Scaling with Substance: How I Sell Online Without a Single Ad (even in the age of AI)
In 2022, my business only brought in $21,000. I was creating content, but I didn’t realize that great content alone doesn’t close clients. A year later, that same business brought in $117,000, and I didn’t run a single ad. Every dollar came from content that built trust, not just traffic.
If you’re a service provider or coach who’s built your business through word of mouth and referrals and wants to scale it with a consistent stream of income using social media, keep reading.
I’m sharing The CASH Method, the same framework that helped me hit six figures in a year.
The Six-Month Lesson That Changed the Way I Sell Online
It took me six months to sell a $5,000 offer on social media. How many of you would’ve quit in month three? Back in 2022, I went Live twice a week with my audience. I was nervous every time I hit “Go Live.” My hands would shake, my voice would tremble, and half the time I didn’t even know what to say, let alone how to turn those awkward moments into sales. But each time I showed up, I promised myself that I’d work on something new.
First, I worked on what to teach my audience so they could see me as the expert. Then I worked on how to get them to engage with me so I wouldn’t feel like I was talking to myself. Can you relate? Then I worked on what to say to get them to buy without sounding salesy. I did that for six months, twice a week. Each time I left the Live, I just knew I was going to try again.
In month four, the assistant coach in the coaching program I was attending told me to give up because it would be extremely difficult to convert someone into a $5,000 program from Live videos. I didn’t let that stop me. Instead, in month five, I kept going.
And finally, in month six, Ca-Ching, Ca-Ching! I landed my first $5,000 client. But it didn’t stop there. A month later, I landed a $6,000 client. Soon I was getting clients left and right, and I had made $30,000 in three months. Those six months taught me something so valuable → I learned that social media is the easiest way to create a scalable, predictable pipeline for sales.
Imagine your dream clients finding you on social media every day, not just through referrals. It’s not about replacing what’s working; it’s about adding a powerful stream of consistent leads to your business. I want to show you how you can do that while scaling with substance through the CASH Method.
CASH stands for:
Create Binge-Worthy Content
Attract Leads With Valuable Lives
Shift Beliefs That Block Sales
Handle the Sale in the DMs
Your Audience Doesn’t Want More Content—They Want an Experience
Before you can attract or convert, you have to capture attention. That’s why the first step in scaling with substance is to Create Binge-Worthy Content.
Most people are posting just to post. But the business owners who are making $10,000 months or more are posting with a purpose, and that purpose is profit. If you want to attract high-paying clients, your content cannot be boring; it has to be binge-worthy.
When your audience binges your content, they start to build emotional familiarity and trust, which leads them to buy. Why? Because in today’s world, whatever you binge, you buy. It’s true. We are in a society where people are bingeing Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and just about every other platform, happily paying for the subscription every month.
That's why I show business owners how to create the same experience on their page so they can take their audience from just browsing to bingeing to buying. It’s a simple, repeatable strategy.
In his book Oversubscribed, Daniel Priestly mentions the 7–11–4 rule, a simple guideline for building the trust and familiarity needed for a potential customer to make a purchase, especially for high-ticket services.
The rule is broken down like this:
● 7 hours of consuming a brand’s content. It could be watching or reading.
● 11 touchpoints or instances of engagement with the brand (social media posts, emails, website, ads, etc.).
● 4 different locations or platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, blog, emails, etc.).
At first, this rule sounds like it would take forever for someone to buy. But when your audience starts bingeing your content, the timeline collapses from months to mere hours, and that’s when decisions happen fast.
When my clients put this method into practice, their content started doing the selling for them. People would binge their videos and buy within days—often saying, “I knew you were my coach the moment I started watching.”
How to Use Live Video to Build Authority and Authenticity
Creating great content gets eyes on you, but going live connects hearts to you. That’s why the next step in scaling with substance is to Attract Leads With Valuable Lives.
