Kudos

The raves, the love, the satisfaction! Read all about it. xo

Read the raves, then hire me to STYLEYOURSTACK!

If you need help styling your stack, you can call on me. Want a logo? A wordmark? The whole shebang? I do it all. Make an appointment. I’m here to help you shine!

Susan J Tweit: Cultivating Terraphilia

Working with Nan is an absolute delight. She’s funny, brilliant and her creativity and design skills were just what my Stack needed!

Leslie Rasmussen: A Time For Listening

Growth on Substack is often talked about in numbers— how many views, restacks, subscribers. I’ve discovered a different kind of growth—transformational, as powerful as seed to sprout to flower. My newsletter about listening was changing and growing topically, and so was I.

For over three months, I worked with the talented Nan Tepper through several conversations to help me rethink the brand and then to tap into her design expertise to imagine it visually. Nan had a knack for drawing out my thoughts. She is a gifted Listener and patiently focused on visualizing what I wanted to see happen on my publication.

She also helped me understand how important it is to make myself visually present on the stack, not just in my words. They call it branding, but it is so much more.

I love the new name, A Time For Listening. Listening is still the heart of the work, but that word—Time—expands into a title that takes in all the places it has been going. My one green gingko leaf turned into a kaleidoscope of colorful gingko leaves, swirling on their logo button and breezily blowing off into the title wordmark and a classy email header. My Welcome page and About page present a beautiful collage with related colors and photos that share more about me and my stack. Nan did it all.

I am so grateful for Nan, her talents and her friendship––she is the best.

Lyn Chamberlin: Brand Therapy™

Nan branded the brander—and that’s no small feat. I came to her with existing brand assets, a strong voice, and a clear audience—but absolutely no idea how to translate any of it to Substack. Nan didn’t just make it work. She reimagined it. From the title to the logo, the favicon to a fresh color palette, she gave my newsletter a visual identity that felt both completely new and unmistakably mine. She knows how to fuse design with strategy in a way that actually builds audience. Nan didn’t just make things look good—her design brought in new subscribers from day one. Working with her was a revelation.

Eileen Dougharty: You’re Right, I Do Look Tired

Working with Nan is a truly collaborative process. I had no clue where to begin, I just knew I wanted to make my Substack more eye-catching and reflective of my personality. Nan encouraged me to explore colors and fonts and come up with themes that spoke to me. We exchanged some possibilities with Nan using her expertise to guide me on what would best represent my unique style. Nan was receptive, reassuring, and adamant that I was pleased with the results. Between her knowledge of the platform and her exquisite taste, there is truly no one better than Nan Tepper to elevate your Substack to the next level.

Sarah Fay: Substack Writers@Work and Sarah Fay, Author site

“Nan has a keen eye for branding that pops yet is also elegant. The best of both worlds. I so enjoyed working with her on making my Substack my website (which has never been done before). She brought what I had in mind to fruition. Hire her!”

Rona Maynard: Amazement Seeker

“Nan has it all: style, marketing savvy and a keen eye for each client’s distinctive essence. More than an ace designer, she’s been a trusted partner in bringing my work to the world with power, presence and authenticity. She listened to my hopes and set me straight––in the nicest way––when I needed to let go of a bad idea. If I still ran a major magazine, I’d want Nan’s magic touch on the pages. She not only elevated my stack in record time, she made the whole process fun. Do your stack a favor and let Nan make it shine.”

Amrita Skye Blaine: The Heart of the Matter

“I’ve been committed to WordPress as my blogging site for fifteen years. Then I attended an hour class Nan Tepper gave on the Substack platform, and decided it was time to change. But I needed help navigating Substack’s backend, “the dashboard.” Nan has provided that help, and my poetry blog is now live on Substack. She has been patient and tenacious, willing to take that extra step in support of her client. She has been a cheerleader for my successes and creative in unraveling technical puzzles. I am now moving around Substack’s dashboard with modest confidence, and I will call on her again the moment I can’t figure something out.”

Kim Van Bruggen: My Renaissance Life

“Having worked in communications and public relations for 30 years, I love good branding and design, and I recognize it when I see it. When it works, it makes you feel something inside. I’m fascinated by the process and the people who do it well. Nan is one of those people. If you are new to Substack or looking to refresh your newsletter, Nan is your person. She is a one-stop shop—whether you need help getting started with set up, advice about where to go next, or the full visual package to make your newsletter jump from the page; she can do it all. She’ll challenge your assumptions and thinking (the best kind of brainstorming partner) and ultimately get you where you want to go. And she does it all with her perfect blend of flair and humour. I highly recommend Nan!”

Dr. Mary Chang: Dr. Mom IS Dr. Mary Chang

Oh, Nan! Let me tell you about Nan—she’s like that friend who tells you the truth in a way that makes you laugh, cry (just a little), and then say, “Dang, she’s right. Let me fix my life.” Working with her was like getting a makeover for my entire brand—and my confidence—because she didn’t just upgrade my newsletter; she somehow upgraded me.

Her creativity? Next level. I mean, she took my message, my quirks, and even my messiness, and turned them into something polished, magnetic, and so me that I almost cried when I saw it. Her design elements weren’t just good—they were spot-on, like she reached into my brain and pulled out the exact vibe I was trying (and failing) to communicate. It’s like she knew what I wanted to say before I even did.

But here’s the thing: Nan’s not afraid to get real. She gently (but oh-so-kindly) pointed out some of the not-so-pretty truths about my site, my writing, and the overall “energy” I was putting out. And honestly? I needed to hear it. She didn’t just tell me what was wrong—she gave me solutions, ideas, and a big, empathetic pep talk wrapped in a killer sense of humor.

