Start Before You’re Ready (or You’ll Regret It Again in 10 Years)
An old friend messaged me the other day with a question I’ve heard a hundred different ways, from a hundred different people:
“I have this idea to make money teaching classes online... but I’m nervous. The internet is so crowded. Is it even worth it?”
Here’s what I told her. And what I’ll tell you, too:
Yes. Do it.
Even if you’re scared.
Even if you’re not tech-savvy.
Even if you think you missed your window, or everyone is fed up with virtual courses.
Because the truth is — the “perfect time” already passed ten years ago. And if you keep waiting until you feel ready, you’re going to be having the same conversation with yourself ten years from now.
You don’t need to be Oprah and appeal to the masses.
You don’t need to have millions of followers or a fancy camera setup or a marketing degree. You just need a few humans who resonate with your energy. That’s it. And you’ll find them — or rather, they’ll find you — if you keep showing up with authenticity and a little consistency.
Start where you are. Use what you have.
Record your first Reel. Make your first awkward post. Fumble through your first class.
You might cringe at how cringe you were the next day — but keep going anyway.
You don’t have to quit your job overnight or go off-grid with a laptop and a dream (unless you want to).
But you do have to begin.
Pick a direction. Pick a platform. Pick a person to talk to — just one — and start building for them.
Because the real difference between those of us who “escaped the matrix” and those still stuck in it?
We started.
We said yes before we had all the answers.
We posted the cringey content.
We trusted the vision even when no one else got it.
But here’s the thing most people don’t realize: the algorithms are working for you. Even if you think you might be shouting into a void:
Google is crawling your blog posts. YouTube is scanning your videos and descriptions.
And yes—even ChatGPT is indexing your content, learning from publicly available material to better answer questions people are asking.
—> Here’s How ChatGPT Found Me My Ideal Client: https://nicolepaulus.com/blog-content/2025/5/9/she-found-me-through-chatgpt-proof-that-nicheing-down-still-works
That recipe you shared?
That website tutorial video you recorded and posted on YouTube on the fly?
That mini-class you created for your students?
It’s all working in the background. Quietly. Faithfully.
So when someone finally searches for what you offer—they find you.
It’s not about going viral, it’s about making yourself findable.
And having the courage to begin.
And no, it’s not all sunshine, hammocks, and palm trees (though there’ll be a good deal of that.)
You’ll still hustle. You’ll still grind.
But you’ll be doing it for yourself.
On your time.
For your vision.
About something that lights your soul on fire.
So if you’ve been sitting on an idea for weeks, months — maybe even years — consider this your sign:
Just start.
Or you’ll be looking back a decade from now wishing you had.
Want help figuring out what your idea could look like? I help conscious creatives and curious misfits find clarity, build freedom, and start walking away from the grind. Book a session with me.
To My Fellow Weirdo Writers, I See You.
Wired to Be a Weirdo
While attending the Hay House, Inc. #WritersWorkshop2022 over the weekend, I had an epiphany - I am a weirdo writer and I had to stop ignoring my calling.
For any fellow weirdo writers out there, you know the long lonely journey it is to be a writer. It’s such a lonely journey that many of us often resist the urge to translate ideas and share them with the world in order to pursue other endeavors. This rarely goes well. Instead of relishing in blissful ignorance, we end up tossing and turning in the middle of the night, pursuing unfulfilling jobs and relationships, and prioritizing the needs and desires of our loved ones above our own. In short, we suffer.
During the workshop, author, Rebecca Campbell gave a talk where she said something that deeply resonated with me. While traveling to meet her husband’s family for the first time she said that she was up late in the evening scribbling in her notebook. “He must have thought I was crazy,” she told the audience of 200. The audience laughed, but tears welled up in my eyes. How many times had I been scribbling notes frantically in the corner of a hotel room, or dimly lit living room, trying to make sense of the inspirational downloads I was receiving while also trying not to disturb my sleeping partner? Too many times to count, that’s for sure.
“When I write, I feel much larger than the limits of my body. There is a mystery you tap into that is much bigger.”
When Rebecca shared her experience with us, it made me realize that there were other weirdo writers out there! Despite how isolating it feels to be scribbling away in the middle of the night, I wasn’t actually alone. I suddenly felt seen, understood, and inspired.
And that’s the power of sharing.
Rebecca went on to say that being a writer was a weird thing to want to do. And because we were all sitting in that room we were heeding the call, and THAT was something we should be proud of ourselves for.
And you know what? She’s right.
I’m Not Selling Myself, I’m Sharing Myself
I struggle sometimes with the business part of the publishing business, specifically in the nonfiction realm. But perhaps that is my own inner critic succeeding in keeping me small. Perhaps I need to change the way I view “selling myself”. I’m not selling myself, I’m SHARING myself….my ideas, my unique perspective, and my vision for the future… and who knows, maybe it helps someone else feel less alone or inspired to follow their calling.
The truth is, I was wired to be a weirdo writer whether I like it or not. And it is no longer enough to keep my scribbles to myself, I have to start sharing my musings with others.
Does this resonate with you? Have you been ignoring your calling? Get in touch, I’d love to hear about it!
You Are a Creative Creator Creating Your Own Creations
The next time you think “Oh I’m not that creative” can you just shut your pie hole? You are so creative that you just created this belief that you were not creative! Get out of here with that mess!
Seriously though…you are creating your own reality each and every day. From the moment your eyes pop open and you immediately grab your phone to check your messages/scroll through Instagram, you are creating your reality. Each person’s early morning reality will look slightly different depending on which influencers you follow. Personally, I prefer strictly meme accounts.
