Is it cool to have no followers now?

Well well well.

This is it! Another Monday, another chance to have your ~best week ever~. 

I’m chewing on a few things at the mo (the new anti-social media status symbol, whether creativity is conscious, also it’s 11/11 tomorrow… look out) and gf you know I love to share. So, let’s tuck in.

Is it cool to have no followers?

According to The New Yorker – arguably a pretty solid authority on what is and isn’t it – the answer is yes. And frankly, I’m enthralled. 

In his latest Infinite Scroll column, journalist Kyle Chayka names the counter culture trend camera-shy founders have been hoping to hear: It’s no longer cool to chase clout on social media.

He writes: “There’s a certain status that comes from ignoring the usual signs of success online, and an envy inspired by those who can grow a career without the pressure of performing on social media…. One’s own overexposure comes to feel shameful by contrast.”

Chayka puts this shift down to the growing AI-driven distrust of digital content and the commodification of ‘community’ on social media, in his words: “The professionalization of social media itself is a big reason why accumulating tons of followers can now seem like a mark of bad taste. Whereas social media in the early twenty-tens tended to be a hobby or a personal passion project, today the relationship between follower and followee has become rampantly commodified.”

A private account, low follower count and haphazard, unaesthetic feed have become the new flex. Perhaps rejecting the need to showcase an enviable life on social media means you actually have one in reality – or at least more of an (actual) social life.

But where does that leave founders trying to find ~their people~? I’ve got you, gorge. Keep reading.

Do ideas choose us?

Have you ever wondered where inspiration and big ideas come from? Could creativity be a conscious, living entity that seeks the right person to bring it to fruition? 

That’s what podcaster Ky Dickens explores in season 2, episode 3 of The Telepathy Tapes (linked below). On it, she interviews renowned and hugely successful creatives including Eat, Pray Love and Big Magic best-selling author Liz Gilbert, and legendary music producer Rick Rubin who describes artists as ‘antennas’ tuned to a ‘universal current’. 

Their working theory is that humans are tasked with showing up, tuning in, and turning the inspiration into something tangible. Radical concept? Sure, but I’m open to it. WBU? 

How to grow your business without becoming a full time content creator/influencer/slave to your phone/you get it.

I want to preface this by saying that social media can absolutely still be a hugely worthwhile (and profitable) place to focus on. 

But if you’re one of the many - and I mean many - founders who feel completely drained by the idea of ‘showing up’ on socials every day, I have good news for you: there are other ways to grow your business that won’t require you wash your hair or put on makeup - big slay.

When you shift your focus to owned channels, deep relationships, search-driven visibility, you gain more control and less noise. Below are a few alternative brand-building methods to try.

1. Build and nurture an email list: Your newsletter is your direct line – email isn’t subject to algorithm changes, so you own the connection (and the contact info)! Also, no face-to-camera required.
   
   

2. Create content that lives long and works without posting daily: Create pillar content on your website (blog post, podcast, guide) around your key themes. Lean into SEO so people find you via search, well after you’ve posted it. Then - repurpose it: convert blog → email series → workshop → PDF guide.
   
   

3. Referral and strategic partnerships: Think: who serves similar clients but isn’t a competitor? See if they’re open to partnering for a joint offer, guest resource swap, or referral share. Focus on trust networks rather than a broad social audience.
   
   

4. Build an offline and community-based presence: People are craving this more than ever. Run a live workshop, speak at a meetup, host a small group gathering. This builds depth and word-of-mouth – plus local networking + real-world connections can feed your business steadily.
   
   

5. Optimise for search & presence beyond social: Ensure your website is easy to find, high quality, clear about who you help + how. Consider other channels naturally suit

And finally for my woo-woo gals - tomorrow is 11/11. Get your sage ready, sweeties.

If you’re into energy, alignment and/or astrology – I’m sure you’re already *well* aware that  tomorrow is 11/11. For all who observe, the portal is seen as a powerful energetic moment: a time when the collective energy aligns to support clarity, awakening, and stepping into new levels of growth and purpose.

Told you to ready the sage ;)

Even if you’re not into the woo, it’s a great opportunity to whip out some pen and paper, sit, reflect and get intentional about the rest of the year. Why not? 

READ/ LISTEN OF THE WEEK

The consciousness of creativity: Are ideas alive and do they choose us? - The Telepathy Tapes

It's cool to have no followers now -The New Yorker

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.” - Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
 
Go forth and bring those big beautiful ideas to fruition,

Here to help,
Lizzie x