48. I Didn't Go Viral - Now What?

In today’s episode, we're talking about something that doesn’t get enough airtime: what it looks like to build a brand, a business, and a body of work without going viral. Yep—this one's for the slow builders, the quiet creators, and the ones still showing up even when the algorithm seems like it’s ghosting them.

We’ve all seen the flashy headlines: “She gained 200K followers overnight,” “He made $5K in one launch with no ads.” That’s amazing for them—but what about the rest of us? The 99.9% who are growing slowly, steadily, and maybe even sipping lukewarm coffee while juggling it all?

Let’s talk about the truth: viral doesn’t always equal viable. And slow doesn’t mean you’re failing. In this episode, I’m sharing a gentle but real pep talk for anyone feeling like their business isn’t growing "fast enough." Plus, you’ll walk away with 5 practical tips to grow with purpose, consistency, and peace (even if your microwave is broken like mine).

Cheers! Thank you for joining us for another episode. Have a chaotic moment, question, or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message or leave a review! If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who thrives in beautiful chaos too.

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The views and opinions expressed by guests on Caffeinated Chaos are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, beliefs, or positions of Whitney Aguon or Aguon Studios LLC. The content shared by guests is for informational and entertainment purposes only. We encourage listeners to do their own research and form their own...

Transcript

0:35

Welcome back to the podcast friends. So today we're diving into a topic that has been kind of tugging on my heartstrings, and maybe yours, I didn't go viral. Now what? Yep. We're talking about the painfully slow, kind of awkward, incredibly unsexy reality of building something that matters when you're not blowing up on social media. You know the stories. She posted one reel and got 200,000 followers overnight. He made 5,000 K in one launch with zero ad spend. This video went viral and now they're booked out for six months. Look, I'm not knocking on their success. That's amazing. Truly, really. Do I sound sure, but what about the rest of us? The 99.9% building slowly, sometimes very slowly, the ones showing up every day and hearing cricket. It's, and they are getting louder, the ones pouring their heart into their business while also reheating coffee three times and managing a taller meltdown mid email. Honestly, right now, everyone, I wish I could reheat my coffee. Our microwave is broken, so I guess my coffee is now my iced coffee for today. Social media has trained us to think that fast growth equals success. But here's the truth that no one says viral doesn't always equal viable and slow doesn't mean you are failing. Let's get honest because you know, we like getting honest here. When you work really hard on something, whether it's a launch, a post, a new product, and it barely gets seen, ouch, we know it hurts. You start to think, maybe you're not cut out for this. Maybe my idea wasn't good enough, or maybe people don't care, but that's not the truth. That's immediate feedback. Culture. We're so used to instant validation that slow growth feels kind of like rejection, but in reality it's just a long game playing out. Think about it. A baby doesn't walk in a day. A tree doesn't grow overnight and a business doesn't become sustainable from a single post. Slow growth gives you time to build systems, resilience and relationships that last. If you take away from one thing, let it be, this consistency is greater than viral. Every single time. That viral video might bring 10,000 followers, but if you disappear right after, then they'll unfollow you just as fast. But when you show up, even when 12 people watch your story, even when the only comment is from your cousin. You are building trust, that's how you become known, not just seen. Let me tell you something about GaN CEOs. I didn't build it overnight. It didn't start with a hundred clients. It started with a few small vendors at a small popup, and I gave them my all. And guess what? They started referring others slowly, quietly. Offline. And now I have a brand that I'm proud of because I built it with integrity, not just trends. So let's get practical because you know, I love a good checklist moment too. Here are some things that you can do to help grow slow and strong. I want you to, one, shift your metrics. Stop obsessing overviews and likes. Start tracking engagement and relationships. Are people DMing you? Are they opening your emails? Are they coming back for more? Those are the real metrics that you should be looking at. Two, batch and breathe. See, I am doing this today. I already finished three interview episodes. So batch your content when you can do it during nap times if you have kids, or when you're starting to feel inspired. Don't burn out chasing daily content just to quote unquote. To beat the algorithm. Three, I want you to talk to your people. Slow growth. It equals better access to your audience. Ask them questions. Respond to the dms that you get. Use the time now to build community before you're overwhelmed with attention. Four, repeat yourself. You're not being annoying by being consistent. People need to hear things multiple times before they take action. Reintroduce your offer, reshare your story, reuse your content in new ways. Five. Celebrate Quiet wins one sale. Celebrate it, one kind. Review, screenshot and save it. One person who said your words mattered. Well, now that's the whole point, isn't it? Let's not pretend this doesn't feel lonely, because I get it. It does. It's hard to put yourself out there when it feels like nobody is watching. It's hard to keep creating when the dopamine hits are few and very far between. But here's the reminder, someone is watching. Someone sees you quietly showing up and you're inspiring them to not quit. You don't need 10,000 followers. You just need 10 aligned people who believe in what you do. You don't need to go viral, you just need to be valued. Now, let me leave you with this. If you are showing up while raising babies, managing chaos, navigating the burnout and the breakthroughs you are not behind, you are building in the margins. You are creating something meaningful and that counts for everything. See, I believe in building brands that are rooted, not rushed, brands that are personal, powerful, and unapologetically real. So if you've been growing quietly and steadily, you're doing it right. Keep going. The people who need to hear your message, they are coming for you. And when they find you, they will stay. Not because you went viral, but because you stayed true to who you are. Alright? And as always, feel free to reach out to us on social, on social media. I am always on Instagram and on threads, so please reach out. Let's have some conversations. Until then, keep showing up. Keep sipping your lukewarm coffee, minus turning into ice coffee. And remember, your pace is perfect just the way you are. All right. See you all next time, friends. Bye now.