Don't Let Your Business Happen To You: Build Your Own Stages Instead

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73% of creators quit in their first year.

90% of startups never make it.

Nearly half of all Substacks become inactive (45%).

Many quit after 6 months.

People say the hardest thing is to start.

I would argue that it is to keep going long after the motivation is gone, when the room is silent and no one is watching.

I’ve been living off my creativity for over three years now, and one thing that has kept me from giving up when (and not if) things get tough is accepting that there’s no direct correlation between your effort and your results.

You can spend hours writing a well-thought-out and researched article and get three likes, or spontaneously publish two lines on the subway from your phone that go viral.

The secret is to keep going even when there’s no prize, no spectators and no applause. Just a wall of silence.

Failure only exists if you give up, and that’s the one thing you can control.

But what’s the formula for showing up during the low moments when nothing seems to bridge the gap between effort and results?

These 7 words will change your mindset

Last week, I ran my Public Speaking Bootcamp, a program designed to help you get paid to speak. 11 entrepreneurs signed up from very diverse fields: nutrition, digital transformation, leadership, emotional intelligence, and the circular economy. You can sneak a peek here.

In the final session, one of the participants, based in Switzerland, Andrea Born-Cristancho, said something that hit me hard:

“You have to create your own stages.”

In just seven words, she captured the strategy and the mindset that will help you build something sustainable and create your own opportunities instead of being a spectator and watching your business happen to you.

It’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do for the last few years, but I had never managed to articulate it so clearly, sharply, and visually: create your own stage.

When you start your own thing, you often wait to be “discovered.” You think that if you put in the effort and keep showing up, people, readers and subscribers will come to you and clients will magically appear.

This is not totally wrong but it’s not totally right either. It’s legacy thinking from the corporate mindset: if you put your head down and work hard, the promotion will come sooner or later.

The problem in the creative world is that we don’t have the luxury of “sooner or later,” and no one is going to come looking for you, pat you on the back, and tell you, “you’re ready for the next step.”

You have to take that step yourself and fabricate your own stage, one brick at a time.

That’s the strategy that has allowed me to turn a hobby into a real business and create multiple income streams.

You don’t have to wait for anyone’s permission or approval.

We all start from zero (or from a garage)

My creative journey began almost four years ago when I was unemployed in Australia. After six months of sending out résumés with zero success, I decided to jump in the driver’s seat and Googled:

“How to speak on podcasts in Australia.”

To be fully transparent, I’m not even sure what exactly I was looking for, but life is like that. Often, your intuition sends you off in a direction, and the path only starts to make sense as you walk it. If you think about it, action usually comes before clarity, not the other way around.

The journey doesn’t exist: it unfolds with every step.

That’s how my first podcast was born: a five-minute recording in my mother-in-law’s garage on the Gold Coast, for the show “5 Minutes for Me,” with a homemade photo and a very roots setup.

I was so nervous (I still hate hearing my own voice) that I never listened to the episode. But I took the first step. Without asking permission or external validation. Without waiting for a pat on the back. I created my own stage and unapologetically grabbed the microphone.

The episode didn’t get many listens. It wasn’t one of those success stories that blows online. But it was my story, and it marked a before-and-after and today, I’m able to speak to Fortune 500 organizations and join panels with CEOs thanks to that one podcast no one listened to.

From that day on, I decided I would create my own stages:

- Going live alone on Substack in a language that isn’t mine, even if I have an accent.

- Doing YouTube interviews, ignoring the imposter in me that whispered that I had nothing new to say.

- Recording podcasts with any show that would open the door.

- Hosting masterminds for my community before I even knew what a “mastermind” really was (I had to Google that too).

- Organizing roundtables for my members (next one in July!).

When you jump in the water, you eventually learn how to swim.

The real reason I organized this bootcamp in June is that no one had invited me onto their stage. I was having a slow month in the business and sales weren’t happening.

And instead of waiting, I went out there and created my own opportunity: a bootcamp where I share everything I know and everything that has helped me build a business as a speaker.

It wasn’t a massive success, but the fact that 11 people bet on me is a sign. If I hadn’t launched it, that number would have been zero. There would have been no stage, and I’d still be walking around with my head down, waiting to be discovered or invited.

How to create your own stage

Creating your own stage isn’t an action or a checklist. It’s a mindset, a way of seeing life and facing obstacles (not just in business):

When publishers reject your manuscript for the twentieth time, you don’t give up: you figure out how to self-publish and reach your readers through your own channels.

When clients aren’t coming to you, you don’t wait: you create better content, share, add value, speak in panels and expand your network.

When your business hits a plateau (like mine did), you don’t blame it on the fact that the digital space is saturated. You keep digging until you find your own category your sweet spot.

When your community isn’t growing, you don’t say that consumers have changed: you seek collaborations and new stages to reach new audiences and try new recipes.

A good strategy helps you get started.

But a good mindset is what keeps you going, even when things get tough. Because no matter what happens, you’ll keep creating your own stages. This is mine!

PS: I would love to see your stage! What is a new opportunity you have created for yourself?

Reply to this email or share in the comments. I always reply!

Lemons & Lemonade 🍋

In July, the focus will be on how to create a Portfolio Career: multiple income streams for your creative business.

Each week, paid subscribers will get a deep dive into one monetization channel with strategies, real examples and tips. Upgrade now to access the full Portfolio Career Series:

• Launching a 1:1 coaching offer

• Growing a community through paid subscriptions

• Launching digital products & courses

• Webinars, Roundtables and Cohorts

• High-value B2B tickets

• Paid sponsorships (coming to Substack soon!)

The ultimate goal is to help you build a sustainable business and turn your creativity in your lifestyle.