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Welcome back to This Could’ve Been an Email, a gut check for people done chasing the default version of success. If you're new here, hi! 👋🏽 You can subscribe here ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/xmu6loonkgh6hp2gregc5h2dww4e8tnhm3el0/58hvh7hgx369p3b6/aHR0cHM6Ly90aGlzLWNvdWxkLXZlLWJlZW4tYW4tZW1haWwtMi5raXQuY29tLzA5MDc4MzgxNzY= ). ' The gap between knowing your stuff and selling it You have the expertise. You have the audience. You probably even have the content. But turning all of that into something people will actually pay for is where most people get stuck. I'm hosting a free webinar with Teachable this Wednesday (April 1) on how to package what you know into a real offer. Specifically, one that's structured, positioned well, and doesn't turn into a 47-module course or cookie-cutter product nobody finishes. Come hang with me, and bring your questions! -->Join me on Wednesday! ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/xmu6loonkgh6hp2gregc5h2dww4e8tnhm3el0/qvh8h7hdwek6gwbl/aHR0cHM6Ly9ldmVudHMuem9vbS51cy9ldi9Bakg5ZGh3RmZJRWJLU0NfZFg1akFUTk5YX2F6TU9zbnVQSm9IZGRZQW1qUzF4ZXZPTzFGfkFyeGlHYnhoWXFOVjhpYWpPX0w4aDl4c1M3elBqaTNYYjNneEwwNUdVSVdWcmxvYUl3Q2xaM1Qtc3JrRWF2WEFjQWNId0xfZXhGUUc5cUJHQVhEcUNYdno2dw== ) Join me on Wednesday! ( https://events.zoom.us/ev/AjH9dhwFfIEbKSC_dX5jATNNX_azMOsnuPJoHddYAmjS1xevOO1F~ArxiGbxhYqNV8iajO_L8h9xsS7zPji3Xb3gxL05GUIWVrloaIwClZ3T-srkEavXAcAcHwL_exFQG9qBGAXDqCXvz6w ) A couple of weeks ago, I saw someone I admire land an opportunity that I'd wanted for a looong time. And my first reaction was, “Wait, what? What about me? Ugh, when will it be my turn?" To be clear, I was genuinely happy for them... And I was also doing the math in the back of my head, comparing timelines, wondering what they had going for them that I don't. ​ But I do think there's a difference between sitting with that feeling and doing what a lot of people do instead. We see it in social media posts all the time. "That person with 500k followers is probably miserable... You know that influencer who just landed that huge brand deal? Guess what? Their engagement is probably fake. The founder who raised a round? Yeah, well, their marriage is falling apart!" It's supposed to make you feel better, but all it does is keep you focused on them. You're still comparing. You're still making their success mean something about yours. And now, you've just added some judgment on top to soften the sting. Spicy take, but I think this is lazy and unhealthy, and it really doesn’t work anyway. And toxic positivity doesn't work either. "Just focus on your own journey! Comparison is the thief of joy!" Sure, but that's not actionable. What do I do while I'm focusing on my own journey?? But am I actually telling people what I want? In the past, I've sat quietly on something I wanted, never vocalized it, and then been frustrated when it didn't materialize. And at some point, I had to start being honest with myself. I can't be upset about being overlooked for things I never raised my hand for. Sometimes the people getting the win or the cool opportunities aren't more talented or more qualified. They've just said "I want that" out loud. Over and over, until the right person paid attention. Convincing myself not to care didn't help. Neither did making up reasons why the other person didn't "deserve" it. I had to get honest about what I want... then do something about it. Until next time, Brianna ​ ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/xmu6loonkgh6hp2gregc5h2dww4e8tnhm3el0/g3hnh5hm9gqz7wcr/aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rZWRpbi5jb20vaW4vYnJpYW5uYS1kb2U= ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/xmu6loonkgh6hp2gregc5h2dww4e8tnhm3el0/3ohphkh3mxpd65hr/aHR0cHM6Ly9icmlhbm5hZG9lLmNvbQ== ) © 2025 This Could've Been an Email 600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246 ​Unsubscribe ( https://081afabd.unsubscribe.kit-mail3.com/xmu6loonkgh6hp2gregc5h2dww4e8tnhm3el0 ) · Preferences ( https://preferences.kit-mail3.com/xmu6loonkgh6hp2gregc5h2dww4e8tnhm3el0 )​

