There's an uncomfortable space many creatives live in for far too long: the gap between being talented and being paid. Loving what you do doesn't automatically mean you know how to build a business around it.

If you're the person everyone calls for advice, ideas, or "just a quick look," this episode will hit close to home. I'm sharing the behind-the-scenes lessons I learned while building my staging business, including how I confused being helpful with being hired, gave away too much expertise for free and wondered why I was so busy but not profitable.

We're unpacking why talent alone doesn't get rewarded, how clarity and positioning change the way people value your work and why adding structure to your business doesn't make you less creative. It actually gives your creativity room to breathe.

Here's what we covered:
✅ The difference between being good at something and monetizing it
✅ Why creatives often undercharge or overgive without realizing it
✅ How free consultations quietly replace paid services
✅ The exhaustion that comes from being everyone's go-to resource
✅ Why selling outcomes creates stronger pricing confidence
✅ How clarity around the problem you solve changes everything
✅ The role of boundaries in protecting your energy and creativity
✅ Why confidence comes from facts, not feelings

This episode is about pairing creativity with business intelligence so you can build something sustainable without becoming corporate, hardened, or disconnected from who you are. You don't need to lose yourself to make money. You need clarity, confidence and systems that support the work you love.

Ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your industry?

If this episode resonated with you and you're ready to separate the math from the drama in your business, I'd love to support you.

📖 Start with the book: Grab your copy of UNMUTE YOURSELF and discover the mindset shifts that turn talented creatives into confident business owners. It's the foundation of everything I teach. Click here to order

💼 Go deeper with Business Therapy™: If you're ready for personalized support, clarity, and a roadmap that actually fits your creative business, let's work together. Business Therapy is where we separate what's holding you back from what moves you forward. Book your consultation at www.jokedurojaiye.me

Let's get into it.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about the realities of business no one posts on instagram. Because the truth is, the dream you were sold and the reality you’re living don’t always match.

We break down the fantasy many creatives buy into. Freedom, flexibility, passion led work and fast success. And then we talk about what actually shows up once you start. The emotional weight, the financial pressure and the identity shift that happens when your business is deeply personal.

This episode dives into the messy middle of entrepreneurship. The season where you’re doing the work, showing up consistently and still wondering if you made a mistake. Not because you’re failing, but because no one prepared you for how demanding building a business can be.

I share real experiences around burnout, reinvesting everything back into the business and the quiet pressure of holding it all together while the internet makes it look easy. We talk about why passion isn’t enough, why stabilizing can matter more than scaling and why comparing your beginning to someone else’s highlight reel will only slow you down.

Here’s what we covered:
✅ The gap between the business dream and business reality
✅ Why freedom and flexibility don’t look the way they’re marketed
✅ The emotional and financial weight creatives carry quietly
✅ Why passion fades and discipline sustains
✅ When stabilizing is smarter than scaling
✅ How resilience and self-leadership are built in the hard seasons

We also talk about why these parts of business are rarely shared, how polished success stories leave out critical context and why adjusting your expectations can change how you experience this season.

If you’re in the middle right now and questioning yourself, your pace or your decisions, this episode is a reminder that the dream isn’t dead. It’s incomplete. And the struggle isn’t proof you’re doing it wrong. It’s proof you’re doing the work.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about what really happens after you decide to stop hiding. Because the truth is, the moment you choose visibility is the moment the real work begins.

Building on last week’s conversation around Inventing Anna, we explore the uncomfortable gap between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming. Anna walked into rooms with nothing but confidence, while you’re sitting on real skills, real experience, and real results, still questioning if you belong. So what’s actually holding you back?

This episode dives into that awkward in-between season where people start calling you an expert, opportunities show up, and your identity hasn’t fully caught up yet. The part that feels fake, uncomfortable, and tempting to quit, even though it’s actually growth.

I share personal stories about learning how to introduce myself differently, updating my identity publicly, and the hidden cost of reinventing yourself in business. We talk about why this phase isn’t imposter syndrome, why visibility is its own skill, and why awkward doesn’t mean wrong, it just means new.

Here’s what we covered:
✅ Why visibility creates discomfort, and why that’s a sign you’re growing
✅ The identity gap between the old you and the next-level version of you
✅ What it really costs to retire old versions of yourself publicly
✅ Why people from your past may struggle with your growth
✅ How to talk about your work without minimizing yourself
✅ Why being good at your craft and being visible are two different skills
✅ How to start owning your worth through practice, not permission

We also talk about updating your bio, pitch, and presence to match where you’re going, not where you’ve been and why waiting until you feel ready is just another way of staying invisible.

If you’re in that weird gap right now and need support navigating visibility, identity, and confidence, I share how you can work with me inside Business Therapy, because doing this work alone is harder than it needs to be.

This episode is for the creative, the quiet expert and the entrepreneur who’s done shrinking. You’re not pretending. You’re practicing. And the work is working.