Why Are You Pre-Rejecting Yourself?

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Hey there, 

It’s a Sunday night in late August. The air is rotten and sweet and sky crimson. But instead of enjoying the unctuous summer heat, I’m in my bedroom, doom-scrolling Twitter, when I stumble on Steph’s tweet: 

I’m a creator. I’m in NYC. But “interesting?” Unsure. I feel my achievements pale compared to Steph’s, who’s generated multiple six-figures on her creative endeavors such as Doing Content Right, and is a podcast host at a16z. 

“I’m not cool enough,” I diagnose. The scroll resumes. The pre-rejection is complete.  

I forget about the post until a guy named Camilo tags me. “I’m pretty sure Alice is in NYC and she’s a badass,” he writes. Two seconds after Steph is in my DMs…and three days later I met her and all these wonderful creators. 

If it hadn’t been for Camilo, I would’ve never met ultra-marathon runner Zach Pogrob or Dylan Jardon, creator of newsletter comic Smart Nonsense. This opportunity, ripe for the picking, would’ve tumbled to the ground and rotted. 

Melodramatic metaphors aside, nearly missing the creator meetup was a reminder that we are often our own biggest obstacle. 

Had I messaged Steph directly instead of pre-rejecting myself, I could’ve wound up at Electric Shuffle on West 30th on my own accord. 

But I didn’t—and my fate instead lay in Camilo’s kind vote of confidence. 

(*cue Carrie Bradshaw’s voice*) I couldn’t help but wonder: How many opportunities have we missed because we didn’t go for it, or waited for someone else to give us the green light? 

It’s easy to convince ourselves we’re not that cool. To see an opportunity, whether it be a job, magazine byline, or networking event, and instantly discredit ourselves. 

You, who picks spinach from your teeth, with unwashed greasy hair; you, who lies awake at night thumbing through your doubts; you, who scrolls Instagram and bathes in the scalding bath of self-comparison. 

You? Cool? To go after that big thing? No way.  

But let me remind you of what Camilo graciously reminded me: Some people genuinely appreciate what you do. They don’t see your fumbles and fears: They see your talent and tenacity.

Squash that tiny, critical voice in your head before it steals any more opportunities away from you. 

🪩 Some Other Life Updates

→ I passed on a $1,500 writing assignment. 

In July, a healthcare client offered me a considerable lump of money. The only problem? I have zero interest in writing about GLP-1 and Semaglutide. I respectfully declined. 

Here’s the thing about writing: If you have a bad time writing, the reader will have a boring time reading. As a writer, you should honor your craft and energy (if you’re financially capable, of course). 

Don’t publish a so-so piece you hated creating. Don’t put a reader through a strained reading experience. Both of you deserve better. 

→ I’ve made progress with my career coach. 

I’ve been working with Nick Bennet to figure out my unique POV and category (and holy sh*t, it’s hard work you guys). 

But we’ve made some headway: I’m leaning toward content and writing coaching for solopreneurs. 

I’d help you solve content indifference–when everything you publish is met with tumbleweeds and silence–by teaching you how to write warmly and compellingly. 

Details to come!

✍️ Quick Writing Tip

Use clichés to connect with your readers. The key here is to call out your cliché so the reader knows you’re on their side. 

For example:  

It’s a trope you’ve heard a million times. But the author beats you to the eye roll with the “blah blah blah.” Genius!

 💊 Brain Vitamins

How I Wrote a Book in 15 Minutes a Day by Julia Dahl — I wrote the first draft of a 2,300-word, 19-page personal essay through this productivity advice. Don’t underestimate your minutes!  

Why Your Audience isn’t Growing (And What to Do About it) by Jay Clouse – For 5 years, Jay was posting content religiously to no avail. He. Just. Wasn’t. Growing. Until he had this single epiphany that changed everything. 

How to Land Partnerships as a B2B Creator by Jayde Powell — Did you know LinkedIn influencers are a real thing? It’s true: B2B creators are the next wave. Jayde is way ahead of the curve—she’s booked tens of thousands of dollars as a B2B creator, and teaches us everything she knows in this podcast!  

Thanks for reading! I appreciate you.

Stay Creative,

Alice 💌