When work slows down

Let curiosity lead you somewhere new

Photo by Krzysztof Niewolny on Unsplash

Let’s talk about slow seasons. Because they’re here.

Across industries there’s a murmur happening under the surface: What used to work isn’t working anymore.

Launches are quieter. Budgets are tighter. Algorithms are moodier. Even the most seasoned entrepreneurs and creatives are finding themselves in a place of recalibration or reinvention.

It can feel unsettling. But it can also be the start of something deeply exciting.

I recently got to chat with Dusti Arab on Drip Trickle Flow Flood, the podcast I cohost. Dusti is a fractional CMO, and she's been in the online marketing space for over a decade. But instead of charging full speed ahead when things started to shift in her industry, she did something radical.

She built a greenhouse.

Not metaphorically. A real, actual greenhouse in her backyard in Vancouver, Washington. What started as a passion project to grow her own vegetables evolved into Hearth & Hollow, a backyard nursery where she sells edible plant starts at local markets.

Cool, right?

And here’s the part that gave me chills: building that greenhouse led to new clients in her original business.

By showing up at a local market with her plants, she reconnected with her community, sparked real conversations, and - without even really trying!! - generated marketing leads. In fact, at her very last market of the season, she left with four new marketing prospects. No email funnel. No pitch deck. Just plants and passion.

That’s the power of letting curiosity lead the way.

When Dusti leaned into something that felt fun and nourishing, she ended up unlocking a new revenue stream and rediscovering her creativity in the process.

That’s been the theme of my own work for more than a decade.

My business has never been one thing. It’s been a constantly evolving ecosystem of what feels obsession-worthy and (yes) profitable. Sometimes that looks like publicity consulting. Sometimes it's screenwriting. Sometimes it’s writing speeches for corporate executives. Sometimes it's writing books under my own name or a secret pen name. Sometimes it’s doing on-camera work for brands. And sometimes it's launching a podcast with a friend because I want more people to have honest conversations about money.

The throughline is this: I follow the fun.

Because when I do, it always - always!! - leads somewhere valuable.

That doesn’t mean every idea turns into a bestseller or a booming revenue stream. (Some live and die in a Google Doc, let’s be real.) But the practice of staying in motion, staying curious, and diversifying my energy across a few ideas at once has created a deep well of creative and financial resilience.

And in slow seasons, that’s everything.

So I want to ask you:

What have you been curious about lately?

Is there a project or passion you’ve been putting off because it doesn’t seem “practical” right now?

Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t let yourself explore because it doesn’t fit neatly into your job title/business?

For Dusti, it was a backyard nursery.

For you, maybe it’s painting. Or opening a micro bakery. Or teaching kickboxing on weekends. Maybe it’s launching a backyard flower stand or picking up woodworking in your garage. Maybe it’s starting a magazine, teaching a workshop at your library, or writing under a secret pen name (like me).

Whatever it is, I hope this newsletter reminds you that there’s power in letting yourself explore it.

That curiosity could turn into your next drip… or trickle… or flow.

You can listen to the full episode with Dusti on Apple, Spotify, or right here on Substack.

It’s one of my favorite conversations we’ve had, full of insight, encouragement, and tangible takeaways, especially if you’re in a season of rethinking what’s next.

We’re all making it up as we go.

Might as well make it delightful.

xo.
Melissa