The other day, my mom showed up with a giant yellow envelope and a proud grin. Inside, she said, were all my report cards and special awards from junior high and high school.
Basically, my academic highlight reel. 🏆
And since I have been telling Hobie for years that I was an ‘A’ student who took school very seriously, I opened that envelope ready to relive my gold star era.
Except that is not what happened. 😳
As I flipped through the stack, reality hit.
Plenty of Bs. A few Cs. And the word “talking” written on almost every junior high report card.
I stood there stunned while Hobie laughed behind me like he had just witnessed the plot twist of the century.
The strangest part is that I truly believed I had been an ‘A’ student.
I had built a whole identity around it and never questioned it. My story was overly positive and not actually true.
Which made me think. We often do the opposite in business.
You tell yourself negative stories that feel true but are not.
Things like…
“I’m just not cut out for this.”
“Everyone else has it figured out.”
“My growth should be faster.”
“She has something I don’t.”
These stories feel familiar, so they stick.
But familiar is not the same as accurate.
And those stories shape your decisions even when they are not rooted in reality.
So here is the lesson. My story was rosier than the truth. Yours might be harsher than the truth. Either way, it is still a story.
And stories are not facts. ❌
It’s worth asking yourself, “What story am I repeating that’s holding me back?”
Because the truth (in most cases other than my report card!) is often kinder, more generous, and more empowering than the one you have been telling yourself.
And unlike my report cards, you get to rewrite it.
In Case You Missed It This Week 🔥
Here’s what’s worth your brain space this week.
#1: 9 Strategies to Scale Your Business in 2026
If you’re gearing up for a bigger, wiser 2026, this article walks you through nine smart scaling moves that help you grow without grinding yourself into the ground, especially the one most entrepreneurs overlook. Click here (#6 is my fav) →
#2: 20 Ideas to Increase Holiday Sales
Here are the tweaks smaller online businesses like us can use to stay profitable without getting steamrolled by big-budget brands. #9 is interesting! It’s not something we tend to think about when selling info products, but something we should consider! Click for the insights →
Why Six-Second Reels Are Winning Right Now ⏰
If your IG page is not growing, it is likely because you are not being aggressive enough with your Reels.
More importantly, you are not holding the attention of new viewers long enough to make the algorithm take you seriously.
This is where six-second Reels come in. 🙌🏻
They are tiny, scroll-stopping, wildly effective, and so much easier to create than the longer, more complicated ones.
Short videos instantly boost your retention score.
When someone watches your Reel from start to finish, the algorithm reads it as a big green flag. ✅
Six seconds is simple to complete, so your retention rate shoots up. Higher retention means higher reach.
The algorithm loves a full watch. 👀
When viewers complete the entire six seconds, the platform marks your content as high value and continues pushing it to people who are likely to enjoy your content.
This is how you get in front of people who have never heard of you.
Here is the real magic >> Six-second Reels hook cold traffic fast.
You have only a few seconds to make an impression, so a quick hit of personality or expertise pulls new people into your world instantly.Want to see it in action? Here are two examples that have worked for me. Click the thumbnails below to watch!
Your turn: This week, try a six-second Reel and let me know how it works for you!
Say Hello to Your New Favorite Techy Tool 📲
If voice-to-text is your love language, you are about to fall hard for this one.
Hobie loves to tease me because I walk around the house saying “dot dot dot” and “exclamation point” like I am narrating my own audiobook. 🙈
But honestly, who has time to type out the long messages I send my friends and my team? #sorrynotsorry
This tiny magical tool lets you do voice-to-text anywhere.
One quick tap and you can dictate inside ChatGPT, text messages, DMs, IG comments, Slack threads, all of it.
Here is the best part. You talk like a normal human without all the punctuation drama, and it automatically cleans everything up.
Grammar, punctuation, spacing, the whole thing. No more sounding like a robot saying “comma” or “period” while Hobie rolls his eyes.
I have been using it nonstop, and I am fully obsessed. (Huge shoutout to my friend and mastermind member Kelly Notaras for turning me onto it.)
If voice typing is part of your daily life, you are about to feel very seen and very relieved. Give it a try. Your thumbs will thank you.
In the meantime, reexamine the stories you’re telling yourself, try a 6-second Reel, and voice text your heart out!
Amy
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