Fail Forward Friday - "When to Push Through vs When to Pivot"
Episode Summary
In this raw and revealing Fail Forward Friday episode, Heather shares two contrasting stories from her own business journey: why she persisted with her Sunday newsletter after two years of declining engagement, and why she completely pivoted away from YouTube after a controversial interview led to algorithmic exile. Through these parallel experiences, she explores the crucial difference between productive persistence and digital self-harm.
The Stories
The Newsletter Journey: After 88 editions over two years, spending 4+ hours every Sunday writing, Heather watched her email bounce rates rise and open rates plummet. On the verge of quitting, she asked the universe for a sign - and got a response after edition 86 that led to new business. She persisted.
The YouTube Pivot: Following a controversial interview, Heather's YouTube channel went from hundreds of views to literally zero - not just new videos, but even older content was algorithmically suppressed. Recognising the need to niche down in today's landscape, she pivoted completely to LinkedIn, launching an AI-focused newsletter for transformational practitioners.
Key Topics Covered
- Recognising the difference between productive persistence and stubborn repetition
- Reading micro-signals versus macro-results
- How algorithms can completely reshape your digital strategy
- The importance of niching down in today's content landscape
- When to trust your energy levels as crucial business data
- Pivoting your method while maintaining your mission
Chapters:
- 00:32 - The Balance of Persistence and Letting Go
- 02:21 - A Tale of Two Journeys
- 03:39 - The Pivot Decision: Learning from YouTube's Founders
- 05:19 - Navigating Persistence and Pivoting
- 06:45 - The Signals of Change
Three Core Lessons
- Look for micro-signals, not just macro-results - Small signs of engagement matter more than vanity metrics
- Trust your energy - Generative challenge feels different from soul-crushing struggle
- Pivot your method, not your mission - Stay true to your purpose while being flexible about your platform
This Week's Reality Check
Strip away all the "shoulds" and "I've already invested so much time" and ask:
What does your gut tell you about your current path? Trust your intuition - it's been collecting data this whole time.
Community Challenge
Share your current persistence vs pivot dilemma in one sentence @ChoosingHappyPodcast - your story might help someone else navigate their crossroads.
Resources
- Connect with Heather for transformation work
- New LinkedIn AI newsletter for transformational practitioners
Next Episode
Join us next Friday for another Fail Forward episode where we continue turning setbacks into comebacks.
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Transcript
What's the difference between being one inch away from gold and banging your head against the same wall for the thousandth time?
Speaker A:Today, I'm sharing the brutal truth about when persistence pays off versus when you're just repeating the same mistake, expecting different results.
Speaker A:And I'm getting real about my own YouTube disaster and newsletter breakthrough.
Speaker A:I'm Heather Masters, and this is Fail Forward Friday on the Choosing Happy Podcast, where we turn our setbacks into comebacks by learning the hardest lesson of all.
Speaker A:When to hold on and when to let go.
Speaker A:Stay tuned.
Speaker A:Let me get brutally honest with you about two very different stories unfolding in my business right now.
Speaker A:First, my Sunday newsletter.
Speaker A:I've been writing it for two years.
Speaker A:88 editions of pouring my heart out every single week, four plus hours every Sunday, crafting something I believe is meaningful and sending it out to the void.
Speaker A:Recently, I noticed emails bouncing back, open rates dropping like stones.
Speaker A:And after two years of consistent effort, I felt like I was talking to an empty room.
Speaker A:Two weeks ago, I was seriously considering pulling the plug.
Speaker A:I mean, what's the point of spending my entire Sunday writing to crickets?
Speaker A:But something in me couldn't quite just quit.
Speaker A:So I did what I do when I'm truly lost.
Speaker A:I asked the universe for a sign.
Speaker A:Just give me something.
Speaker A:Just show me if this is worth continuing.
Speaker A:And after edition 86 went out, I got a response.
Speaker A:I got an email back.
Speaker A:Someone said that the topic had deeply resonated and could we chat about working together?
Speaker A:That single message, after 86 weeks of feeling like I was shouting into the wind, told me everything I needed to know.
