S12 E3 The Unapologetically You Series: Why the Messy Middle Matters Most

Ever find yourself in the “messy middle”—that in-between phase where success feels just out of reach, and you’re questioning everything? You’re not alone. On the latest episode of Successfully Chaotic, I dig into the reality behind entrepreneurship and growth—and spoiler alert, it’s not always as glossy as the highlight reels make it out to be.

💡 Here are three key takeaways for anyone navigating challenging transitions:

• The Magic Happens in the Messy Middle: Don’t discount the space between the big wins; those unglamorous, exhausting days are where growth and clarity are forged.

• You Don’t Have to Be Finished to Be Worthy: Progress isn’t about perfection. You’re becoming every step of the way, even when it feels unclear or uncertain.

• Keep Showing Up as Your Real Self: Authenticity—showing up as the real you—creates the deepest impact (and attracts the right opportunities and relationships).

If you’re currently feeling stuck or unsure, remember: you’re not behind, you’re becoming.

✨ This is your permission to get messy, keep going, and be unapologetically YOU.

Let’s keep supporting each other through the chaos!

Be a guest on a future episode of Successfully Chaotic: https://www.successfullychaotic.com/be-a-guest

Listen to all previous episodes at: https://www.successfullychaotic.com/podcast

 

Episode Transcript

(00:08):
Life is a winding road?
No telling where it goes?
Driving through days and nights?
Won't stop for traffic lights
And I, I really wanna
know, really wanna know

(00:31):
If I let figure
out where the road goes?
Even if I'm falling down? I will keep on searching for
my highs?
You can say I lost my mind? I will keep on holding my
head high? Even if the sky is

(00:55):
falling down.
Hey. Hey. And welcome back to Successfully Chaotic and
the unapologetically you series that we have been doing.
If you're new here, Hi, I'm Maria Daniels. I'm also a
business owner, a mom, a professional

(01:17):
chaos juggler. All the things, right? And this
episode is for anyone who has ever said, what
the hell am I even doing anymore? Like, what? What's happening?
If that's you and you're in the messy middle of all of this, then
this episode is definitely for you because that is what we're going to
be talking about. Well, I do want to dive

(01:40):
in just to the honest part of all this. You know,
I think when we start our businesses, we've got this, this idea that, you
know, we're just going to take this awesome idea we have. We're going to
put in this hard work and, you know, good elbow grease and,
you know, put the right amount of hustle in there and boom, you it, we're
just gonna win, right? It's gonna be this like, huge glow up. But

(02:02):
the reality is, is there are so many layers and
levels of trying to succeed in business. And
most of the time people don't post about this part. They post about
the big win. And they should. It's amazing, right? The launch.
And that's great because they've, they've taken that first step to try to do
it. Even afraid they, you know, will post about the glow up.

(02:26):
But that in between that space where you're
planning and trying and failing and pivoting and
doubting and overthinking and still showing up, that's
the part that a lot of times doesn't get glamorized. And,
you know, I think it should because that is where all of the
magic, all of the magic really, really happens. It's not

(02:48):
shiny, it's not sexy. It's not, it's not, you
know, that 10 extra life and three magical steps.
It's just a Tuesday and you're tired and your
kid just asked you what for is for dinner and you have no freaking clue
because you're knee deep in spreadsheets or invoices or
selfed out. You know, I'VE been there. I mean, I,

(03:10):
I, I am there. A lot of us, when we hit these growth modes, it
doesn't matter if we're talking about your first six figures
or maybe you're at a second seven. Seven figure, which, yay you, you
know, it doesn't matter if you're just starting and you've literally have nothing in
your business bank account except for, like, hopes and dreams. This
happens in all of those layers, right? That

(03:32):
messy middle happens. No matter what level you are at
this season of life right now, that space between,
like, where you were and where you're headed, that is the
part where a lot of times people just quit.
And we've, we've all been there if we're honest with ourselves. I, and I tell
people this all the time, and it's only kind of a joke that I fake

(03:54):
quit like once a week, you know? And I think a lot of us, if
we're honest with ourselves, we're there. But I don't, because I love it. I really
know what I'm doing is something that I love. But it doesn't make it always
easy when you want to
quit and you don't quit.
You get stronger, you get

(04:14):
clearer, you get bolder. And let me tell you,
I have had weeks, I've questioned everything. Should
I even be doing this? Like, what am I even doing? Like,
I am so tired and exhausted. And then
something really small happens. A message from
somebody that I've worked with. I get a letter in the mail. I have this

(04:37):
one client, and I won't mention his name, but I love him. He's. I,
I've had him for a long time. Super sweet. And I kid
you not, there have been times when I've been right there. Just, I'm
tired, you know, I'm just exhausted. There's just so many things that needs my attention
at all times. And he's an old school kind of guy, and he mails a
letter. Those letters have literally

(05:00):
been the things that stopped me. That, that, that
happens. It just reminds me of, this is why.
This is why I'm still doing it. And yes, I'm tired. And yes, it's
okay to rest, and yes, it's okay that I am done today. And I don't
want to do this anymore today. But my why
I'm reminded of that. Why? Not because

(05:23):
all of a sudden it's easier, but because I remember
it matters. Because the version
of me that is coming out of this messy
middle, out of this moment, she's got some scars.
But she's also got grit and vision and zero
tolerance for anything that does not feel aligned any more.

(05:47):
So if you're listening to this and you're like, ah, Maria, I am in
the messy middle right now. I got it. I
get you. It's okay. That is completely
everyone's journey. Everyone ends up there at one time or
another. If things feel blurry and uncertain, let
me say this loud and clear to you. You're not behind.

(06:09):
You are becoming. Here's my
reminder, my unapologetic friend. You don't
need to be finished to be worthy. You don't need a
polished pitch deck or some perfect morning routine. Those
things are fine. They're great, right? They can work. You
just need to keep showing up, though. That

(06:32):
is the huge thing. And not only just showing up, but showing up as the
most real version of you that is the one that changes lives.
So this is your season to get messy. This is your
permission to not have it all figured out. Because that
messy middle, that's where the magic happens.
And it's okay that you're not sure exactly

(06:54):
what to do right this second. You're going
to keep going and you're going to figure it out and you're going to
be unapologetically you. We are still taking
on guests for the series. And out of I
say this, I feel like every series, but out of all of these series,
this one's probably my favorite because

(07:18):
it has taken me a long time to get to this point where
I understand myself more than anything and I understand my.
My place in this world more than anything. And, yeah, I'm not a
fit in every room, and that's okay. But I know who I
am and I know what I want to do. And I also know that
I'm going to have those days where I fake quit and I just can't do

(07:40):
it anymore. But I also have those reminders from people
that I've worked with or people that, you know, I've come alongside of or
people that have helped me. I've have those little sparks, those little nuggets, those
little glimmers, right, of why. Why
it's still important for me to keep going and keep doing this
because. Because it is, right? So if you

(08:04):
found this helpful, go ahead and send it to a friend. If you're interested in
being a guest, you can drop us an email
[e-mail] you can also
send us a message on social media and we'll get back with you. So
until next time.

(08:27):
Life is a winding road
no telling where it goes
Driving through days and nights
Won't stop for traffic lights
and I really want to know,
really want to know.