I need to tell you something I haven’t shared publicly . . . until now.

A few weeks ago, I seriously considered closing the UN-Marketing Academy.

There. I said it.

The thing I built to help purpose-driven entrepreneurs like you learn marketing that actually works – the academy that represents my life’s work of helping people go from hidden to higher income – I almost shut it down.

Know why??

Because my students weren’t engaging.

And before you jump to conclusions about “lazy students” or “people who don’t do the work,” let me stop you right there. Because that’s not what I thought at all.

I thought it was me.

When Business Gets Real (And Really Hard)

Let me paint you a picture of what the last several months looked like:

The coding for my assessment system – the tool designed to give each member their personalized success path – just would not work. No matter what I tried, no matter how many times I tweaked it, something kept breaking. I’d fix one thing, another thing would break. It was like playing whack-a-mole with code.

So I stopped working on it. I just couldn’t take the constant disappointment and frustration, so I walked away.

Then Claude Projects opened up (game-changer, by the way), and I could suddenly see all my previous chats and work. This was HUGE – exactly what I needed! But instead of jumping back into the academy work . . . I just didn’t. The momentum was gone. I dropped the ball.

Meanwhile, my web design business was down. A couple of clients left my web maintenance program (which, let me tell you, hits different when you genuinely care about your clients). I had issues with another client that were mmmm . . . let’s just say challenging. Revenue was down. Confidence was shaky. Motivation was MIA.

And my academy members? Quiet. Not engaging. Not showing up to calls. Not posting in the community. Not implementing the strategies.

Except for a couple of them who were absolutely ROCKING it.

Wait. What?

The Question That Changed Everything

Here’s where most entrepreneurs make the fatal mistake. They look at non-engaged members and think:

“They’re not motivated.”
“They don’t want it bad enough.”
“They’re not my ideal clients.”
“They just want the magic bullet.”

But I couldn’t shake this nagging thought: If a couple of students are succeeding in the SAME environment where most aren’t engaging . . . what’s the real difference?

So I asked myself the hardest question an entrepreneur can ask:

“What’s the ONE common denominator here?”

The answer hit me like a ton of bricks.

Me.

Taking Responsibility Is Hard (But Necessary)

Here’s what I realized:

When the coding broke and I walked away from the assessment system, I didn’t just abandon a technical feature. I abandoned the structure my members needed. The Success Momentum Path™ – the thing that tells you exactly where you are and what to do next – it wasn’t working. So my members were left wondering, “What should I focus on? What’s my next step?”

When business got hard and I got discouraged, I stopped showing up with the same energy. I stopped posting as much. I stopped creating new content. I stopped being as present. And guess what? My members felt that. When the leader isn’t engaged, the community isn’t engaged.

When I didn’t have consistent value delivery, members drifted. There was no weekly touchpoint. No reason to log in every Monday. No fresh strategy to implement. Just a library of content with no guidance on where to start.

I had built this beautiful academy, but then I stopped tending the garden.

And gardens don’t thrive on autopilot.

But Here’s What I Did Differently

Here’s where this story could go one of two ways:

Option 1: Blame the members. “They’re just not committed.” Close the academy. Move on. Protect my ego.

Option 2: Take responsibility. Ask hard questions. Fix what’s broken. Do the work.

I chose Option 2.

Not because I’m some superhero entrepreneur (trust me, I’m not). Not because I have it all figured out (I definitely don’t). But because I care too much about what I built and who I serve to let it die without a fight.

So here’s what I did:

I Got Honest About What Wasn’t Working

• ✅ The assessment system was broken → Fix it or find another way
• ✅ The momentum path wasn’t clear → Make it crystal clear
• ✅ Weekly value wasn’t consistent → Automate it
• ✅ My energy was off → Get back in the game

I Stopped Making Excuses

It would be so easy to say:

• “The coding was too hard”
• “My web design business needed attention”
• “Members just aren’t my ideal clients”
• “The market is tough right now”

All of those things were TRUE. But none of them were the REAL issue.

