Growth feels weird sometimes...

💌 Mandi Mail: Voice Note Transcript Hey, it’s Mandi. And I wanted to leave a quick voice note to go along with this week’s Mandi Mail because this email felt really personal to write. I think one of the things I’ve been sitting with lately is how strange growth can feel when it’s happening in real time. And I know that probably sounds like a weird thing to say because growth is supposed to feel exciting, right? And it does. I’m incredibly grateful. I’ve had more people finding the podcast, people signing up for Mandi Mail, people purchasing my mini guide, new partnerships forming… and all of those things are genuinely exciting. But I’ve also realized that sometimes growth feels incredibly vulnerable. Because people are seeing your work while you’re still building it. While you’re still learning. And while you’re still figuring out what works and what doesn’t. And I think I used to believe that visibility would magically erase self-doubt. Like once enough people paid attention, I’d suddenly feel fully confident. Well, that just hasn’t been true. What’s actually happening is I’m learning how to hold both things at once. Gratitude… and uncertainty. Excitement… and vulnerability. Confidence… and growth. I think that’s especially complicated when you’re doing work rooted in disability justice, accessibility, relationships, and topics that can feel deeply personal. I’m not interested in building something just to be visible. I want what I build to actually matter. I want it to feel thoughtful. Accessible and intentional. Sometimes that means growing slower than what social media tells us success should look like. And honestly? I’m learning to be okay with that. Actually… I think I’m learning to be proud of that. The people who are here are deeply engaged. And that matters to me more than vanity metrics ever could. So if you’re listening to this and you’re also navigating growth—or visibility—or even just stepping into something new while feeling wildly unprepared… I just want you to know you’re not alone in that. And maybe being in process doesn’t disqualify us. Maybe it makes what we’re building even more honest. Just know I’m really glad you’re here. And I’ll talk to you soon.