The Art of the Wait: Why This Industry Will Test Every Ounce of Your Patience
Waiting on approvals? Contracts? Green lights? You're not doing it wrong—you're just doing the job.
There are weeks in this job where I feel like I’m perpetually on hold.
Not metaphorically. Literally. Like I can hear the smooth jazz and “Your call is important to us…” looping in my head while I wait yet again for something to move forward.
Or I’m following up until my fingers can type it in my sleep.
Entrepreneurship can feel like one long suspenseful scene. No dramatic climax. Just a lot of refreshing inboxes, circling back, and wondering if the silence is normal (it is) or a red flag (usually not).
Let’s talk about patience—because this industry demands it.
And honestly? Sometimes I want to scream into the void.
Let me give you a peek into what’s behind the curtain:
🕰️ Campaign #1 landed in January 2025.
It was labeled VERY TIME SENSITIVE, with content due in March and a wrap date in May.
So, when did the content go live?
June.
Why? Because the agency took two whole months to return contract redlines. TWO MONTHS. By the time we were ready to shoot and approve content, the term dates were practically ancient history.
Could I have fought to redo the contract and update the timeline? Sure.
Did I want to waste another two months in back-and-forth for a five-figure deal? Absolutely not.
We kept it moving. Just get the content live.
🕰️ Campaign #2 came in April 2025.
By the end of June, just one piece of content had gone live.
Why?
Because the brand sat on approvals for six weeks—for content they said they were “super excited” about.
🕰️ Campaign #3 was a travel collaboration with a tourism board.
You know when those conversations first started?
March 2023.
We wrapped it this spring—over two years later. Yup, the CEO of the CVB (Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) and I have been in contact for two years. I first emailed him in 2023 and we had some emails back and forth. Then it was 🦗🦗🦗.
Then one year later he called me (I’ve since learned this guy loves the phone which is fine because I do too). What I loved about that call in March of 2024, was that he started the convo as if we had just chatted 1 week ago!
Would you believe me when I tell you that the partnership finally came to life in June of this year? Yup, just last month. I truly can’t make this up.
From the outside, this work looks fast and shiny. Sponsored trips. Paid posts. Fun partnerships.
And yes—it can be.
But what people don’t see are the endless follow-ups, the stalled email threads, the NDAs that go nowhere, and the slow drip of progress that defines 90% of this job.
If you want staying power in this industry, you need to get good at:
🧠 Being patient
📥 Following up (and then following up again and again and then some more, even a year later. )
💪 Showing up even when nothing seems to be happening
That’s the job.
That’s the business.
And that’s one of the biggest differences between people who build a sustainable career in this space—and people who burn out after one messy campaign.
So if you’re in a season where it feels like nothing’s moving…
Where you’re waiting on approvals, feedback, or that green light you were promised weeks ago…
You’re not doing it wrong.
You’re just doing it.
And you’re not alone.
What’s the longest you’ve been waiting on a project this year? Entertain me!
Until next time,
