Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Brand. Business. Becoming. with Bonnie Wicks is the podcast for entrepreneurs ready to build wildly profitable businesses that honour their authentic voice and nervous system.
If you're tired of playing small, copying other people's strategies, and building a business that burns you out, this show is for you. We explore what it really takes to create magnetic authority without performing who you think you should be.
Each episode blends high-level strategy with embodiment work, helping you:
• Build a personal brand that attracts premium clients
• Create offers that feel authentic and command top prices
• Develop unshakeable confidence in your unique voice • Scale without sacrificing your soul or sanity
Hosted by Bonnie Wicks, brand and embodiment coach for self-led entrepreneurs who refuse to choose between profit and purpose.
Ready to burn what's false and rise in your truth? Subscribe now.
Episode 5: "The Permission to Be Shit (And Why It's Your Superpower)"
How to start imperfectly, learn publicly, and build sustainably without burning out
I need to start with a confession that might make perfectionists cringe.
In six months, I'm probably going to listen back to this episode and want to hide under a rock. The audio quality isn't perfect. My delivery isn't as smooth as I want it to be. I'm still figuring out my rhythm, my pacing, how to transition between thoughts seamlessly.
And you know what? I sincere hope that I do. Why? Because I am new at this and hope in 6 months time after 6 months of action, that I am better.
And its something I really want to talk about so todays episode is all about the permission to be shit at something new.
Because here's what I've realized: I could have spent the next six months perfecting my podcasting skills, investing in professional equipment, hiring an audio engineer, scripting every word to perfection...
Or I could start now, imperfectly, and learn as I go.
And the difference between those two approaches? The difference is everything.
One approach means you might have a technically perfect podcast that you never actually launch because you burn out before you even begin. The other means you have an imperfect podcast that exists , that serves people, that teaches you what you actually need to know.
Today we're talking about why giving yourself permission to be shit at something new isn't just okay, it's strategic. It's smart business. And it might be the only thing standing between you and the breakthrough you've been waiting for.
Let's be honest about where this perfection obsession comes from.
School trained us to be good at things immediately. You got grades based on how well you performed on the first try. There was no credit for improvement, no points for the learning process, no celebration of the messy middle.
You either knew it or you didn't. You either got passed or failed.
And now we're adults trying to build businesses, create content, develop new skills, and we expect ourselves to be excellent from day one.
But here's the uncomfortable truth: When you try something new, you HAVE to hold space for yourself to be shit at it.
This is deeply uncomfortable, especially when you're used to being competent. When you've built your identity around expertise. When you're afraid of looking foolish in front of people who might judge you.
I see this constantly with entrepreneurs. They want to start a podcast, but they won't begin until they have professional equipment. They want to create a course, but they won't launch until they have a perfect sales page and Hollywood-level videos.
They're optimizing for the wrong thing. They're optimizing for looking professional instead of getting started. They're optimizing for perfection instead of progress.
Can I share something with you? Go look up Marie Forleo's first videos. Seriously. Stop this episode if you need to and go watch them.
The lighting is terrible. The audio is echoey. She's in her bedroom. Her delivery isn't polished. Her hair wasnt the perfection it is now.
But you know what she had? She had courage to start.
And because she started imperfectly, she was able to improve. She was able to learn what worked and what didn't. She was able to develop her voice, her style, her confidence.
If she had waited until she could produce content at the level she creates now, she never would have started.
The same is true for you.
Here's another truth that might make you uncomfortable: Fast sometimes beats perfect.
I see this especially with offers. People spend months creating the perfect sales page, the perfect video sales letter, the perfect funnel, and then they launch to crickets.
Meanwhile, someone else sends out a simple email, a Google doc, a basic offer, and gets immediate feedback, immediate sales, immediate validation.
Sometimes the half-done can save us money and time.
When I launched my VIP Day offer, I didn't start with a gorgeous sales page. I started with a conversation. I talked to a few people about what I was thinking of creating. I got feedback. I refined the offer based on what they said.
