You know that moment when you’re staring at your laptop, desperately refreshing your email or your Facebook page, hoping someone – anyone – will engage, comment, download, sign up, something?
Yeah. I’ve been there. Recently.
Actually, scrap that – I am there.
I’ve spent months building The Growth Nexus – the website, the journal system, the content, the membership. I’ve created lead magnets, blog posts, social media plans, launch strategies. I’ve shown up, stayed consistent (mostly), and poured my heart into something I believe in with every fibre of my being.
And you know what I’ve got to show for it lately?
Crickets.
No downloads. No new followers. No engagement. Just… silence.
Cue the spiral:
“What’s the point?”
“Maybe this is just another failed idea.”
“Who do I think I am trying to build this?”
“Should I just quit and do something else that feels safer?”
It’s a slippery slope, that one. And last week, I was halfway down it – slippers on, wine in hand, blanket of self-doubt wrapped tightly around me.
But then I picked up a book I’d been meaning to read for ages:
📚 The Dip by Seth Godin (affiliate link – I earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you)
And let me tell you, it hit hard.
What the hell is The Dip?
Seth talks about how in any worthwhile pursuit – a business, a project, a goal – there comes a point where it stops being exciting and starts being hard.
At first, things are fun. You’re full of ideas, energy, and ambition. You’re fired up and hopeful.
Then… comes the Dip.
The Dip is that long, uncomfortable stretch where the novelty has worn off, the results are slow (or non-existent), and you’re working your arse off for what feels like nothing.
It’s where most people quit.
And the kicker? Sometimes quitting is the right thing. If you’re in what he calls a “cul-de-sac” – a dead end that leads nowhere – you should walk away.
But if you’re in the Dip – the hard part before the breakthrough – then quitting means throwing in the towel just before things were about to click.
So where am I?
Deep in the bloody Dip.
But here’s the thing. Reading that book gave me a moment of clarity.
I don’t want to quit.
Even through the doubts and exhaustion and terrifying silence, I know I believe in what I’m building. I believe in the women I’m building it for. I believe that The Nexus Collective and The Growth Nexus have a place in this world – and that some woman out there is going to find them one day and say, “Where have you been all my life?”
And I want to be there when she does.
So I made a checklist. Obviously.
Because when I’m wobbling, I need grounding. I need something to come back to. A reminder of why I started, what matters, and what to focus on instead of spiralling into doom.
So I created this little thing I’m calling:
✨ The Dip Survival Checklist
For when you’re knee-deep in doubt, and everything feels like a waste of time, but deep down… you know you’re not done yet.
It’s free. It’s printable. It fits in your journal.
And it might just be the thing that keeps you going on the days you want to pack it all in.
👉 Download The Dip Survival Checklist here
(I made it for me. But I’d love for you to have it too.)
If you’re in the Dip too…
Please know this: it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re on the path. The Dip is where we earn it. The grit. The clarity. The resilience.
So take a break. Take a breath. But don’t give up too soon.
We’re not flaky. We’re just doing the hard bit. And I see you, even if the algorithm doesn’t.
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