Welcome back to This Could’ve Been an Email, a gut check for people done chasing the default version of success. If you're new here, hi! 👋🏽 You can subscribe here ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/l2hehmhlemk3ngb6/aHR0cHM6Ly90aGlzLWNvdWxkLXZlLWJlZW4tYW4tZW1haWwtMi5raXQuY29tLzA5MDc4MzgxNzY= ). AZ friends, join me at Sunset Social! 🌞 ​ My good friends Tom Slocum, Morgan Ingram, and I are bringing Sunset Social back! Join us on March 19 for a night of good food, good conversations, and great people. Limited spots are available, so RSVP asap! -->Save your spot ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/e0hph7h763n0elf8/aHR0cHM6Ly9sdW1hLmNvbS8yaG9sZDYwYQ== ) Save your spot ( https://luma.com/2hold60a ) Stop the Scroll has relaunched! ​ My podcast, Stop the Scroll, is coming back! 👀 But this time, it's bigger. ​ What started as a podcast about influencer marketing has evolved into something even greater: a newsletter and podcast about what makes things go viral, and what that says about us. ​ How is the internet shaping the way we think? How do we consume & engage with content? Why do we obsess over what we obsess over? Podcast launches soon, but in the meantime: -->Check out the newsletter! ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/z2hghnhen2d378ap/aHR0cHM6Ly9icmlhbm5hZG9lLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbQ== ) Check out the newsletter! ( https://briannadoe.substack.com ) What I learned from building in silence I spent months working on the Stop the Scroll ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/6qheh8hlz827w7bo/aHR0cDovL2JyaWFubmFkb2Uuc3Vic3RhY2suY29t ) launch. New format, new newsletter, new everything. And for most of that time, only a handful of people knew about it. I didn’t do sneak peeks on LinkedIn or "something's coming!" posts. I didn’t hype it up until a few weeks ago. It was just me, quietly researching & writing, sharing drafts with a couple of people, and figuring it out as I went. And honestly, that was one of the most fulfilling creative seasons I've had in a while. Which is weird, right? As someone who works in social, I’m well-aware of how addicting external validation can be. To an extent, social media has trained us to measure whether something is working by the response it gets. If people are hyped, we're on the right track. If it's quiet, or the announcement post flopped, maybe we're doing something wrong. But this time, the quiet was the point. I didn’t get to build for applause. I had to build because I believed in it. ​ Maybe this is a spicy take, but I believe social media has done something strange to our relationship with work. It's made us addicted to proof. Specifically, proof that: * People care * We're on the right track * The work we're pouring ourselves into actually matters to someone other than ourselves And if the proof doesn't come — the post flops, the launch is met with silence, or no one's sliding into your DMs telling you you're killing it — it can feel like a sign that you should stop, or that you were on the wrong track. But sometimes the work that makes the most impact happens in seasons where no one is watching. I've had stretches like this with Verbatim too. There are seasons where my team and I are just… doing the work. Clients are thrilled, projects and campaigns are taking off, but there’s no fanfare. There’s no one telling me I was doing a great job or hyping me up. It’s just us showing up, keeping our heads down, and making sure we do great work. In those moments, I have to ask myself a harder question: Do I actually believe this matters? Not because someone told me or because I posted about my work on LinkedIn and got 10,000 likes, but because I trust my work, my clients, and the path I’m on. The tricky part is learning to recognize your own internal signals. When you've been trained to look for external validation, the internal stuff can feel quieter or harder to trust. But it's there! You just have to pay attention to it. For me, it sounds like: * Am I proud of this? Genuinely, does this feel like something I'm proud to put my name on? * Am I enjoying the process? The outcome, yes, but also the actual production of the work/project? * Does this align with what I actually want to build, or am I chasing something because I think it'll get a reaction? * Would I keep doing this if no one ever clapped for it? That last one is the ultimate gut check, and your answer will tell you a lot about where your motivation is actually coming from. So if you're currently in a season where you're quietly building, and