Let’s have some real talk.
When you first start building something – a business, a community, a brand, whatever – you know it’s going to take time. You’ve read the posts, you’ve nodded sagely at all the “trust the process” memes. You’re ready for the long haul.
But then… the long haul actually arrives.
And it’s not some noble, cinematic journey where you’re galloping towards success in slow motion. It’s more like trudging through knee-deep mud, staring at an inbox that’s quieter than a library at midnight, and wondering why your “just posted!” notification on Facebook seems to have been delivered directly to the void.
And that’s when the doubts creep in.
Because slow growth doesn’t just feel slow – it feels personal.
Like maybe you’re doing it wrong.
Like maybe people just don’t want what you’re offering.
Like maybe you’re not good enough, smart enough, confident enough, whatever enough.
You start to question you, not just your strategy.
Here’s the thing though: it’s not about you.
It’s about maths. And reach. And visibility. And the fact that the internet is a noisy beast that doesn’t always reward the good stuff straight away.
But try telling that to your brain when it’s 10pm and you’re looking at your social stats, wondering if you should just give up and take up knitting instead.
The truth?
This stage – the nothing’s happening but I’m still showing up stage – is where most people quit.
It’s uncomfortable. It’s thankless. It’s where the novelty wears off and it feels like the effort isn’t matching the results.
And yet… this is the exact stage that builds momentum.
Every post, every conversation, every “nobody saw it but I did it anyway” moment is a brick in the foundation. You don’t get the big leaps without the boring, often invisible groundwork first.
I’m not here to sell you a fairytale ending where “if you just keep going, in 6 weeks you’ll be rolling in clients.” That’s bollocks.
I am here to say that slow growth is still growth. That the tiny wins add up. That someone, somewhere, is quietly watching, and one day they’ll turn up and say, “I’ve been following you for ages.”
And you’ll realise it was never for nothing.
So if you’re in the mud right now – keep walking. Even if it’s just one small, stubborn step at a time.
Because that’s how you get to the good bit.
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