After three years of procrastinating, I finally decided to take my own advice and stop waiting for perfect. The LT in the City Podcast is the audio companion to my weekly newsletter. Each month, I'll invite a special guest to join me in a conversation about life and love, work and wellness and everything in between.
Transcript:
Hello and welcome to The LT in the City Podcast. I'm your host L'Oreal Thompson Payton and that feels so good to say. Finally, after years of procrastinating I am putting this project out into the world.
I downloaded the Anchor app to record podcasts back in January 2020. I downloaded numerous audiobooks and podcasts to learn how to make a podcast I took a fellowship back in 2021, and produced my very own episode of another podcast and even bought my own legit podcast mic.
And yet I was still too nervous to put forth my own podcast into the world for fear that it wouldn't be good enough, and it wouldn't be perfect. Even in the process of putting this podcast together, I sent the cover that I designed in Canva to one of my really good friends who is a creative director to get his input. And he mentioned a few tweaks that I can make, but besides that it was otherwise fine. Now to downplay my ambitions, and perhaps mask my disappointment that it wasn't perfect, I told him, you know, for what it's worth podcast is a strong name. It's more of monthly conversations and many episodes that I plan to add to my Substack.
To which he immediately replied, it's worth nothing. Don't minimize what you're doing, because everything starts small, and we can't plan for where a genius will take us. For all you know, this time next year, those combos could be a daytime show. So you may as well plan for greatness while you're taking time to plan anyway, check me. And thank you, Pedro, for the tough love.
I'm so used to encouraging others. But sometimes I fail to practice what I preach. Here was a friend lovingly serving me a dose of my own medicine. And I have to admit, it felt pretty good. Even if it was a little shady. I done all the research and preparation I could possibly do. The only thing left to do now was to launch. Otherwise, I was stalling I was waiting for perfect. And if you know me or follow me elsewhere, then you already know, I have a book coming out later this year titled Stop Waiting for Perfect. Perfection doesn't exist. And I could hear my mom's voice in the back of my head saying either shit or get off the pot. And I knew that's what I had to do.
So that's why I'm launching. It's still a little rough around the edges. But it's mine, because that's the thing, you can always improve your ideas, you can always make things better. But you can't learn reiterate and try again unless you start. So in case you were waiting on permission to start, here it is take that leap, you might fall. But you can always bounce back there to be different, there to be bold and put yourself out there. no risk, no reward, right. And you, my friend deserve all the rewards.
You owe it to yourself, to trust yourself to love for yourself to trust your darkness, the magic, the purpose, the gifts and talents you are uniquely born with. And you owe it to the world, your family, your friends, your colleagues and your community to make the most of it. Whatever it is you're working on, keep going. rejections will happen. That's par for the course.
And someone may have the same idea as you, and they may even put it out there first, that's gonna happen too. And you may think the market is oversaturated. And maybe it is, but it doesn't matter. You need to keep going. There could be a million podcasts, blogs, books, songs, poems and products with your same vision. In fact, there probably will be, but no one is going to do it like you do it. No one's going to bring your sweat your special sauce to the table.
As my friend Kalyn once told me, “There’s dozens of bread and water at the market. But that doesn't stop anyone from creating more. Be better than bread.” There's room for you, for me, for all of us, and our stories. She once told me “you are more than bread and water because God created you and you can do that and still be valuable to this world.”
So be better than bread because the world needs with you and only you have to offer. Take care of yourself and don't be afraid to dream bigger. The universe has your back. And so do I.
You got this and I appreciate you being along for the ride and I'm so excited for what this season has in store. I have some incredible conversations coming up with some amazing women that you do not want to miss. So make sure you subscribe to my newsletter so you don't miss an episode. And we are going to go on this ride together of and perfectionism and messiness, and embrace it all. So thank you again for being here. It wouldn't be the same without you. I'll see you next time. Take care.
The LT in the City Podcast