you're wondering if you’re on the right track, ask yourself: Would I keep building this even if no one ever clapped for it? Whatever your answer is, that's where your real motivation lives. And the belief that it matters has to come from you first. Until next time, Brianna ​ ​ ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/58hvh7hgqd9m0kb6/aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rZWRpbi5jb20vaW4vYnJpYW5uYS1kb2U= ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/25h2hoh36po2gdi3/aHR0cHM6Ly9icmlhbm5hZG9lLmNvbQ== ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47/g3hnh5hmr8z3ngtr/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vQGxldGhlcmNvb2ttZWRpYQ== ) © 2025 This Could've Been an Email 600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246 ​Unsubscribe ( https://081afabd.unsubscribe.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47 ) · Preferences ( https://preferences.kit-mail3.com/38ugdee2o4fkh2m2dqqtrh4pz7e2vt7hmno47 )​

Welcome back to This Could’ve Been an Email, a biweekly gut check for people done chasing the default version of success. If you're new here, hi! 👋🏽 You can subscribe here ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu5o99qx2cnhkn76d9bphwgg8g00b6hlzw3g/6qheh8hlx9xoelho/aHR0cHM6Ly90aGlzLWNvdWxkLXZlLWJlZW4tYW4tZW1haWwtMi5raXQuY29tLzA5MDc4MzgxNzY= ). A couple of months ago, while at dinner with my husband, I turned to him and said, “Maybe I should go to law school next.” Michael looked at me like I'd suggested we adopt ten puppies (again). “Or,” he said slowly, “you could... I don't know, take a break?” A break?! 🙃 For context: in the last 18 months, I wrote and published a book, planned a wedding, and grew my agency. I also floated the idea of becoming a part-time DJ, which we've agreed to shelve for now. If you're reading this and nodding, you already know what this is. I don't think it's restlessness, exactly, or discontentment. It’s just... range. When you're capable of a lot, coming up with new ideas isn't the problem. Each one whispers: You could do this. Actually, you probably should. And the (annoying) truth is that you're probably not delusional. You actually could do most of the things you're interested in. Maybe not all at once, and not without tradeoffs, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility. The problem isn't coming up with ideas — it's that every time something works, my brain immediately asks what else I could add. ​ When my husband suggested I take a break, my first instinct was to laugh it off. But then I sat with it for a second. Why did that feel like the most absurd option? Why is adding something new easier to imagine than sitting still with what I'm currently building/have built? Lately, I've started asking myself a different question when I have a new idea: Is this aligned with the season I’m in, or the season I wish I were in? And then I make myself wait anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months before revisiting it. Saying this for you and for me: Not every interest deserves immediate execution. And not every "I could" needs to become an "I should." Three more questions I sit with when I have a new idea (and maybe you should too): * If this required consistent effort for the next 6–12 months, would I still want it? * If I said "not now" for six months, would I feel relief or regret? (Your body usually answers before your brain does.) * If I do nothing new and just stay with what I'm already building, what discomfort would I have to face? And to be clear, I’m still pursuing new things this year. I’m about to relaunch my podcast Stop the Scroll and its newsletter (🎉🥳), my agency Verbatim is in growth mode, and I have big goals. But I'm still learning how to let new ideas exist without immediately putting them to work. And how to stay in the season I'm in & enjoy it without trying to leap to the next one. Some days that feels like discipline or focus. Other days it just feels like I’m missing out. But I’m really not. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, trusting what I've already started. If this hit a little too close to home, you’re not alone! I’m still figuring out what deserves action now, what gets to wait, and what just wants to be acknowledged. If you’re in a similar in-between — building something meaningful while resisting the urge to pile more on — I’d love to hear how you’re navigating it! Until next time, Brianna ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu5o99qx2cnhkn76d9bphwgg8g00b6hlzw3g/kkhmh6hnzxzmv6cl/aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rZWRpbi5jb20vaW4vYnJpYW5uYS1kb2U= ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu5o99qx2cnhkn76d9bphwgg8g00b6hlzw3g/58hvh7hg363727a6/aHR0cHM6Ly9icmlhbm5hZG9lLmNvbQ== ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu5o99qx2cnhkn76d9bphwgg8g00b6hlzw3g/25h2hoh3lmldwnh3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vQGxldGhlcmNvb2ttZWRpYQ== ) © 2025 This Could've Been an Email 600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246 ​Unsubscribe ( https://081afabd.unsubscribe.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu5o99qx2cnhkn76d9bphwgg8g00b6hlzw3g ) · Preferences ( https://preferences.convertkit-mail2.com/zlu5o99qx2cnhkn76d9bphwgg8g00b6hlzw3g )​

Welcome back to This Could’ve Been an Email, a biweekly gut check for people done chasing the default version of success. If you're new here, hi! 👋🏽 You can subscribe here ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/x0hph6hexrw768i5/aHR0cHM6Ly9wcmV2aWV3LmtpdC1tYWlsMS5jb20vY2xpY2svZHBoZWgwaHpobS9hSFIwY0hNNkx5OTBhR2x6TFdOdmRXeGtMWFpsTFdKbFpXNHRZVzR0WlcxaGFXd3RNaTVyYVhRdVkyOXRMekE1TURjNE16Z3hOelk9 ). The future of affiliate marketing is here ​ impact.com’s new State of Affiliate Marketing 2025 report confirms what most of us already knew: affiliate isn’t a side channel. It’s the engine. The data runs deep: smarter attribution models, full-funnel creator partnerships, and leveraging AI for more than writing prompts. In fact, 97% of brands are already using it! And the 74% of brands that are treating affiliate marketing as a true growth engine, not an experiment, are the ones pulling ahead. If you work in partnerships, affiliate, or influencer marketing, bookmark this one. It’s worth the download. -->Download the Report ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/dpheh0her407g4fm/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbXBhY3QuY29tL3Jlc2VhcmNoLXJlcG9ydHMvc3RhdGUtb2YtYWZmaWxpYXRlLW1hcmtldGluZy8_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXN0YXRlLW9mLWFmZmlsaWF0ZS1tYXJrZXRpbmcmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9YnJpYW5uYW5ld3NsZXR0ZXIxMDIwMjUmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1leHRlcm5hbC1icmFuZC1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9aW1wYWN0LmNvbQ== ) Download the Report ( https://impact.com/research-reports/state-of-affiliate-marketing/?utm_source=impact.com&utm_medium=external-brand-newsletter&utm_content=briannanewsletter102025&utm_campaign=state-of-affiliate-marketing ) On rest (and not being very good at it) This is the last TCBAE issue before the holidays! And I thought about writing something profound or reflective or full of big insights about the year, but honestly… I'm tired. And I'm guessing you might be too. So instead of trying to package this into something neat, I'm just going to say what I've been thinking about lately: I feel like we've made rest way too complicated. We've turned it into another thing to optimize. You're either "fully unplugged" (phone in a drawer, out of office on, disconnected from everything) or you're "on," checking Slack, refreshing email, staying available just in case. But most of us exist somewhere in the middle. We're not fully offline, but we're also not working at full speed. We're just here, getting through it, doing what needs to get done and then closing the laptop. And that's fine. My agency, Verbatim, is closed December 22 through January 5. My team can't wait. I can't wait. We've been hustling for months, and we all need a full break. But people keep asking if I'm actually going to rest. And the honest answer is… probably not. I'm working on 3 sites (mine, Verbatim's, and a client's) and mapping out some projects for the new year. I've been telling myself that's restful because it's different work — creative work I actually want to do without the pressure of deadlines or client calls. But I'm starting to realize I've just made that the norm. I've convinced myself that doing different work counts as rest. And maybe it doesn't. Maybe I'm just swapping one kind of busy for another and calling it a break. And I'm starting to wonder if I