Speaker A:And I persisted.
Speaker A:Meanwhile, my YouTube journey has been a complete disaster.
Speaker A:I mean, we're talking zero views.
Speaker A:Literally zero.
Speaker A:After months of effort, the algorithm had apparently decided I didn't exist.
Speaker A:Now here's where the YouTube founding story becomes fascinating.
Speaker A:Those founders originally created a dating site called TuneIn Hookup.
Speaker A:A complete failure.
Speaker A:Nobody was using it for dating.
Speaker A:But instead of persisting with dating features and marketing it harder as a romantic platform, they noticed people were uploading random videos instead.
Speaker A:So they completely abandoned dating and pivoted to general video sharing.
Speaker A:And the pivot became YouTube.
Speaker A:Watching my own YouTube views hit absolute zero, I had my Pivot moments.
Speaker A:Instead of banging my head against that particular wall, I went all in.
Speaker A:LinkedIn launched a newsletter there, started creating content specifically for that audience, even began a new podcast tailored to them.
Speaker A:It's early days, but I'm seeing small incremental movement in the right direction.
Speaker A:So what's the difference?
Speaker A:Why persist with the newsletter, but pivot from YouTube?
Speaker A:How do you know when you're 1 inch from gold versus when you're digging in completely the wrong place?
Speaker A:Here's what these two very different outcomes taught me about the persistence versus Pivot decision.
Speaker A:First, look for micro signals, not just macro results.
Speaker A:So with my newsletter, the open rates were dropping, but there were still micro signals, meaningful responses, people forwarding it, occasional mentions, and conversation by YouTube.
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:Zero engagement, zero comments, zero signs of life.
Speaker A:And when there are absolutely no micro signals after sustained effort, that's your pivot alert.
Speaker A:Second, trust your energy.
Speaker A:Writing my newsletter, even when the results were disappointing, still felt generative.
Speaker A:I was learning, improving, finding my voice.
Speaker A:YouTube felt like pushing a boulder uphill, exhausting, depleting, and soul crushing.
Speaker A:Your energy levels are crucial data about whether you're on the right path or just being stubborn.
Speaker A:And third, pivot your method, not your mission.
Speaker A:My mission hasn't changed.
Speaker A:I want to help people choose happiness, transform their lives, and really make a difference in the world.
Speaker A:But I stopped being precious about the vehicle.
Speaker A:Newsletter equals persist because the connection was there.
Speaker A:YouTube pivot to LinkedIn because the connection wasn't.
Speaker A:Same mission, different methods.
Speaker A:So here's your Fail Forward Friday reality check.
Speaker A:Think about something you've been working towards that isn't giving you the results.
Speaker A:Now ask yourself this one brutal question.
Speaker A:If you stripped away all the shoulds and I've already invested so much time, what does your gut tell you about this path?
Speaker A:Not your logical brain that's calculating sunk costs and not your ego that doesn't want to admit defeat.
Speaker A:Your gut, your energy, your intuition.
Speaker A:If it says keep going but change your approach, that's persistence.
Speaker A:If it says this isn't it, that's your pivot signal.
Speaker A:Trust it.
Speaker A:Your intuition has been collecting data this whole time.
Speaker A:I want to know what's your current persistence versus pivot dilemma?
Speaker A:What are you wrestling with right now that might need a completely different approach?
Speaker A:Message me at choosing HappyPodcast with one sentence about your situation.
Speaker A:I read every single one and your story might just help someone else navigate their own crossroads.
Speaker A:If this hit home.
Speaker A:Subscribe to the Choosing Happy podcast and leave a review.
Speaker A:Not because I need the ego boost, but because someone else needs to hear that it's okay to change course when something isn't working.
Speaker A:Until next Friday.
Speaker A:Remember, sometimes the algorithm of life is telling you something important.
Speaker A:Don't ignore the signals.
Speaker A:Choose brave, choose strategic, and choose happy.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others.
Speaker A:Please do share and if you really enjoyed it, please please leave me a review.
Speaker A:It really helps the podcast.
Speaker A:All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.
