what if your project fails?


How are you Reader,

Really... Iā€™d love to know.

Me? Iā€™m in a season of unexpected active rest. Iā€™ve been reading a lot of novels, pottering around the garden and making friends with the Robin. And feeling a little frustrated.

What is stinging a little is the thing that hasnā€™t worked out so well.

Two things that consume a lot of my time ā€“ the podcast, and social mediaā€“ are not paying back the effort I am putting in.

Whilst I donā€™t need fame and fortune, I realise I want something for the energy I put out there.

As a startup founder client shared with me in a tough funding round, ā€œI donā€™t need more kudos for my great business. I need financial validationā€.

My creative baby, the podcast, Unsaid at Work has 80 episodes in the bag.

But downloads are now a third of when we kicked off 18 months ago, and heading downwards. Even though the podcast is in the top 5% of global podcasts, somewhere, Iā€™m not hitting the mark of what folk want to listen to.

Iā€™ve played by the rules on social media (Linkedin & Instagram) for over two years with nothing to show for it. Just me ā€“ shouting into the noisy abyss that is social media.

(All my work continues to come through referrals and repeat clients).

Thatā€™s hard for me to share with you Reader, because I donā€™t like to not be ā€˜top of the classā€™.

Iā€™ve always signed up to the idea that hard work always pays off.

Iā€™ve worked hard, and it hasnā€™t paid off.

Iā€™ve made a few decisions:

šŸ’” Itā€™s a wrap on the podcast Unsaid at Work. I might come back to it. I might not.

šŸ’” Iā€™m stopping any proactive social media. I might post when I get excited to post something. But Iā€™m no longer posting 5x a week (as all the experts tell you is absolutely necessary).

Instead, Iā€™ll be working 3-day weeks over summer, and resting in between trusting energy and inspiration will find me in the downtime.

Hard work doesnā€™t always pay off and it doesnā€™t mean itā€™s about you. It could be context, timing, or maybe the world isnā€™t ready for you.

If you need any extra encouragement this week, hit reply to get a dose from me.

Iā€™m here for you.

Catherine

Catherine Stagg-Macey

I'm an executive coach, podcaster, DJ. I'm the wing woman for lonely leaders wanting to unleash their leadership potentialšŸ’„ (and their teams). Weekly leadership tips, funny stories, and snippets from the Unsaid @ Work podcast.

Read more from Catherine Stagg-Macey

Hi Reader, Last month, G sat across from me in a meeting room, overlooking the City. ā€œEveryoneā€™s looking to me - the board wants growth plans, my team needs direction, investors demand results." "And hereā€™s what terrifies meā€¦ Iā€™m not sure I have the answers anymore.ā€ His voice dropped. ā€œAnd I canā€™t tell anyone that.ā€ 61% of senior leaders report feeling profoundly alone in their role. Itā€™s the leadership paradox nobody talks about: more responsibility ā†’ fewer people to confide in bigger...

Hi , Two leadership moments collided in my mind this week: Watching Yuval Harari and Sam Harris dissect the future of leadership [see their fascinating conversation here] A question from a coaching client: ā€œmy teamā€™s burnt out, budgetā€™s frozen - now what?ā€ 65% of UK leaders would take a pay cut for a better role. Let that sink in. While most leaders reach for the wallet, high-performing team members want something else entirely: āœ… purpose: work that matters beyond the pay cheque āœ… autonomy:...

Hi Reader, I'm back from a wild ride of the TED AI conference in Vienna. More about that when I have a chance to digest all the insight. Catherine trying to look cool in high-heels that she hasn't worn since 2019! And in the meantime, let's talk tools. Even if youā€™ve got a top-notch tech stack from your IT department, thereā€™s always room to level up your productivity, decision-making, and well-being as a leader. Here are a few tools every exec should consider adding to their lineup: ā³ ChatGPT...