The Messy Middle - Normalizing the Struggle
There is a version of entrepreneurship that looks like a clean upward line on a graph. Progress, momentum, success. Repeat.
And then there is the version that is actually true.
The version with rejection letters. With pivots that felt like failures before they became turning points. With seasons of self-doubt so loud you could barely hear your own instincts. With the quiet unravelling that happens when you are working so hard on the outside that you are losing yourself on the inside.
That second version is what Helaine and I talk about in this episode. And it is one of the most important conversations we have had on Step Into Next.
What We Cover in This Episode
Drawing from the real behind-the-scenes story of writing and publishing Making Waves, Helaine and I share:
How our first version of the book did not sell
The painful feedback that women do not buy business books
What it actually took to completely reimagine the project into something that reflected Helaine's full story
What it means to normalize struggle without making the struggle your whole identity
Why it is okay to be in the messy middle but genuinely dangerous to become it
How to keep holding onto your why when the feedback is brutal, and the outcome is uncertain
What perfectionism quietly does to creative work when you let it run the show
How people pleasing sabotages the very thing you are trying to build
What resilience actually looks like when you are in the middle of a hard season, not after it
The Distinction That Changes Everything
One of the most important ideas in this episode is the difference between being in the struggle and becoming the struggle. Helaine and I talk about how to feel the difficulty, acknowledge it honestly, and then hold it at arm's length so it does not take over your identity entirely.
That is not toxic positivity. It is survival strategy. It is something every woman founder needs to hear at least once, ideally on a day when the feedback is brutal and the path forward feels unclear.
You are allowed to be in the messy middle. You are not allowed to let it be the last word on what you are building.
About the Hosts
I am Leanne Shear, a strategic consultant and leadership coach for unconventional founders, purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders. I work with people who are building something real and need a partner who takes their vision as seriously as they do. Helaine Knapp is the founder of CityRow and my co-author on Making Waves.
Listen to the Episode
Listen to Step Into Next on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. If you are in a messy middle season of your own and need someone in your corner, I offer complimentary consultations at consciousnessraise.consulting/contact.