A few years ago, I thought having a big following meant I was successful. I measured my momentum by how many likes I got, how many new followers clicked over, how often my content was shared. Back then, the numbers felt like a reflection of my worth. They were the proof I thought I needed that I was doing something right.
But somewhere along the way, I started asking a harder question:
What does success really look like—for me?
And the honest answer? It didn’t look like constantly chasing content ideas or feeling the pressure to stay “on” just to be seen. It didn’t look like growing an audience just for the sake of growth.
Instead, success looked like freedom. Like peace. Like getting to be home with my kids, working on projects I love, and building something meaningful without having to share every moment of it online.
Stepping Away From the Metrics
My real reward hasn’t been growing a large social media following. It’s been building a business that doesn’t depend on one.
And I’ll be honest—at first, I wasn’t even sure it was possible. Everyone I knew who was doing great in their business seemed to be all-in on social media. They were sharing constantly, showing up publicly, and building visibility by staying front and center. And for a while, I tried to keep up with that rhythm.
Because there’s no real rule book on how to build a modern business without social media. It felt like I was trying to merge old-school business principles with a modern-day spin—and I didn’t know if it would actually work.
For a long time, I leaned on social media because I thought it was the key to growth. And yes, it helped me build momentum in those early years. But it also made me feel like I had to be everywhere, all the time. That I had to share everything to be relevant. That my visibility equaled my value.
It wasn’t until I shifted my focus to long-term, sustainable marketing that everything changed.
I started to really focus on building my email list. I focused on creating evergreen content that lives on (hello blog posts and newsletters). I paid attention to the parts of my business that still worked even when I was off social media.
And slowly, something powerful happened:
I started breathing again.
And to really prove it, I didn’t post a single time in 2024 to show myself that yes, I could 100% run my business without needing social media.
Living a Quiet Life That Still Moves Big Things
I stopped feeling like I had to document every single moment.
Now, I show up on social when it feels right. Sometimes that means sharing more. Sometimes it means taking a quiet step back. But either way, my business doesn’t stop. My growth doesn’t pause. Because I’ve built a foundation that doesn’t rely on being plugged in 24/7.
And I can’t tell you how freeing that is.
There’s something sacred about being able to live your life without constantly performing it. About being present in a world that keeps telling you to produce. Some days I look around at the stillness in my home, the sound of my kids playing, the quietness of this life I’ve created—and it feels like success in its purest form.
This isn’t the kind of success you can measure by likes or views. It’s quieter than that.
It looks like mornings spent working in peace. It looks like knowing your worth isn’t tied to visibility. It looks like creating content you love, not content you’re pressured to make. It looks like building something sustainable, something soul-filling, something that doesn’t burn you out.
My business today looks very different than it did five years ago. It’s slower. It’s quieter. It’s deeply fulfilling.
And if you’re feeling the tug to change how you run yours—to step away from the noise, to do more of what feels right, to stop letting social media dictate your rhythm—I want you to know: it’s possible.
You don’t have to be everywhere. You don’t have to show everything. You don’t have to build a business that runs on likes.
You can build something honest. Something rooted. Something beautiful and deeply yours.
That, to me, is the new success.