should just… not. If I should wait until the new year and just be Bri for a few weeks. So if you need to hear this too, you're allowed to step back. You're allowed to coast for a few weeks. You're allowed to do the bare minimum and not feel guilty about it. The work will be there when you get back. And honestly, taking a real break now means you'll actually have something left in the tank when you come back to it. Over the next few weeks, try to notice what rest actually looks like for you. Not what you think it should be, not what works for someone else, but what actually feels restful to you. Maybe it's doing nothing. Maybe it's doing something completely different. Maybe it's just not thinking about work for a week and a half. Just pay attention to what actually recharges you. Then try finishing up the work, closing the laptop, and letting everything else wait. I’ll be trying this out too. Are you actually ready for AI? ------------------------------ People keep talking about AI like it’s about to fix their entire business, and I’m over here watching shaky foundations get louder, not better. AI thrives in organizations with clear workflows, clean data, and systems that actually support the work. But… a lot of teams are skipping that part. ZoomInfo put out an AI Readiness Assessment that gives a quick pulse check on those foundations. Basically, it analyzes the unglamorous parts that reveal what’s actually holding a GTM team back. It’s quick, simple, and a useful gut-check if you’re trying to understand where your org truly stands before layering anything new on top. ​ -->Take the AI Readiness Assessment ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/e0hph7h75p0nglf8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuem9vbWluZm8uY29tL2FpLXJlYWRpbmVzcy1hc3Nlc3NtZW50LXpvb21pbmZvP2NhbXBfaWQ9NzAxN3kwMDAwMVdyZTJ5QUFCJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1icmlhbm5hX2RvZSZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1haS1yZWFkaW5lc3MtdG9vbCZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWluZmx1ZW5jZXImdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1saW5rZWRpbg== ) Take the AI Readiness Assessment ( https://www.zoominfo.com/ai-readiness-assessment-zoominfo?camp_id=7017y00001Wre2yAAB&utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=brianna_doe&utm_content=ai-readiness-tool ) Want a free copy of my new book? I’m giving away 10 copies of The Unapologetic Professional. ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/7qh7h8h93ko478hz/aHR0cHM6Ly9icmlhbm5hZG9lLmNvbS90aGUtdW5hcG9sb2dldGljLXByb2Zlc3Npb25hbA== )​ If you want one, reply to this email with “I want one!” I’ll send copies to the first 10 people who reply. Easy peasy! Thanks for sticking with me this year. There are some fun changes coming to this newsletter in 2025, and I'm excited to share them with you! As always, if you want to share anything or talk through how you're rethinking rest for yourself, just reply to this email. See you in the new year! Brianna ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/owhkhqhw5kr8vlcv/aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rZWRpbi5jb20vaW4vYnJpYW5uYS1kb2U= ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/z2hghnhe043dv8ap/aHR0cHM6Ly9icmlhbm5hZG9lLmNvbQ== ) ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne/p8heh9h483z707sq/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vQGxldGhlcmNvb2ttZWRpYQ== ) © 2025 This Could've Been an Email 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205 ​Unsubscribe ( https://081afabd.unsubscribe.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne ) · Preferences ( https://preferences.convertkit-mail2.com/k0u2p77vn9c6h54rq3oulho9zg277i8hr9lne )​

I'm so glad you're here! Expect a mix of stories, advice, and the occasional rant about work and careers. If you ever have a question, need to vent, or want to chat, just hit reply. I read them all. Until next time! Brianna ​ ( https://081afabd.click.convertkit-mail2.com/v8upm99742cmuxvlzreughv3e98lls9h273qg/n2hohvhvnk4d3na6/aHR0cHM6Ly9raXQuY29t ) © 2025 This Could've Been an Email 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205 ​Unsubscribe ( https://081afabd.unsubscribe.convertkit-mail2.com/v8upm99742cmuxvlzreughv3e98lls9h273qg ) · Preferences ( https://preferences.convertkit-mail2.com/v8upm99742cmuxvlzreughv3e98lls9h273qg )​