1 Truth About the Realities of Building a Brand No One Warns You About
So here’s the truth.
I know I’ve been sharing my wins lately, and don’t get me wrong, I am proud of how far I’ve come. I am seeing growth. I do feel good about the direction this brand is heading. But I’d be lying if I said that’s the whole story.
Because today? Today didn’t feel like a win.
I was working on a brand deal I was really excited about. We were in talks, things looked promising, and I thought it was going to be something major for me and for 9 to 5 Mom with a Pod. And then… it just fell through. No drama, no hard feelings. Just gone. Done. Not happening.
And honestly, it stung. Not because I’m not used to rejection (I am). But, because I let myself get excited. Yesterday I was riding the high of thinking, this is happening. And then today I had to sit in that feeling of, okay, I guess it’s not.
I’m not going to pretend like I just brushed it off. It threw me for a bit. And the truth is, this is part of the journey no one really prepares you for when you’re building a brand.
We talk a lot about growth, strategy, mindset, confidence… but what about the middle moments? What about the days where something almost happens and then doesn’t? What about the weird in-between of feeling both proud of your progress and also disappointed in the present?
I guess what I’m trying to say is: I’m not going to be one of those creators who only shows the highlight reel. I can’t be.
Because the reality is: I’m in this. Right now. Building a brand full-time. And I’m figuring it out day by day. I’m celebrating the highs, sure, but I’m also learning how to sit with the lows without letting them break me.
And that’s what today was. A low. Not the worst one, but still, a bump in the road.
But here’s the thing: I’m still here. I’m still showing up. And I know I will keep showing up, because that’s what building something real takes. It’s not about constantly being positive, it’s about being resilient. It’s about knowing that things falling through doesn’t mean you fell apart.
Building a brand means learning how to keep your momentum, even when your motivation is low. It means showing up on the days when no one claps for you, when nothing exciting happens, when everything feels uncertain, but you still hit “publish” anyway. You still write the caption. You still record the podcast. You still believe in the long game, even when the short-term feels discouraging.
I’ve learned that the quiet, unglamorous moments are often the most powerful ones. They’re the ones that build trust, not just with your audience, but with yourself. Every time you choose to keep going, you reinforce the foundation you’re standing on. So no, today wasn’t a win. But it was still progress. And I’ll take that.
Because building a brand isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence. It’s about staying rooted in purpose, even when the results haven’t caught up yet.
More blogs are coming soon where I’ll share the real, behind-the-scenes journey of building 9 to 5 Mom with a Pod, no filters, just facts and feelings.
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You’re not alone in this. And I’m rooting for you, always.
— Francheska 💛
