What is “In My Student Era”?
By Kaila O’Connor, Founder of KMO HAUS
“In My Student Era” is where I (Kaila) document what I’m actively learning—while I’m still in it.
Not after the fact.
Not once it’s polished.
Not once it’s packaged into a framework.
But in real time—while I’m testing, questioning, unlearning, and rebuilding how this industry actually works.
Why “Student Era”
Because staying a student is the strategy.
The people who win in this industry aren’t the ones who “know the most”—
they’re the ones who are willing to:
unlearn quickly
test constantly
and stay close to what’s changing
This Substack is my commitment to that.
Who this is for
Founders scaling DTC brands through affiliate + PR
PR professionals who know the old playbook isn’t enough anymore
Operators who want to understand where media, commerce, and AI are heading
Anyone rethinking how they work—not just what they do
More about this
This is a working notebook for the affiliate marketing and PR era we’re in now—not the one we were trained for.
Inside this Substack, I break down:
What’s actually working right now
How to adapt your strategy as platforms and incentives shift
The behind-the-scenes thinking I use at KMO
The questions I’m asking (and re-asking) as the industry evolves
This is not theory.
It’s active iteration.
A perspective shift.
Because after 15+ years in PR and 6+ years combining PR with affiliate marketing, I don’t believe the problem is just strategy - it’s ALSO how we’ve been taught to think about work entirely. How you think affects how you feel, and how you feel at work matters.
So alongside tactical insights, you’ll find:
Thoughts on burnout, capacity, and sustainability
Human Design as a lens for building better work
Redefining success beyond output and constant optimization
What it looks like to build a business that feels aligned—not just performs
Final note
This isn’t a highlight reel.
It’s the middle.
And if you’re also in a season of building, evolving, or rethinking how you work—you’ll feel at home here.
ALSO: 99% of content I plan to offer to free subscribers <3
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To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
