The Plus One Theory

Episode 33: When You're Doing Everything Right and Nothing's Working Yet

• Pam Dwyer • Season 1 • Episode 33

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After a year of pursuing my dream with seemingly no traction, I've discovered I'm not broken but simply navigating the difficult middle phase of success. This episode reveals the truth about what happens between starting a dream and achieving breakthrough – that messy, confusing middle where real growth happens unseen.

• Enrolled in a speaker academy and invested in my dream without proof it would pay off
• Published my first book but learned that good content requires equally good marketing
• Launched a crowdfunding campaign for my second book that didn't reach its goal
• Started this podcast as a way to speak even when no one was inviting me to stages
• Returned to storytelling and finally began building a responsive community
• Received an unexpected LinkedIn message from a marketing agency that saw potential in what I was building
• Integrated my existing philosophy into a cohesive brand called "Delay the Binge"
• Learned that changing direction doesn't mean starting over but refining what works

Right now, I'm looking for one brave soul to join my Delay the Binge program for free coaching in exchange for recording the experience. If that's you, fill out the form here in the show notes. Your transformation may not feel inspiring yet because you're still in it – the middle isn't where you break, it's where you build.


Visit Pam Dwyer online and sign up on her email list to receive the latest updates!

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to the Plus One Theory podcast. I'm your host, pam Dwyer, and let me tell you the truth. I've spent the past year giving everything I had to a dream I thought would take off. Giving everything I had to a dream I thought would take off. I joined programs, published a book, launched a podcast, started a crowdfunding campaign and still no traction. I thought something was wrong with me, but here's what I learned I'm not broken, I'm just in the middle. This is the story of how everything I tried finally led to the breakthrough I didn't see coming. Delay the binge.

Speaker 1:

If you've been pushing forward and wondering why it still feels so difficult, this episode is for you. On today's show, I'm going to tell you what no one says loud enough If it feels difficult, you're probably doing it right. I want to walk you through something most people never share, not until they've already made it, because, let's be honest, it's easier to tell the story after the victory, when the followers are growing, the offers are rolling in and the platform is built. But what about the middle? The messy, confusing, the messy, confusing. What am I even doing? Middle, that's where I've been, and if you're there too, you're going to feel this one deep in your bones.

Speaker 1:

When I first decided to pursue motivational speaking, I felt this surge of purpose, like, finally, this is it, this is what I'm meant to do. But purpose without structure is just a beautiful mess. So I enrolled in the Speaker Lab. It's a six-month academy to learn how to do this professionally. It was a difficult investment, not just financially but mentally, because it meant I was committing, putting real money on something I couldn't guarantee and that, right there, that's the first sign. You're in the middle, the messy middle. You're investing in something that hasn't paid off yet. You're doing the work without proof. It's working.

Speaker 1:

Of course, I had already been selling my first book from the Piney Woods. I went to markets, I set up my table, talked to people face to face, signed their books and, I'll be honest, I thought sales would be better. I mean, this was a piece of my heart, my story, my truth. But the reality it's not enough to write a good book, you have to market a good book. And that's when I discovered the Novel Marketing Podcast. I started seeing the gaps in my strategy, in my thinking, in my confidence, and I started to understand Success is built by skill, not just a spark.

Speaker 1:

So I decided book number two, the plus one theory, would be different this time. I wanted to do it right. I launched a crowdfunding campaign, put myself out there and shared the vision. And then, crickets I raised a little, but nowhere near what I needed to publish. And that hurt, that stung a little, not because I felt entitled to the money, but because I started to question if people really wanted to hear what I had to say. I mean, it's just like a book right, the writer thinks it's the most amazing book in the world, but it's really not everybody's bag, it's not everybody's kind of book, and you just have to accept and find the people that love your book. But still I kept going. I started this podcast.

Speaker 1:

The Plus One Theory podcast was my way of speaking, even when no one was inviting me to speak. I thought if I can get this right, someone out there will hear me and hire me and finally it will happen. I can speak on a stage and get paid to do it. But oh my goodness, recording, editing, writing intros, making graphics, posting, promoting man. Podcasting is a job. It's a bigger job than I ever thought it would be and it's one that pays in patience, not paychecks.

