// THE WORD THIS WEEK:

I used to think fame was the finish line. For years, I clung to the idea that if I just got famous—or went viral—it would solve everything. Validation, financial stability, recognition. It would all just click into place, right? That belief hung over my head, driving my decisions and shaping my efforts for over a decade.

Then, one random moment happened: I went viral. Seven million views on a clip of my baby laughing at tape being ripped. Agencies reached out. It landed on Good Morning America. It hit millions of eyeballs. And there I was, staring at the moment I thought would change everything.

Spoiler: it didn’t.

But what it did do was beautiful. It freed me from the bullshit I’d been feeding myself for years. Going viral showed me what I couldn’t see before—that fame isn’t the answer. It’s a distraction, a shiny carrot that keeps pulling you further away from what matters. But here’s the twist, and something that Gonda’s been reminding me about over and over again: letting go of the result gave me permission to take action.

So I did.

If you’re a creative reading this, I want you to know something: you don’t need to be famous to keep going. You don’t need to be perfect. You can be cringe. You can fuck up. You can operate in utter obscurity. Because you’re not headlining yet, and that’s allowed. It’s the only way you’re going to figure out who you are and what you’re about.

Focus on what’s real.

The connections you’re building.
The work you’re putting out there.
The craft you’re honing.

Your success—whatever that looks like—will come from showing up and doing the thing. Fame might follow, or it might not. But when you stop chasing it, you’ll find something better: freedom, joy, and maybe even yourself.

That’s where the magic happens.

Oh, and one last thing before we wrap up the year: VIBRANT Revolt is taking a break over the holidays. We’ll be back on Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025. Until then, keep creating, keep experimenting, and keep showing up. The rest will take care of itself.