This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
In this week's Failure Friday segment, we hear from an aspiring fashion blogger. After failing to catch the world's attention with her belt as necklace feature, she tries wearing lettuce on her head. And neither one of these actually took off. Surprisingly, shockingly, disappointingly. But hey, it's all part of an episode we call Failure Friday, a format I should say, because we do this weekly segment, a collection of short stories about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course, failure.
All of the things that go very wrong. And these stories, they vary a bit, but they often start with an idea. Somebody's got a great idea for a business or an expansion or a new product line. They think it's gonna be amazing. And then for whatever reason, it's not amazing.
And something else happens. Their idea meets reality, and it's a learning experience, no doubt. So I really appreciate the people who have shared stories because often we can learn more through these kinds of stories than we can through the successes. You're able to look back and gain some humility and gain some perspective and say, you know what? Maybe I misjudged that, or maybe something just happened along the way.
It wasn't my fault necessarily. But either way, I've got to choose, what do I do moving forward? That's the most important question for all of us, for me today, for you, and for Chloe from Santa Cruz, California. Chloe is a fashion blogger or was a fashion blogger, I should say, but let's let the story lead the way. Her idea to go viral led to the worst possible outcome.
What is the worst possible outcome, you might think? It is that no one cared. Yeah, that's right. That is the worst outcome, much more than a disaster that brings a lot of attention. I think the fact that no one cares is the worst possible outcome.
So Chloe from Santa Cruz, let's hear the story from her. [Music]
So when I started my fashion trend blog, I was really excited to share my fashion experience with the world. I spent hours writing about the latest fashion trends and sharing my unique style ideas. But no matter what I did, I just couldn't seem to attract readers. At first, I thought it was just a fluke and maybe people were too busy to read my blog or were too busy with their own fashion escapades.
But as time went on, it became clear that the problem wasn't with them, it was with me. I tried everything to make my blog more appealing. I even started wearing hats made out of lettuce just to get attention. Hey, it's a vegetable trend, right? Nothing seemed to work.
My readership was about as popular as a plaid dress at a Hawaiian luau. So finally, I decided to take a step back and reevaluate my approach. And that's when I realized the issue. I was taking myself too seriously. I was so focused on being an expert in the field that I forgot to have fun with it.
So I made a change. I started writing posts with more humor and silliness. I even posted pictures of myself wearing ridiculous outfits for the fun of it. And lo and behold, my readership started to grow. People started to respond to my fun lighthearted approach.
They appreciated that I wasn't trying to be the next Anna Wintour, but rather a relatable fashion lover. And even though my readership still wasn't breaking any records, at least I was having fun with it. Looking back, I learned an important lesson about the importance of putting your readers first. Fashion is a subjective topic and what might be interesting to me might not be interesting to someone else. It's important to listen to your readers and give them what they want, instead of just writing about what you think is important.
In the end, my fashion trend blog never became the huge success I had hoped for, but it did become a fulfilling creative outlet that allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals. And that, to me, is what blogging is all about. Connecting with people who share your passions and creating a community of support and inspiration. And who knows? Maybe my lettuce hat trend will catch on one day.
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. That is the theme of Failure Friday. Thanks so much, Chloe, for sharing your story. Perhaps another lesson could be wearing lettuce on your head. Doesn't actually get the most attention.
You think it's gonna go viral, but you don't actually get to choose how that works. So I think it's wise that Chloe decided to take a step back to focus on what she really wants to do, finding that intersection between what she values and what other people also value. That's what it's all about. So again, Chloe, thank you. Your best wish is moving forward.
Listeners, if you have a question, an update for us about your hustle or something else, sidehustleschool.com/questions. And of course, you can subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts. It's all completely free. My name's Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to Side Hustle School.
[Music]
From the Onward Project.