THEN I created a simple landing page. Then I tested that. Then I improved it.
If I had started by investing thousands in a perfect sales page and video series before I even knew if people wanted what I was offering, I could have wasted months and money on something that didn't resonate.
This isn't about being sloppy. This is about being strategic.
Test fast, learn fast, improve fast.
Don't let the pursuit of perfection prevent you from getting valuable feedback that could make your final product actually perfect for your audience.
Think about it: What's more perfect? A sales page that took you three months to create but converts at zero point five percent? Or a Google doc that took you three hours to write but converts at eight percent because you actually tested what people wanted first?
The pursuit of perfection often prevents us from getting the very information we need to create something truly excellent.
So how do you actually do this? How do you start something new without it becoming a drain on your resources and energy?
This brings me back to the framework about building sustainably:
Consistency, Optimize, Maximize, Repeat
And here's why this sequence matters more than you think.
Step 1: Consistency, The Shit Phase
This is where you give yourself explicit permission to be bad at something while you learn if it even fits your life.
For my podcast, this means: recording from my home office with basic equipment, focusing on getting one episode out every week, not worrying about perfect sound quality or seamless transitions.
For an offer, this might mean: starting with a conversation or simple Google doc, testing with a few people, getting feedback before you invest in fancy sales pages.
This step is about two things: First, establishing the habit and learning the basics. Second, energy-checking whether this actually works for your life before you invest heavily.
And here's what we don't talk about enough: Stopping isn't always quitting.
I know people who started podcasts or YouTube channels, gave it a month or two, and realized the drain on their resources and energy wasn't worth it YET. So they stopped.
And that's not failure, that's smart business.
Step 2: Optimize, The Getting Good Phase
Once you can commit and be consistent with the basic version, you start improving what you already have. Better speaking, clearer structure, more compelling topics.
For offers, this means refining based on actual customer feedback, improving your delivery, tweaking your messaging based on what resonates.
You only move to this step after you've proven to yourself that you can stick with it and that it serves both you and your audience.
Step 3: Maximize, The Scaling Phase
This is about amplifying what's already working. Better distribution, higher production value, more strategic promotion.
For offers, this might mean creating that gorgeous sales page NOW that you know it converts, investing in professional videos now that you've tested the messaging.
Step 4: Repeat, The Expansion Phase
Only after you've mastered the first three steps do you add something new that requires the process to start over.
Why This Order Matters:
If you try to maximize before you've established consistency, you burn out. You spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on something polished that you then discover doesn't fit your life or serve your goals.
But if you start with consistency, with permission to be shit, you get to test the waters without drowning in the deep end.
Let me get vulnerable about exactly how this is playing out for me right now.
Do I want an amazing video podcast done in a professional studio with perfect lighting and seamless editing? Absolutely.
But if I had started there, this podcast wouldn't exist.
Instead, I'm starting with what I called "strategic shit." I'm recording in my home office, learning as I go, figuring out my voice and style through practice, not perfection.
And here's what I've already learned that I never would have discovered in theory:
I speak too fast when I'm nervous, something I can work on. My best content comes when I'm telling stories, not when I'm being too academic. I need to pause more for emphasis, still working on this one. The episodes where I'm most vulnerable get the best response.
None of these insights would have come from planning or preparing or investing in perfect equipment. They came from doing it badly and paying attention to what worked.
The Energy Check:
More importantly, I've learned that podcasting actually gives me energy rather than draining it. I love the deeper conversations it allows me to have with my audience. I love the format for storytelling. I love how it's helping me clarify my own thinking.
But what if I had discovered the opposite? What if after two months of consistent but imperfect podcasting, I realized it was depleting me? What if the weekly commitment felt like a burden rather than a joy?
Then I would stop. And that wouldn't be quitting, that would be smart resource management.
