When Playing It Safe Cost Me

Hi,

Early in my career, I faced a choice: stick to what I knew or push into uncharted territory. When the idea for Stay Hungry Live came up, my instinct screamed, “stick to what’s safe.” Standing before a room of industry peers, answering unfiltered questions? Terrifying. But I knew that playing it safe was holding me back.

The day of the event arrived, and everything that could stress me out did. I hadn’t stayed overnight, so I rushed to set up early in the morning, juggling tech issues and nerves. By the time attendees arrived, I felt anything but prepared.

But as the first question came, instinct took over, and I adapted on the fly. The event turned out far better than I feared, teaching me a valuable lesson: it’s not about being flawless; it’s about showing up and adapting.

Even seasoned speakers still get nervous, not because they’re unprepared but because there’s always a risk of the unexpected. That’s where real growth happens - outside the bubble of comfort, in the realm of “what if.”

Three takeaways:

1. Get nervous. If it scares you, it’s probably worth doing.

2. Prepare but don’t control. The best insights come from handling unexpected chaos.

3. Adapt in real-time. Live interactions teach you what no course ever will.

Push through today’s anxiety and build tomorrow’s muscle. Because staying small doesn’t suit you.

Catch you again,
Joel

PS. When the time is right, this is how I can help you:

• Sick of your marketing stagnating? Book a 1-2-1 breakthrough call with me here

• Catch the latest episode of the Stay Hungry Podcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel

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