Comfy Discomfy

The audience may be shocked to learn that I’m severely introverted.

This ailment was on full display today when I was considering my evening plan:

Going to a nearby shop to buy the hair I’d need to do my hair. (being a girl, amirite?)

A bizarre but familiar thought crossed my mind.

It's a problem. I know.

I caught myself and chuckled.

Why do I tell you any of this?

Because there’s some niggling little character flaw that’s standing between you and the life of your dreams.

Maybe you’re afraid to ask for help because you don’t want to look dumb.

Maybe you’re terrified of rejection, so you never put yourself out there.

Maybe you’re a perfectionist (i.e., crippling procrastinator).

Check out some of the 🤯 wins I’ve notched these past couple of months despite my “condition,” so you can see what may be on the other side of yours.

• I’ve sat for interview after interview with cold and calculating recruiters and charmed the socks off them.

• I’m confidently hosting a cohort with 5 people I don’t know all that well who count on me to be a valuable and self-assured leader.

• I’m forming connections on X and LinkedIn to service this freelance mentorship business I’m building.

• I relentlessly promote myself and my value proposition on this and other very public media in what has been an inspirational and instructive teaching and learning process.

• I’ll soon moderate public conversations with industry bigshots (this is me future surfing; don’t tell anyone my plans because, you know, evil eye lmao).

All these recent exploits have gone against every instinct in my body.

If you told me last year that I would have done any of the above, I’d have thought you crazy.

Alas, I’d be the crazy one.

What’s the wind beneath my wings, you may wonder?

My mission is more significant than any reservations about interacting with strangers.

What I’m escaping — poverty, dependency, and restriction — is far scarier than the thought of what people think of me or how I’m running my business.

My goals are more important than small small pet peeves.

Make your “Why” so clear, so crazy, and so attractive that any discomforts preventing you from reaching it become non-issues.

You’ll be shocked by what you can accomplish, for yourself and for others, if you leave fear at home watching The Leftovers.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

MY COHORT IS AT FULL CAPACITY.

I’d be lying if I said it was easy or guaranteed.

Yes, it’s free, and yes, I’d have killed for such an opportunity a few years ago.

But I really didn’t think 5 real people would ever trust me enough to influence their career trajectories in any way.

Not 5 quality freelancers, anyway.

(The imposter monster and I go way back.)

But I somehow got a rich pool of applicants and an even saucier pool of mentees.

I didn’t have to let any ol’ slacker in because of desperation.

I’m buzzing with anticipation for the results we’ll achieve over the next 4 months.

Thank you to everyone who:

😄 applied,

😁 shared these posts and newsletters, and

🤗 encouraged me through this first step of the journey.

It’s INSANE how invigorating doing something you didn’t think you could do is.

You just need to experience it once to feel ready to take on the world.

Keep Kicking Ass,

Hope. ☆