Hey friend,
We’re in this strange in-between season right now.
Adam and I are neck deep in building an online business together using LinkedIn… (while raising two incredible, and *spirited* kiddos)
And even though the dominoes are stacking and momentum is building...
(I have to be honest...) it’s all taking longer than we expected.
You see, we’re in the phase where we’re just starting to find our footing.
Everything feels awkward, hard, and just when you think you've placed the perfect domino...
You're hand shakes and you knock everything over.
Congrats, you get to start again.
In a world that rewards performative success, the messy middle...where you are still figuring things out...is not glamorous.
Confession, I'm holding on to feelings of failure that we skipped sending out our newsletter last week. (You probably didn't even notice, and if you did notice... I'm pretty sure you don't all of the sudden think we're failures now lol).
Sharing about the messy middle is scary when we live in a "performance economy."
Last Saturday, Adam read me Justin Welsh's newsletter about the pressure to perform online.
It was so refreshing to be reminded of.
Justin calls it a “performance economy,” where showcasing your work is often seen as more valuable than the work itself.
You know the posts:
- “Six-figure launch in 48 hours!”
- “Booked out until 2026!”
- “My exact daily routine for high performance.”
But what you don’t see?
The quiet months when nothing sold. The launches that flopped. The self-doubt after a post tanks.
We have to remember that in the online space we only see part of the story.
We see the stoic, hyper-disciplined guy with the 3:56am routine.
(I'm looking at you Ashton Hall 👀)
We see the entrepreneur who somehow runs her business, raises her family, and looks like a model while doing it.
What we don’t see?
The late-night scrolling. The moments of regret. The quiet tug of wondering if it’s all really working.
And yet… this is the world most of us are building in.
Justin admitted that he still feels tempted to perform success before he’s there yet.
That hit home.
The beginning and middle parts of building our business may not seem "sharable," but they are a fundamental stage to growth.
When Adam first started selling solar, it was clunky.
With every site visit, every sales call, he had to think hard about what to say, how to say it, when to pause. Nothing came naturally.
But by the end of the first year, his conversations were confident, easy, and dare we say fun.
No performance.
No overthinking.
Just real connection and quality work.
It was the same for me as a yoga teacher.
Those early classes?
Awkward... to say the least 👉👈
I was figuring out how to move and talk at the same time, how to read the room while remembering what came next.
It took a while to find my voice.
But now, I walk into a studio and feel totally at home.
Grounded. In command of the space. Connected to my students.
I don’t have to think about it anymore, it just flows.
The messy middle isn't glamorous but it is part of the process, and we shouldn't feel like failures for acknowledging where we are.
We're still getting our bearings.
Still learning.
Still noticing that nothing feels effortless, yet.
But we know the ease will come.
And we’re committed to showing up until it does.
Because what we want to build isn’t based on performance, it’s based on authenticity.
We want to be real about this journey.
About this odd middle ground between launching and arriving.
That place where you’re not failing, but you’re not thriving yet either.
Our friend Katy shared a video recently that captured it perfectly:
This phase is like stacking dominos.
You just don’t know which one will tip everything forward.
So friends...here's to another way to build and grow.
Like our friend Katy, we want to show up authentically because the more we do, the more we realize:
→ You don’t need to fake it.
→ You don’t need to copy someone else’s highlight reel.
→ You just need to keep showing up for your life.
Not to prove anything. Not to hit some perfect benchmark.
But to build something real.
And doing this takes time.
Success isn’t about ruthless productivity or perfectly curated wins.
It’s about building a life that actually fits your values, your season, and your energy.
If you’re in the messy middle right now, we’re right there with you.
Building something honest, real, and worth staying in the game for.
Here's to building a life you love,
Maggie & Adam
P.S.
Speaking of our friend Katy...
Here's a podcast interview we did together! Enjoy!
🎧 Watch or listen to the episode here: