Start Where You Are: The Power of Showing Up Small
Starting is hard.
Especially when everything around you tells you that starting small is not enough. That visibility matters more than voice. That you need followers before you need faith. That if it’s not big, it’s not worth doing.
I just joined Substack. No followers. No likes. No algorithm to boost my words into timelines. Just me. Writing. Showing up.
And if I’m honest, the quiet was louder than expected.
I found myself wondering if it even mattered. If I should wait until I had more time, more reach, more “readiness.” But then, as I explored the platform and followed a few writers, I stumbled across a post that said something I didn’t even know I needed to hear:
“If two people shook my hand and said they loved my writing, I’d be over the moon. So why do we dismiss two subscribers?”
That landed.
Because it’s true. We’ve been conditioned to chase scale, to equate numbers with value. We scroll through stories of viral growth and sky-high metrics and start believing that the only work that matters is the work that trends.
But here’s what I’ve learned — especially as someone who has built brands, businesses, and platforms from scratch, time and time again:
Big doesn’t always mean better.
Fast doesn’t always mean fruitful.
Loud doesn’t always mean lasting.
Sometimes the most meaningful things start in obscurity. In the hush of a quiet yes. In the sacred decision to begin, even when no one is watching.
We forget how powerful “small” actually is.
Because two subscribers are still two humans. Two hearts. Two lives. And if they came across your work, paused, and decided to stay, that’s not small. That’s seed.
And seed is sacred.
You don’t need a full audience to practice consistency. You don’t need a stage to step into your message. You don’t need to go viral to be valuable.
You just need to begin.
Because there is clarity that only comes through action. There is confidence that is birthed through showing up. And there is a deep kind of grace in giving yourself permission to be seen, even when the room is half-empty.
This is what Sage Strategy is about — naming the messy middle, honouring the awkward beginnings, and rejecting the idea that we have to be perfect before we’re present.
So if you’re new to something — a platform, a path, a practice — let this be your reminder:
Start where you are.
No polish needed.
No hype required.
Just your voice. Your heart. Your willingness to begin.
Because even two people listening deeply is still impact.
And even quiet beginnings still carry purpose.
This post is part of Sage Strategy — a space for business builders, creatives, and founders who want to grow with clarity, wisdom, and soul.