Speaker 1:

So I tried something different. I went back to the roots of why I even started writing in the first place to tell stories. I am a storyteller. Just ask my grandkids, they'll tell you. Every Tuesday I started posting short stories as PJ Hamilton, stories from the heart of the piney woods. These were my memories of growing up. You know what it was like growing up, every single detail I could remember. I wrote in a story a short story, because no one wants to read long ones, and that was fine with me, because it's fun telling these stories. So finally, people responded, not thousands, but enough to know that my voice still mattered. My voice still mattered. I used Beehive to collect emails, built a landing page using kitcom, started thinking in terms of community instead of clicks, and it felt good.

Speaker 1:

But then I hit a wall my husband, who has been my biggest supporter. We sat down and looked at the numbers no paid speaking gigs, no revenue, but number two on hold. My business was down to three clients and I didn't know how much longer they would stay. So I started to doubt everything. Not my purpose, but my path. I had to pay the bills somehow and I wasn't bringing in. Even with my company, tpkk Concepts, it still, it wasn't thriving, it wasn't growing, it was stagnant. And so I tried another type of training and it wasn't quite what I needed. But I hung in there because I had paid money.

Speaker 1:

I pulled what I could and kept asking what's the plus one here? You know practicing what I could and kept asking what's the plus one here? You know practicing what I preach. And then, out of nowhere, I got a message on LinkedIn. Guess what LinkedIn is? I never really was a fan of it, but, man, I met I've met a lot of great people on LinkedIn. It's great for networking, but be careful, because there's other people out there that want to take advantage of your situation and try to sell you stuff you don't need. So just be smart about being on LinkedIn and weed out the good ones Out of nowhere. On LinkedIn, a marketing agency that had some pretty big name clients and bigger insight had seen my posts, my podcast, my books, my story, and they said we see what you're building, let us help you refine it. They didn't ask me to start over, they asked me to integrate.

Speaker 1:

Integrate the plus one theory and my mantra your past doesn't define you, it prepares you. Finish stronger than you started. Even my slogan of my old business inspire, motivate, educate. These weren't just taglines anymore, they were tools, and together we created a brand that embodies them all. Delay the binge Not just about food, but about compulsions, emotional habits, the urge to escape and numb out, and the power to pause and choose something better.

Speaker 1:

I won't lie changing my brand has been difficult. I've had to let go of so many ideas about how I thought this was supposed to work. But I'm learning, I'm listening and I'm still here. So I am teachable and I am coachable. So if you are, too, and if you're still showing up after a year of questions, after a month of silence, after a week of doubt, you are stronger than you think. And this is where you come in. Every like, every share, every subscribe, every email sign up. It helps me stay lit when the fire starts to fade. I want to keep making these episodes, telling these stories, showing up for you, but I need you to know your support isn't just appreciated, it's essential, and if you believe in this message, I'm asking for your help, your help to share it, subscribe, tell a friend and, if you haven't already, join my email list, because this community is how we grow together. This community is how we grow together. So just go to PamDwyerSpeakercom and sign up Now.

Speaker 1:

Right now, I am looking for one brave soul. I'm offering a free coaching spot in the Delay the Binge program in exchange for letting me record the experience so I can learn from it and serve others even better. If that's you or someone you know, fill out the form in the show notes. Your transformation may not feel inspiring yet, but that's because you're still in it. The middle isn't where you break, it's where you build. You don't have to fix everything today, you just have to delay it long enough to remember who you are. That's how you break the cycle. That's how you finish stronger than you started. One delay at a time. Oh, and a quick disclaimer. This episode contains personal experiences related to trauma, emotional eating and a quick disclaimer this episode contains personal experiences related to trauma, emotional eating and financial struggle. And I am not a medical professional or a therapist. So, listener, discretion is advised and please take care of yourself as you listen. All right, I'm really leaving now. Y'all have a great week.