The Investment Protection:
Because I started with consistency rather than maximization, I've invested maybe two hundred dollars in basic equipment rather than five thousand dollars in professional setup. I've spent a few hours a week rather than entire days in production.
If I decide podcasting isn't for me, I haven't lost much. But if I decide it is for me, which I have, then I can invest more strategically in optimization.
This is what I mean by permission to be shit. It's not about accepting mediocrity forever. It's about being strategic about where you place your energy and resources while you're learning.
Another area that this framework is vital for is building your brand ecosystem. I am a big believer in The 7-11-4 marketing rule -suggesting that people need 7 hours of content engagement, 11 touchpoints, and 4 distinct platform locations to build enough trust to make a purchase.
With social media being a rented platform it is risky to have all your leads come from only one platform. YET I see soo many make the mistake of trying to maximise before consistency and burn out.
I see people try to post 1x daily on FB, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and get burnt out and ghost for 3 weeks. Then repeat the cycle. So this is where the consistency, optimise, maximise, repeat framework is vital. Start with one, get consistent - say posting once a day. Then optimise - work on your viral hooks, your visual hooks, what content resonates. Then maximise - work on ways to get it distributed more, maybe boosting the post, or even look at ways to encourage others to share. Maybe you might want to increase to two posts a day. THEN and ONLY then when you have this nailed, it is routine, and easy to do. THEN you add another platform. Then you say go to TikTok and you aim for consistency, before trying to optimise and so forth.
This framework applies to everything in business:
Course Creation: Your first course doesn't need to be a Hollywood production. Start with a simple format, deliver massive value, and improve based on actual student feedback.
Social Media: Pick one platform and get consistent there before you try to be everywhere. Master the basics before you worry about viral content.
Speaking: Your first speaking gig doesn't need to be a TED talk. Start with a local networking group or a friend's Facebook Live.
Pricing: You don't need to charge premium prices immediately. Start where you feel confident, deliver amazing results, then raise your rates based on the value you're creating.
The Common Thread:
In every case, the goal is to start consistently at a level that doesn't overwhelm your current capacity, learn what actually works, then optimize and scale from there.
Most entrepreneurs get this backwards. They try to launch at the "maximize" level and burn out before they ever get consistent.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking:
"But Bonnie, what if people judge me for not being polished?"
Here's the truth: The people who matter won't mind, and the people who mind don't matter. Your ideal clients are looking for authenticity and value, not perfection.
"What if being 'shit' hurts my credibility?"
There's a difference between being strategically imperfect and being unprepared. You can start with basic equipment while still delivering valuable content. You can be learning publicly while still being professional.
"How do I know if I'm being shit strategically versus just being lazy?"
Strategic shit has intention behind it. You're choosing to start simply so you can start consistently. Lazy is just not caring about the outcome.
The Real Risk:
The real risk isn't that you'll start imperfectly. The real risk is that you'll never start at all because you're waiting for conditions that may never come.
How many brilliant ideas have died in the planning phase because someone was waiting to do them "right"?
How much value has never been delivered because someone was waiting for perfect timing, perfect resources, perfect confidence?
Here's what I want you to take away from today:
Permission granted. You have permission to be shit at something new. It's not a character flaw, it's a necessary part of growth.
Fast sometimes beats perfect. Get feedback early and often instead of perfecting in isolation.
Start with consistency. Master the basics before you worry about optimization. Prove to yourself and your audience that you can show up regularly before you worry about showing up perfectly.
Energy check everything. Use the consistency phase to determine if something actually fits your life before you invest heavily in it.
Remember: Stopping isn't always quitting. Sometimes it's smart resource management.
Your action step for this week: Identify one thing you've been waiting to start until you can do it "right." Then ask yourself: What's the simplest, most basic version I could start with this week?
Don't wait for perfect conditions. Perfect conditions don't exist. But imperfect action creates the conditions for eventual mastery.
I'm Bonnie Wicks, this is Brand. Business. Becoming., and I'll see you next Tuesday.