On top of that, she’s an absolute workhorse—super responsive, with timely emails and Zoom calls that somehow felt like a mix of therapy and creativity boot camp. You just know she’s putting her heart into every little detail.

Bottom line? Nan is a genius, a truth-teller, and honestly, the branding magician you didn’t know you needed. She’s transformed my brand, my work, and probably my soul a little too. 10/10 recommend.

Kelly Burton: After Action 2024

“Nan is the real deal, and I would hire her again in a second. Not only did she build a beautiful Substack that brought our entire project to life, she did it with joy, humor, and purpose - all of which made her wonderful to work with, even under stressful deadlines.

Her design eye is on point, her Substack skills are top-notch, and she does it all with responsiveness, professionalism, and friendliness that makes the entire experience with her a delight. I wish I had a Nan in every aspect of my life! If you are looking to have a lovely experience building a beautiful Substack, hire Nan. It will be the best decision you make.”

Rachel Kramer Bussel: Open Secrets Magazine

I’m very happy with the work Nan did in giving my personal essay magazine Open Secrets a makeover. I wasn’t sure exactly what Open Secrets needed to pop visually, but Nan had great ideas from the moment we started talking. In under two weeks, she cleaned up the imagery, updated the background, helped migrate the site to its own URL, and made Open Secrets look a lot more professional. I highly recommend her Style Your Stack service and am thrilled with the results.

Douglas Halpert: Intermittently Human

The first correct decision I made was to hire Nan for the full Style Your Stack package. The second correct move was to give her wide leeway to do her thing. By that, I mean I provided a title, some concepts and text and let her bombard me with her many curious questions about who I am as a person and a writer, and what type of audience I am looking to attract. And then I went away on a vacation, leaving Nan alone with my project.

When I came back, there was an e-mail from Nan in my inbox containing a link to my new Substack. I have just put up my first post and already I am getting rave reviews from people about how beautiful my Substack looks, how it is “so me” and that they are eager to share it with others. I am proud of my wisdom in delegating the entire arduous Substack project to Nan since she did a wonderful job for a very reasonable fee, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the fun Zoom sessions that we had during the Substack Lamaze process.

For the entire review (he waxes eloquent and refers to me as “Nan the Substack Goddess”) click here.

Barri Leiner Grant: Permission Granted

“I met Nan in a workshop and the Substack Writers @ Work Cohort offered by the inimitable Sarah Fay. I first enjoyed Nan’s vulnerable essays and then discovered her design and tech prowess under the hood. Sign me up! I suggested a font called Peignot that was used for my Bat Mitzvah invitation (I am a grief girl for as long as I am a font girl!). Peignot is also the font that was used for the opening and closing titles of The Mary Taylor Moore Show when I was a kid. I suggested we use it to create a new identity for the rebrand of my stack, Permission GRANTed. Her enthusiasm for my font choice, my illustration (by Jen Vallez), and a favorite hot pink/orange combo sealed the deal. I have had so many writers notice and comment, which fills me up. Grief does not have to be sad, and she agreed. If you are looking for a partner in design? Yes. Permission Granted.”

Paulette Bodeman: Because Life is Messy…

I’ve been writing on Substack for almost one year. It’s my happy place. I’ve met several amazing writers and made new friends: Nan Tepper is one of those. Yeah, I know that sounds cliché, but it’s also the truth. I reached out to Nan because I was struggling to figure out how to change something technically on my publication. We hopped on a Zoom call and immediately connected. I shared with Nan my frustrations about the design and name of my stack and, voilá – magic. Well, magic to me because I’m technically challenged. Plus, not only is Nan a fabulous graphic designer she’s also a great listener. Nan took the time to get a sense of who I was and what my publication is about before making any suggestions. What I so appreciate is that Nan understood that for me redesigning my Substack was more than a name and design change – it’s an outward expression of how I try to do life: everything is spiritual practice and an opportunity for personal transformation, even a redesign. She got that immediately; thank you, Nan.

Jodi Sh. Doff: The Long Goodbye: Dementia Caregiving

“Struggling with Substack’s stubborn wordmark was driving me crazy. It was too small to be useful and resisted being customized. After exhausting my own skills and resources (aka Google), I did the smart thing and turned to Nan Tepper at StyleYourStack. Nan has the actual tech skills and design experience I needed. I was already familiar with some of Nan’s design work for Woodstock Bookfest and her website, Nan Tepper Design. I liked her sensibility: minimalist but with a big impact. She was able to wrangle my wordmark into what I wanted. Next time, I’ll go straight to StyleYourStack and save myself the aggravation of insisting “I can do it all myself,” because, I can’t. But, I have Nan, so I don’t have to.”

Abigail Thomas, master memoirist: What Comes Next?

“As far as computers go, I know how to write on one and how to open email. That’s it. I am a technical illiterate. But I know a good thing when I see it, and after Nan did whatever she did to my Substack page, all I can tell you is I don’t need a website anymore. I love how it looks. So if you are anything like me, or just don’t have the time, give Nan a call. She has a great eye, and she really knows her stuff.”

Nancy Jainchill: The Armchair Journalist

“When I decided that it was time for me to have my own Substack page, I knew I’d need help. Fortunately, I knew Nan Tepper could make it happen. She’d already designed and manages my website, so I knew how skilled she was with the visual elements that are key, including the wordmark, welcome page, and logo image-specifics to Substack. Not only great with the technical aspects, Nan teaches you enough to do it for yourself. This week I scheduled my own post, a big deal! I couldn’t have done any of this without Nan.”

I also teach a Substack 101 workshop for writers who want to style their own stacks, but still need some support. Will send out info when I schedule the next session.

Need some help? Get in touch.