The real issue was that I stopped leading. And when the leader stops leading, the community stops following.

I Did the Work

In the last few weeks, I’ve:

✅ Fixed the Success Momentum Path™ with help from AI tools that actually work
✅ Created an assessment system that directs members to their personalized path
✅ Built an automated weekly value system (Marketing Nuggets that deliver fresh strategies every Monday)
✅ Restructured the membership tiers to give members clear upgrade paths
✅ Renewed my commitment to showing up for my community
✅ Got my energy back by remembering WHY I started this in the first place

What I Learned (And What You Need to Know)

If you’re an entrepreneur building anything – a business, a program, a community, a movement – here’s what this experience taught me:

1. Your Members Mirror Your Energy

When you’re excited, they’re excited.
When you show up, they show up.
When you engage, they engage.

This doesn’t mean you have to be “on” 24/7. It doesn’t mean you can’t have hard seasons. But it DOES mean that your energy sets the tone. If you want an engaged community, you have to BE engaged.

2. Systems Matter More Than You Think

I thought the assessment and momentum path were “nice to haves.” Turns out, they’re ESSENTIAL.

People need:

• Clarity: Where am I right now?
• Direction: What should I do next?
• Progress: How far have I come?

Without systems that provide these things, even motivated members get lost.

3. Consistency Beats Perfection

I stopped showing up because things weren’t perfect. The coding was broken. The system wasn’t ideal. I didn’t have it all figured out.

But you know what? My students who ARE succeeding? They succeeded in an imperfect environment. They didn’t need perfection – they needed CONSISTENCY.

Weekly value -vs- Perfect systems
Regular touchpoints-vs- Polished content
Showing up messy-vs- Not showing up at all

4. The Messy Middle Is Normal

Every entrepreneurial journey has three phases:

Phase 1 – The Exciting Beginning: Everything is new! So much potential! You’re building! You’re launching! Energy is HIGH!

Phase 2 – The Messy Middle: Things break. Revenue fluctuates. Clients leave. Technology fails. Doubt creeps in. This is where most people quit.

Phase 3 – The Breakthrough: You push through Phase 2. You fix what’s broken. You rebuild. You come back stronger. This is where magic happens.

I was in Phase 2. The temptation to quit was REAL. But quitting in the messy middle means you never get to Phase 3.

5. Taking Responsibility Is Leadership

It would be so much easier to blame:

• The members who aren’t engaged
• The technology that broke
• The market conditions
• The economy
• The algorithm
• Literally anything external

But leadership means looking in the mirror first and asking: “What’s MY part in this?”

That’s uncomfortable. That’s vulnerable. That’s hard.

But that’s also how you grow.

6. Your Students Need to See the REAL Journey

You know what my members don’t need? Another highlight reel. Another “I made $100K in 30 days” story. Another perfectly curated success story.

What they need is THIS. The real story. The struggle. The doubt. The comeback.

Because THAT’S the journey they’re on too.

They’re hitting technical problems.
They’re losing clients.
They’re questioning if they should keep going.
They’re wondering if it’s them.

And they need to see that successful entrepreneurs don’t avoid these challenges – we face them and keep going anyway.

What’s Different Now?

Remember those members who WERE succeeding even when things were messy? They’re my proof of concept.

They succeeded when:

• The systems weren’t perfect
• The momentum path was broken
• My energy was low
• Technology was failing

Imagine what happens now that plans are in place so that:

• ✅ The Success Momentum Path™ is working
• ✅ Weekly Marketing Nuggets are dropping automatically
• ✅ The assessment system directs them exactly where to start
• ✅ New membership tiers give them clear upgrade paths
• ✅ My energy and commitment are renewed
• ✅ I’m showing up consistently

We’re about to see a LOT more success stories.

And here’s what else is different: I’m documenting this journey and showcasing it on the YOUTUBE channel. All of it. The rebuilding. The systems. The growth. The challenges. The wins.

Because that’s what real entrepreneurship looks like.