When someone discovers you online, your content should make them want to stop scrolling, lean in, and stay. They're already deciding within seconds if you’re worth listening to. Your live videos move them from watching to wanting what you offer.
Now, some of you reading this article probably just froze. I know! The thought of going live can be scary. You’re probably thinking:
“What if I mess up?”
“What if no one shows up?”
However, you don’t need to be perfect; you just need to be present and clear.
When I first started this article, I shared how it took me six months to book my first $5,000 client on Live. During that process, I developed my Live Strategy for Live Sales. This same strategy helped my client, Krisjana, book 10 clients in one month when she launched her new offer.
If you implement this strategy when you’re live, your audience will not just listen; they’ll buy too.
Here’s the strategy:
● Edify: Teach 1–2 actionable tips so your audience sees you as the expert.
● Qualify: Clearly state who your Live is for and call out your dream audience so they know you’re talking to them.
● Identify: Acknowledge what’s holding you back from going Live—fear, impostor syndrome, or self-doubt—and choose to push past it.
● Clarify: Know exactly what you’re selling. Paint the picture and show your audience how to buy.
● Quantify: State your price with confidence. No hesitation, no shrinking; say it clearly and own it.
Simple, right? If you try it, come back and leave a comment on this article so I can cheer you on.
How to Sell Without Feeling Salesy
The next step in scaling with substance isn’t tactical; it’s mental. You have to Shift Beliefs That Block Sales.
Typically, when I’m working with business owners and service providers, their biggest fear is sounding salesy or feeling icky while selling. Selling one-on-one or in person, through referrals or conversations, is simple for them because they can read the room and pick up on facial expressions. They freeze when it’s time to sell one-to-many online.
This hesitation comes from a belief gap, not a skill gap. Too many entrepreneurs think, “If I sell to my audience, they’ll think I only care about their money.” But what if that belief shifted? What if selling became an act of service, an opportunity to show up and help your audience move closer to their goals?
When you shift your mindset from “I’m selling” to “I’m serving,” everything changes. Your presence softens, your energy expands, and your results begin to reflect the heart behind your work. This allows your audience to connect with your authenticity and see that you truly want to help them.
Authenticity is the true gem here. When you stand on your values, it will attract your people. But if you don’t shift your beliefs around selling—if you keep fearing rejection, overthinking your value, or compromising your voice—you’ll keep blocking your own sales. True alignment comes when your confidence, content, and conviction all speak the same language.
Why Your Next Client Might Be Sitting in Your Inbox
Once your confidence shifts, the next step is simple: Handle the Sales in the DMs.
Have you ever had someone follow you for months, watching every video, showing up to every Live, and still not buy? It’s tempting to write them off as a lurker, but their consistency is actually a signal of interest. They just need a little guidance to take the next step.
That’s where the final phase of scaling with substance comes in. So many business owners tell me they hate DM marketing; it feels pushy or awkward. But the truth is, some of my best clients and genuine friendships started with a simple DM. Your audience feels seen when you take the time to reach out, and that personal touch often turns curiosity into conversion.
Typically, after I go live, I like to slide into each one of my viewers’ inboxes and ask them what resonated with them the most. This opens the door for conversation, and I allow them to share their experience with me and my content.
As the conversation develops, they typically mention what they’re struggling with, and then I show them how I can help. It’s not pushy; it’s a conversation. If you feel like you’re convincing your audience to buy from you, then you’re doing it wrong. The key to social selling is to persuade. Persuasion simply means helping your audience make a decision they’ve already made internally; they just need to take the step.
Final Thoughts
Scaling with substance isn’t about ads; it’s about alignment. Through the CASH Method, you’ve learned how to create content that converts, attract clients through Lives, shift limiting beliefs, and handle sales with confidence.
And while AI can help you create faster, it can’t replace your authenticity. There’s nothing more powerful or profitable than showing up for your audience and serving them with conviction. Social media gives you the platform; your presence gives it power. That’s how you scale with substance, even in the age of AI.
