It Is Working—You Just Can’t See It Yet

The real growth happens in the quiet, slow, unsexy middle.

Zandile Tshabalala, Untitled, 2021. Courtesy of the artist & ADA contemporary

If you're in the quiet middle and wondering what’s next, come spend an hour with me this Friday. Let’s build your momentum together.

I saw this post on Threads the other day:

And my instant thought, I know it’s the skeptic in me, was: Is that really true?

Any time I see things talking people out of what they’re building or slowly chipping away at their belief in the process, I feel this itch to say, “but but but…” So here I am, doing just that.

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Is It Really Not Working?

Let’s sit with that final line: “when nothing is working.”

Is it really not working?
Or is it just not producing what you thought it would when you thought it would?
Is it not making the money someone else is making doing the same thing?
Is it not receiving the recognition you quietly hoped for?

If we’re honest with ourselves, we can start to tease apart those answers. And maybe none of those apply to you. Maybe you're truly above the fray and you don’t need the money or the applause. You just want what you’re making to reach the people it's for.

Even then, I still say: it’s working.

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The Stats That Keep Me Grounded

I love looking at data. Not to psych myself out, but to help neutralize my feelings.

• 81% of small biz owners take over a year to profit.

• Most creators don’t see traction on content-based platforms for 6–18 months.

• 90% of creators don’t earn full-time income from content (source: Stripe).

So, if you've been at this for less than 18 months and you’re already declaring defeat, call me once you’ve gone the distance.

Long-time listeners of my podcast know that I give every new thing at least three years before I judge it. You won’t find that in research journals; it’s just what I’ve learned by living this life.

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The 3-Year Rule

Year One: Pure setup. You're doing everything wrong and spending hours solving problems that were just a missed software update. (Ask me how I know.)

Year Two: You start learning while doing. You’re still making mistakes, but now you know what they are.

Year Three: You’re moving faster, delegating, and knowing what to cut and what to keep. It starts to click.

What am I saying here? Give it time.

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Commitment Over Applause

Whenever people ask how I’ve stuck with things for so long, the answer is simple: commitment.

I’ve podcasted for over a decade. In the beginning, I had 12 listeners, and I thought that was so cool. Then I had 20, then 120, and then 120,000.

That’s 140,178 downloads on a 2017 podcast. I started with 12 in 2011.

If you need applause to keep going, you won’t go far.
The real growth happens in the quiet, slow, unsexy middle.

I’m in the middle of a few different projects right now. They may never get applause or recognition, but I’m still doing them. And here’s what I know: when one of them hits, people will think it happened overnight. You and I will both know it took at least three years.

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Motivation is a Sprint. Commitment is the Climb.

Motivation is fun. It starts just after being hit by inspiration. It’s the mood board—the spark. It fades.

Commitment? It’s a 65 resistance + 65 cadence climb on a Peloton bike. You’re grinding uphill. And when you do reach the top, don’t be surprised if it all starts to feel... easy. That’s the downhill — the payoff for sticking with the climb.

(This is my ultimate uphill Peloton heavy-leg climb jam.)

So if you're saying, "It's not working,” you're likely in the climb.

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But It Is Working. Here's How You Know:

• You’re getting better.

• You’re more consistent.

• You’re figuring out what doesn’t work (underrated win!).

• You’re building tolerance for rejection and disappointment and doing things afraid.

Those are real wins.

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4 Tools to Build Your Commitment Muscle

1. Emotional Vaccination
(Thank you, Dr. Becky.)
Prepare yourself emotionally for disappointment. Before you hit publish or launch, imagine the lowest outcome. “What if no one shows up?” Then remind yourself: I’ll still be here. That’s how you build emotional resilience.

2. Plan Beyond the First Try
One launch is not the whole story. Expect resistance. What’s your plan if it flops? Will you tweak it? Repost it? Learn something and do it again?

3. Get Trusted Feedback
Ask for a second set of eyes, not just anyone, but someone who gets your world. Feedback is about iteration, not insecurity.

4. Stop Obsessing Over Metrics
I don’t obsessively check my likes and hearts. Someone liking it isn’t the full picture. Your audience, clients, and breakthroughs might be watching silently.
Short-term metrics lie. Long-term impact doesn’t.

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It’s Working. Just Not Loudly.

Instead of saying, “Nothing’s working.”
Remind yourself: “It is working. I’m in the quiet part.”
Write down one or two teeny-tiny wins, and STAY IN IT.

And if you need a compass this week, ask yourself:

“What would a committed version of me do today?”
Then go do that. Not perfectly or loudly, just consistently.

Because the applause, income, and impact don’t wait for the most talented person; it goes to the one who refuses to quit when it’s quiet.

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If you’re ready to stop saying “it’s not working” and start building real momentum? Join my live Magic Hour coaching this Friday.

About Me

I’m Myleik Teele, an entrepreneur, coach, and community builder. Over the past decade, I have built, scaled, and closed CURLBOX, creating a blueprint for modern brand-building and cultivating thriving communities both online and in real life. Now, my focus is on helping people—from high-level entrepreneurs and executives to those simply trying to create a life that feels good—play bigger while actually enjoying the journey.

If you’re ready to grow—without the pressure to be perfect—and build a life that truly feels like yours, you’re in the right place. You can also find me on Instagram and my podcast, where I dive into life, business, and everything in between.