If You’re in the Messy Middle Right Now

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “That’s me. I’m in the messy middle.”

Maybe your business is down.
Maybe your program isn’t selling.
Maybe your clients aren’t engaging.
Maybe you’re wondering if you should just close it all down and get a job.

I see you. I was JUST there.

Here’s what I want you to know:

The Messy Middle Is Where Winners Are Made

Everyone goes through it. The only difference between people who succeed and people who quit is this: they didn’t quit in the messy middle.

They fixed what was broken.
They took responsibility.
They asked hard questions.
They did the work.
They didn’t stop.

Ask Yourself Hard Questions

Don’t blame your audience first. Look in the mirror and ask:

• What’s MY part in this?
• Where did I stop showing up?
• What systems are broken?
• What do my people actually need?
• Am I leading with the energy I want to see?

The answers might be uncomfortable. But they’re also your roadmap to the breakthrough.

Fix What’s Broken (Even If It’s Not Perfect)

You don’t need perfect systems. You need WORKING systems.
You don’t need flawless execution. You need CONSISTENT execution.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You need to KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

Imperfect action > Perfect inaction. Every single time.

Your Success Stories Are Your Proof

If even ONE person is succeeding in your program, you have proof of concept. The question isn’t “Does this work?” The question is “How do I help MORE people succeed?”

Those success stories? Study them. What did they do differently? What worked for them? How can you systematize that for everyone else?

Document the Journey

Stop hiding the struggle. Stop posting only the highlights. Stop pretending it’s all easy.

Your audience doesn’t need another perfect guru. They need a real human who’s a few steps ahead, willing to turn around and say, “Hey, it’s rough here, but keep going. I’ll show you how.”

What Comes Next for the UN-Marketing Academy

I’m not closing the academy. I’m rebuilding it stronger.

Here’s what’s coming:

Starting in January ’26:

• ✅ Success Momentum Path™ live and working
• ✅ Assessment system directs each member to their personalized path
• ✅ Weekly Marketing Nuggets deliver value every Monday
• ✅ New membership tier structure

Short-Term (Next 6 Months):

• 📅 Black Friday “5 Days of Gifts” campaign
• 📅 Quarterly themed training sessions
• 📅 Regular community engagement and coaching
• 📅 “From Hidden to Higher Income Summit”
• 📅 Fresh content creation and MORE member spotlights

Long-Term (By End of 2026):

• 🎯 150 total members across all tiers
• 🎯 YouTube series: Mastering Membership Site Growth | Watch Me Grow My Membership Site
• 🎯 Multiple success stories and case studies
• 🎯 Proven systems that make member success inevitable

I’m not just rebuilding the academy. I’m documenting the entire journey so YOU can see exactly how it’s done.

The wins. The losses. The strategies. The pivots. The real numbers. The honest struggles.

Because that’s what real entrepreneurship looks like.

The Bottom Line

I almost closed my academy because I thought my members weren’t engaging.

Turns out, they weren’t engaging because I wasn’t engaging.

The lesson? You can’t expect from your community what you’re not willing to give yourself.

Want engaged members? Show up engaged.
Want consistent students? Show up consistently.
Want energized community? Show up with energy.

You set the tone.

And when you mess up (because you will), when you drop the ball (because we all do), when things break (because they always do)…

Don’t quit.
Take responsibility.
Fix what’s broken.
Keep going.

Because on the other side of the messy middle? That’s where the magic happens.

That’s where the breakthrough lives.

That’s where your next level is waiting.

I’m not closing the academy. I’m just getting started.

Want to come along for the ride?

Your Turn: Share Your Story

Have you been in the messy middle? Are you there right now?

Drop a comment below and let me know:

• What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in your business right now?
• Have you ever considered quitting? What stopped you (or what didn’t)?
• What’s ONE thing you could fix this week to move forward?

Let’s normalize the struggle. Let’s talk about the real journey. Let’s support each other through the messy middle.

Because entrepreneurship isn’t about never falling down.

It’s about getting back up. Every. Single. Time.