Jada Butler: Building a Portfolio Career with Substack✨Career Pivot Playbooks Series
Jada Butler on building a portfolio career with Substack—blending writing, therapy, and a nomadic life. Part of Career Pivot Playbooks: a public archive of modern career blueprints.
Today’s Career Pivot Playbook features Jada Butler, a therapist and Substack writer building a portfolio career that blends clinical work, writing, and a nomadic life.
Her work reflects a career shaped over time, blending therapy, travel, reflection, and writing, and shows how Substack can sit naturally alongside wider work, not replace it.
This is a grounded look at what it really means to build a body of work that fits the season you’re in.
If you’re here from Jada’s community, welcome. My name is Katharine, and this series of Career Pivot Playbooks explores how people build sustainable work beyond traditional career paths.
The Career Pivot Playbooks Series
A public archive of modern career blueprints
Most careers don’t follow a straight line.
People change direction quietly.
They test ideas after work.
They stack skills.
They build income in layers.
Career Pivot Playbooks is a growing archive of real career journeys from people building and writing on Substack—and often beyond it.
If you’re like me, you don’t just want the outcome.
You want the backstory.
The real story.
How people actually built work they care about—and businesses that support them—on Substack.
This is a community of like-minded people creating portfolio careers, experimenting in public, and shaping work that fits their lives rather than forcing themselves into one fixed path.
Some write.
Some teach, consult, freelance, or create.
Some are still figuring it out.
What you’ll find here
Each Playbook is a short, conversational interview about:
Where someone started
What pushed them to pivot
What worked, what didn’t, and what surprised them
How their Substack and wider work evolved over time
No sales pitches.
No polish.
Just honest stories from people building in the open.
Want to be part of it?
If you’re building a portfolio career on Substack (or are building your Substack to be part of your wider work), then DM me to be featured.
This archive grows through shared experience.
Warmly,
Katharine
Learn Grow Monetize
Now Back to Jada…
If you want to explore Jada’s work, you can visit The Midlife Nomad, where she writes about midlife, movement, and building a slower, more intentional life.
Thoughtful essays on midlife, movement, wellness, and living well beyond traditional timelines.
How Jada Butler Built a Portfolio Career Around Therapy and Writing
A moment from Jada…
“Can you tell us a bit about your professional background and the path that led you to where you are today?”
I am a PA and Licensed Professional Therapist and I started my own Holistic Practice in 2020 after working in the industry for over 10 years working for others. I wanted to practice in a way that allowed me to be more flexible with how much time I could spend with clients ( more time!) and more time for myself ( more time!)
“What inspired you to make a career pivot, and how did you know it was the right time?”
I made the decision when I realized the environment was becoming toxic and controlling. As soon as I discovered my value was in how many people I could see in a day vs. my ability to provide quality care, I decided I needed to pivot.
“Which skills from your previous roles have been most valuable in your new career or business?”
Being able to perform well at a high volume, I knew my clinical skills were solid. I had moved twice previous to this and 80% of my clients followed me to my new location to continue working with me, so I felt confident that those relationships meant something to the clients too. This gave me a bit of reassurance that starting my own practice would be successful.
“How did you discover Substack (or the platform you use) and why did you choose it as your primary engine for growth?”
Substack was something I stumbled upon somewhat accidentally. I had always wanted to be a writer in more of a consistent way and I decided to start writing on Substack as a way to hold myself accountable to writing weekly and stop being afraid of putting my heart out there in the world.
I thought what my husband and I were doing was somewhat off the beaten path and might be an interesting story to follow as well. It is not my main job, but something I do on the side and is mostly for my own personal growth.
“Who is your audience, and what value or offerings do you provide for them?”
My audience I think is a mix of nomads themselves and other men and women who are navigating midlife.
I do have some digital products I offer as well as a journal I created a few years ago to help others utilize some of the tools I use in my private practice that can help them with mental health ( and physical health ).
I also have an Amazon storefront with supplements I take and recommend as well as books I recommend and travel essentials.
I created a wellness company as an off shoot of my holistic psychiatry practice to offer wellness tools for mind and body. I named it Soul via Sole... where your soul directs your path and your soles trust to follow.
I started this company about the same time I opened the doors for my private practice. This was during COVID and I saw so many people in need of resources but no way to access them, so this is where the idea of Soul via Sole started. It also embodies the whole concept of mind and body integration that I talk and write about.
“What were some of the highs and lows of starting over or launching this new venture?”
Starting a career and owning my own business is why I am living as a digital nomad today. It is also nerve-wracking, as everything depends on you to do. As far as Substack is concerned… I am pleasantly surprised others want to hear about our adventures, but also it’s hard to put yourself “out there” all the time and face rejection.
“What challenges did you face during your career pivot, and how did you overcome them?”
Mostly just trusting myself and deciding to live in possibility rather than fear. 🙂
“What advice would you give to someone considering a similar pivot or looking to monetize their skills online?”
Everyone has a unique story full of strengths, lessons, and challenges. If you have a skill that can help someone else solve a problem, that is worth something!
“Do you engage with any other audiences or platforms, and how do they fit into your overall strategy?”
I do have other platforms but I am feeling a need to reduce these and focus on what brings me joy!
“Looking back, what are you most proud of in your journey so far, and what’s next for you?”
I am proud of taking risks and not being afraid to jump, trusting the Universe will catch me!
Links & Resources
You can find Jada’s writing, products, and ongoing work at the links below:
A 52-Week Blueprint for Building the Life of Your Dreams: A Guided Journal
Related Articles
The Neurological Reset of Midlife
The Liberation of Less: Finding Freedom Through the Swedish Death Cleanse
The Sacred Art of Disconnection
# The Great Life Redesign: Why I Chose Not to Wait for “Someday”
I appreciate you being here and supporting this growing archive.
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If you’d like to explore my work on learning, career pivots, and building portfolio income, you’ll find my writing and resources below.
Katharine from Learn Grow Monetize
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Thank you for the opportunity to share a bit more of my story and for being a part of your weekly series! 🙌🏻
Thank you for sharing! We all love to hear about your stories and advice to improve ourselves!