How to Create a Series People Want to Follow

Anna here 👋 When I was 27, I decided to stop drinking alcohol.

I had been drinking socially for most of my late teens and early twenties. And while it always looked normal from the outside, I never actually liked the way it made me feel. I knew that for a long time, but I ignored the cues until I simply couldn’t anymore. 

At a certain point, the question became, “What would my life feel like without it?”

So I decided to start an experiment.

I stopped drinking with no real plan beyond seeing what would happen. About a month in, I started to feel clearer, more grounded, and more in control of myself. And at the same time, I had this growing urge to share what I was going through on social media.

The only problem was that I was worried they would assume I had a problem or project their own assumptions onto my decision. Even though I knew there was nothing wrong with any of that, I still felt the fear of being perceived incorrectly.

Despite this, I decided to share what I was learning anyway — not knowing how it would land.

The first post I made went viral. And I decided to keep going. I started documenting the experience as it unfolded. I shared what I was learning, what felt hard, what surprised me, what changed about me.

What began as a personal experiment turned into a series I shared on Instagram and TikTok.

I ended up not drinking for a year and a half, and it completely changed my life. It taught me that I could trust myself. It showed me that I could follow through on something that mattered to me. And it gave me a new understanding of what it actually means to enjoy your life without relying on something external to do it for you.

Even now, I drink occasionally, but it’s usually rare and always intentional. And the relationship I have with it is something I chose, rather than something I fell into. But one of the most impactful parts of that entire experience wasn’t just what I was doing—it was that I was sharing it in real time.

To this day, people still tell me, “I’ve followed you for years, but I found you when you stopped drinking.”

That’s the power of a series.

It invites people into your life as it’s happening. It gives them something to follow, something to connect to, something to return to. And over time, it becomes one of the strongest parts of your personal brand.

So how do you create your own signature series?

Most people think they need to come up with an idea. Something clever or perfectly positioned that will “work.” But the most compelling series are rarely manufactured. They are revealed.

1. Start with what’s already happening in your life.

Instead of asking, “What should I create?” ask, “What am I already living through?”

The best series come from real decisions, commitments, and seasons of life that would be happening whether or not you ever posted about them.

For example, Sachiko — our director of student success at PBA, is training for a half marathon this fall. She didn’t sign up for it to create content. She signed up because she wanted to do it. The training, discipline, setbacks, and progress are already a story. Turning it into a series simply allows other people to witness it.

The same is true for things like:

• moving

• starting a business

• navigating a relationship

• or, in my case, choosing to stop drinking.

You don’t need to invent something new. You need to pay attention to what’s already unfolding.

2. Choose what you actually want to do, not what you think will perform.

When you choose something because you think it will do well, you disconnect from it almost immediately. But when you choose something because you’re genuinely curious, invested, or even a little nervous about it, you naturally stay engaged. And that’s what keeps other people engaged too.

Follow the thing that feels real to you, even if it doesn’t look impressive from the outside. That intuitive instinct is usually the signal.

3. Focus on the message, not the mechanics.

A lot of people think they need the perfect editing style, the right format, the cleanest transitions, the most cohesive aesthetic. And while those things can enhance your content, they are not what make people stay.

What makes people stay is the honesty of what you’re sharing. The specificity of your experience. The feeling that something real is happening, and they’re getting to witness it. The series works because the story works, not because the visuals are perfect.

If there’s a part of you that knows you have something to share but you’re not sure how to shape it, this is exactly what we’re going to walk through together.

We’re hosting a live community call on Monday, March 30th at 11am EST called How to Create Your Own Signature Series. We’ll break down how to turn your real life into a series people want to follow and give you a simple framework you can start using right away.

If you’ve been wanting to create content that keeps people coming back, come join us.