The things you wear, the foods you eat, and the songs you listen to on Spotify have all been created — by you. Though you may have not woven your own underpants, you certainly picked them out, and if you didn’t pick them out “Thanks Grandma!” then you certainly made the choice to put them on your bare ass and if you didn’t make the choice to put them on your bare ass then you certainly made the choice to share a house with someone who gets joy from putting the handwoven underpants your grandma made you on your bare ass.
You Are a Creator!
And you are a damn good one. But you don’t need me to tell you that because you already know!
Now I know what you’re probably thinking,
“I didn’t create this massive nose on the front of my face.”
No, but you created the idea that it was a bad one, one not worthy of love or spontaneous selfies.
“I didn’t create all these evil things happening in the world.”
No, but you created a pattern where you only focus on the negative headlines in the media instead of connecting with real humans and listening to their stories.
“I didn’t create this cold ass weather.”
No, but you created this negative thought! Haven’t you ever heard of fuzzy socks, hot cocoa, and puzzles? Invite a friend over under these conditions and bet me you wouldn’t have fun. BET ME! YOU WOULDN’T DARE!
The point is, we ARE creators. We create our perceptions, our surroundings, and our thoughts. We are such good creators that our thoughts go on to create our reality!
Because we have the power to create— we also have the power to destroy. We can easily destroy something that isn’t working for us anymore like a negative thought pattern or a limiting belief. You literally don’t have to do ANYTHING you don’t want to. You don’t have to stay in a toxic relationship, get hammered on the weekend, shave your armpits, or even recycle.
I’m saying all of this because I believe in you. I believe in everyone. We all have the power to create a beautiful life for ourselves if only we believe we are the ones driving our own bus. Now put on your captain’s hat and pull up your big girl panties, it’s GO TIME, goddamnit! Get out there and CREATE!!
If you’re still not convinced, try the following exercise to evoke the magical creator inside
1/ First, put this song on, the louder the better!
2/ Now take out a pen and piece of paper and write one limiting belief or negative thought you might have about yourself or the world. An example of a limiting belief would be, “I am not good with money.”
3/ Now write down the desired action followed by what you need to do to achieve it.
“I WILL be good with money once I create the environment that supports this desire.”
4/ Now write down three actions you can take to create that very environment:
Read an article about budgeting.
Take a workshop on budgeting.
Practice an attitude of gratitude - every time you feel like you don’t have enough money, write down 10 things you are absolutely grateful to have.
There you have it - you’ve started creating a new environment that will produce the fruits you actually desire. You are such a creative creator. Well done!
Looking to bring one of your creations into the world? I’d love to help be your guide. Get in touch today and let’s discuss the deets.
Get Out of Your Own Damn Way
I can’t tell you how long I’ve had “write NNM newsletter/blog” on my to-do list. I’ve been so busy juggling my paid clients that I kept pushing my own projects further and further down the list. This also goes for my other project, www.ReproJustice.com.
At one point, I even tried to wrangle my sister into the ReproJustice project so she could help me manage it while I spun other things. She seemed into the idea at first, but when I saw that she wasn’t fueling it with as much enthusiasm and passion as I wanted her to, I was a bit disappointed:
“This project was cool! We could really empower a lot of women. Why didn’t she get it?”
And then, the more logical voice in my head, answered back:
“Because she has her own life, dummy.”
Let me get this straight, this post is by no means an opportunity to say that my sister let me down.
My point is that she has her own damn life; she is a mama who happens to be raising the cutest, chubbiest, smartest little six-month-old. How could I expect her to attack MY dream with the same fervor and maniacal tenacity that I would? For the first time, it became very clear that I was actually the one copping out on myself. Go figure.
I was giving more priority to my clients’ dreams than my own. One of the reasons why I like to think my clients continue to work with me is that I’m dependable. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it. So why didn’t I have that same determination for my own projects?
Well, not anymore folks. I’ve been working really hard to reach that beautiful balance that makes me feel good about every single thing I give my time and attention to.
Here are the things that I need to prioritize, are they similar to yours?
- Traveling- I begin to get anxiety if I stay in the same place too long. While I love having a comfortable home environment, a tight-knit group of friends, and a familiar daily routine, I also crave adventure. This is why I always have a trip I've recently come back from, and one that I am planning...last stop, Budapest, next stop, Mallorca!
- Music- The one thing that has always remained constant in my life, is my love of music. The excitement I feel when I stumble upon a song that rattles my bones, makes me feel like a kid on Christmas, seriously. Here is the latest song I'm obsessing over.
- Writing- I write a lot for my clients. Some projects allow a bit more creative freedom than others, but none of them are nearly as satisfying as sitting down and writing my own stories.
And here is the funny part, the more honest I become with myself, the more balanced I become in my life, the easier it is to be happy during the in-between moments. It’s kind of like the idea of putting your own life vest on before saving someone else. How could I feel truly, and deeply satisfied helping other people’s ideas and dreams come to fruition if I didn’t first prioritize my own?
And then, like a gift from the hysterical universe, my accountant recently told me that I can start expensing my travel costs and concert tickets as long as I am writing about the experiences. SAY WHAT? So you mean I can 1. travel, 2. go to festivals/concerts and then 3. write about them? I am officially "living the dream".
Well played, universe.
And just to wrap things up, my sis is still one badass bitch. Though she isn’t playing the role that I was projecting on to her, (haha, sounds even sillier when I type it out), she is still helping out the project in many other ways. Occasionally she sends me interesting articles for the ReproJustice social media channels and recently she even coordinated a guest contribution for the site.
When you feel like things aren’t going your way, please realize that it is most likely your own self-doubt holding you hostage. Once you get out of your own damn way, you’ll start to realize just how many opportunities are out there, waiting for your embrace.
May your path be forever lined with a plethora of low-hanging fruit, ripe for the pickin'.