When Growth Slows
It'll happen, guaranteed.
Growth is thrilling. At first.
You launch, you build, you get traction. The numbers go up. The doors open. You start to believe, This is it. I’ve figured it out.
One beautiful day, the numbers turn.
At first, you ignore it. Just a fluke. A bad week. A weird algorithm thing.
Then it keeps slowing and doubt creeps in. Maybe it’s over. Maybe you missed your shot to really make it.
That’s when most people panic. They jump to the next trend. They throw more effort at the problem, hoping that “more” will fix it.
The solopreneurship pros go about it differently.
They go deeper.
Instead of chasing more followers, they serve the ones they already have.
In your search for “more”, you may forget this game isn’t just about a bigger audience. You could buy 100K subscribers tomorrow. So what??
When growth slows, that’s your moment to focus on quality. Create something so undeniable, so useful, your current audience can’t help but share it.
They sharpen their message.
When growth slows, it’s often because you’ve blended in. Instead of repeating your message, sharpen it, make it clearer, and make it unmistakably yours.
Ask yourself: “Am I still saying something that surprises, challenges, or delights?”
They create tension.
When things feel flat, don’t just give people more content. Create tension.
People don’t lean in when they already have the answer. They lean in when they feel a gap, a pull, an itch they need to scratch. Zero in on the problem you’re solving, not the solution you’re offering.
Slowing down isn’t failure. It’s a fork in the road. Play it safe, do what’s expected, and you’ll settle into obscurity.
Or use this moment to refine, reinvent, and make something remarkable.
The choice is yours.
Till next time,
Maya
PS. If this sparked something, share it. Someone else needs it, too.
you're so right and it happens to all of us. And during these slower times, not only am I doing things behind the scenes, but I'm definitely reaching out to my paid members to check on them and see if anything that they need.
that's also another time where we can do our call and give them what is needed
after that and I've been doing that and it's working out very well!
I think people appreciate when you check on them. I'm not talking about weekly or anything like that but a lot of times people won't reach out if there's issues that they're having and they struggle within themselves or maybe they forget about the benefits that we give them.
When someone pays for our membership, it doesn't end there and I know a lot of publications are like that. To me that's when the work really begins, depending on what our benefits are. Also people need to realize that word-of-mouth is the best advertisement 😉
Thanks for this inspiring piece, Maya. I love creating community here by showing up consistently, engaging in authentic conversations, and speaking my truth.