What I Do When Nothing Is Working
When things slow down, most experts start something new. That is the wrong move.
Things slow down. It happens.
Maybe the book launch buzz faded. Maybe the speaking inquiries dried up for a few weeks. Maybe it is just the season. Whatever the reason, you are sitting there with a little too much quiet and a lot of restless energy.
And the temptation is always the same. Start something new.
A new social media platform. A new offer. A new website. A new lead magnet. A new course idea. A whole new direction.
It feels productive. It feels like forward motion. But it is usually just distraction dressed up as ambition.
Distraction dressed up as ambition is still distraction.
Starting new things when you are slow is the easiest way to guarantee you stay slow. Because new things take months to build momentum. New things pull your attention away from the stuff that was already working. And new things give you a convenient excuse to avoid the harder, less exciting work of making what you already have better.
Make What You Have Better
Here is what the slow season is actually for. It is not for reinvention. It is for refinement. The authors who build lasting platforms do not start over every time things get quiet. They sharpen what already exists.
Your website. When is the last time you looked at it with fresh eyes? Is your message still clear? Does your homepage tell someone in five seconds what you do and who you do it for? Does your bio reflect where you are now or where you were a year ago?
Your content. Are you still posting the same way you were six months ago? Have you looked at what is actually getting engagement and what is not? Are you saying the same thing ten different ways or are you tightening the message every time?
Your offers. Are they clear? Could someone land on your site and know exactly how to work with you in under a minute?
These are not exciting questions. Nobody gets a dopamine hit from updating their website copy. But this is the work that compounds. This is the work that means the next person who finds you actually sticks around instead of bouncing.
Tell People What Your Doing
The other thing that happens when things slow down is we go quiet. We stop reaching out. We wait for people to come to us.
Slow seasons are the best time to reach out. Not with a sales pitch. Just with an honest update on what you are working on. People cannot hire you, refer you, or support you if they do not know what you are doing right now.
Send a DM. Write an email. Text someone you have not talked to in a while. It does not need to be complicated.
Here is a template you can steal right now. Adjust it to fit your voice and your work.
Subject: Quick update on what I have been working on
Hey [Name],
I wanted to reach out and share a quick update. I have been working on [your current project or focus area] and it has been going really well. [One sentence about a result or milestone.]
I am also [one sentence about what you are building or offering next].
If you know anyone who might benefit from this, I would love an introduction. And if there is anything I can help you with, I am always just a message away.
Hope you are doing well.
[Your name]
That is it. No pitch. No pressure. Just presence. You are reminding people you exist and telling them what you are up to. That alone puts you ahead of 90% of authors who go silent the moment things slow down.
Send ten of those this week. Watch what happens.
What This Looks Like for Me Right Now
I want to practice what I preach here. So let me tell you what I have been up to.
The past few weeks have been heavy. The news has been triggering for personal reasons. "Over there" is where family and home is. I carry that. But I have been steady focusing on what I can control.
When things slow down around my office I start sharpening the tools. Almost automatically. It helps get my mind off what I cannot control and it makes the business better at the same time.
This week I revamped my own website. Updated the SEO. Cleaned up the messaging. I spend at least $1,000 a month on learning. Books, communities, coaching sessions on digital marketing. But learning means nothing without application. So I apply it first, then turn around and help my clients do the same.
I also cleaned up my physical workspace. Desktop. Office. Scrum board. Cleared the clutter. A healthy space can mean a healthy mind. Sometimes we neglect our own environment because we are so busy doing for others.
On the client side, the team and I just launched five new websites in the past two months.
Brannan Sirratt - developyourbook.com
Casey Roberts - caseyamarx.com
Cheri Bergeron - cherischoice.com
John DeMann - johnpauldemann.com
Mark Maynard, ACC - markmaynardspeaks.com
Go check them out.
From coaching to photoshoots to website builds to content strategy, the work is about getting their alignment and messaging right.
We also have an author who was just offered a publishing deal. Once he finalizes the details I will share more.
This is the work I pray for. I have to pinch myself and remember that. The people I get to work with are amazing and being a small part of those journeys is special.
One More Thing
I have been reworking an idea for a while now. Asking myself what authors actually need to have a solid foundation. Not theory. Not another course. Real assets they can use.
So I am putting together a live, in-person event here in Tucson. Three days. A personal brand building workshop, professional photoshoot, podcast recording, video shoot with an optional talk on a real stage, and time to connect with other authors face to face.
You walk in and over three days we build the core assets you need to show up with confidence. If you choose to work with my team after that, great. If not, no pressure. You still walk away with real materials and a clear direction.
Around $300. Ten spots. Five are already taken.
If this sounds like something you need, send me a DM. I will send you the details.
Sharpen the tools. Tell people what you do. And if you need a hand building the foundation, you know where to find me.
Hussein
