷ You’re hoping to stay comfortable. Good writing requires you to go somewhere real… and we will.
how GOING PRO came to be
For the last two years, I ran The Art of Noticing, as a live creative writing course I taught four times across two years, to women who came wanting to write more beautifully, more honestly, more freely.
And what I kept noticing in each cohort was that many of them didn’t just want to write. They wanted their writing to do something. They were building businesses, developing a body of work, trying to become known for something.
Going Pro is what The Art of Noticing was always reaching toward: writing as a professional act. Writing that builds a brand, an audience, and a business.
your next steps
€497
Paid in full upon application acceptance
- learn how to use your life stories for connection
- let your people find you
- build trust
- & loyalty
COHORT BEGINS
Monday 20 July
APPLICATIONS CLOSE
Friday 17 July
DURATION
Six weeks
“The course deeply inspired me and motivated me to give more time and attention to my writing. I uncovered some surprising inner blocks and was able to move through them — thanks in part to the inspiring group exchange, which reminded me I’m not alone in my creative struggles, hopes, and thoughts. I feel lighter and have given myself permission to write — simply because I want to. The course gave me the final gentle push I needed, without pressure, but through many small, inspiring nudges. writing. Your presence, authenticity, & encouragement are felt. :)“
The question Going Pro answers is not whether you have something to say. You do. There is a version of you that has always known how to tell a story. Here you will learn how to take your interior life and make it feel like a mirror held up to someone else’s.
FAQ
Do I need to already have a newsletter?
No, but you do need to be ready to start one. Part of the pre-work is getting your Substack or newsletter set up before Week 1, so we can hit the ground running. If you’re starting from scratch, that’s completely fine. You’ll have something real by the end.
Will the calls be recorded?
Yes. Recordings will be available after each call. That said, the live experience is where most of the value is: the conversation, the feedback, the energy of the group, so showing up matters.
How much time will this take each week?
The live call, the lesson, and the writing exercise. Realistically, 2-3 hours, more if you go deep on your writing, which I hope you will. This is a course where you get back what you put in.
Is there a payment plan?
There isn’t, no. Payment is made in full upon acceptance of your application. If €497 is a stretch right now, this round isn’t the right moment.
What platform do we use?
The live calls will be on Zoom. Lessons and materials will be delivered by email. You don’t need to learn any new tools.
How do I know if I’ll be accepted?
I read every application myself. I’ll email you within a few days of receipt.
I took The Art of Noticing. Is this different enough to be worth doing?
Yes. I would even say it’s the next natural step. The Art of Noticing was about deepening your writing. Going Pro is about putting it to work. The two courses are in conversation with each other, and several women from those cohorts are exactly who I had in mind when I created this.
What is a listening partnership?
You’ll be paired with one other person in the program for a simple, structured practice: one person speaks for ten minutes without interruption while the other listens and reflects back only what they heard — no advice, no fixing, no redirecting. You swap. It sounds simple. It is one of the most powerful things I build into any container I run.
I have a question that isn’t answered here.
Email me directly at studio@viendamaria.com. I read and respond to everything personally.