What started as Jim Fuhs hopping into a live coaching session Sue B Zimmerman was running turned into a fully unplanned, free-flowing conversation about Substack, going live, and building a business in this next chapter of life.
The Highlights
From Instagram queen to Substack convert. Sue had a Substack account for nearly two years before she truly embraced it, treating it as just another blogging platform until she discovered she could go live and create video there. That shift, about a year ago, changed everything. Sue has been on Instagram for over 12 years and is considered a leader in the space, so adding a new platform to her business was not something she took lightly.
Live has a long history, and this era feels different. Sue and Jim traded stories from the earlier days of live streaming, from Blab to Periscope to Clubhouse, and landed on why this moment feels unique. In an age of AI generated content, showing up as your real, unpolished self is what actually connects. People want to see you, hear your voice, and feel your energy, not a scripted version of you.
Repurposing content the smart way. Sue walked through how she turns a single live session into multiple pieces of content: pulling video clips into Instagram Stories, using raw and authentic soundbites as standalone posts, and creating Reels, all without adding extra work to her plate. Her philosophy is working smarter, not harder.
The podcast she always wanted. For years, Sue avoided starting a podcast because of the overwhelm of graphics, editing, and building an audience from scratch. Substack solved that. She now records a short, audio-only podcast, gated for paid subscribers, done in one take and in about fifteen minutes. No video, no editing tools, just her real voice teaching real strategy.
Know when you have given enough. One of the most valuable threads in the conversation was about the balance between generosity and sustainability. Sue shared a hard-learned lesson from a past affiliate partnership: when you give away everything for free, you condition your audience to wait for the free version instead of investing in you. Teaching the why while reserving the how for paid work protects both your time and your authority.
Age is just a number. The conversation closed on a personal and inspiring note, with both Sue and Jim reflecting on staying active, curious, and driven at every stage of life, drawing on stories from Sue’s 93 year old father who is still working and sharing his knowledge today.
Why This Conversation Matters
If you have been on the fence about going live, feeling like you need a perfect setup, a big following, or a fully scripted plan, this conversation is a reminder that none of that is required. Just show up, have a real conversation, and let the connection do the work.
Watch the full video for the complete conversation, and let us know how you view live on Substack.
