Unfiltered On Purpose
Why This Exists
I’ll be honest: I haven’t been in marketing for years. I didn’t rise through the ranks of a big agency or rack up a decade of corporate experience. What I did do was earn my undergrad in marketing, dive headfirst into a one-year master’s program, and come out of it already waist-deep in the world of content creation, brand storytelling, and social media management.
And in that time, I realized something: the loudest voices in marketing aren’t always the most helpful.
There are endless posts telling you what to do, how to grow, and why your content isn’t working. But what if we just admitted that none of us have this all figured out? That content is part science, part soul, and mostly trial and error? That we’re learning as we go, and we deserve a space to do that without all the noise?
That’s what Creative (Un)Filtered is. Not a place where I preach strategy from a pedestal, but one where we grow together. Where we unlearn the fluff and relearn the foundation. Where we talk about content, clarity, burnout, boundaries, and all the weird things that come with trying to make something meaningful online.
Welcome to the chaos. You’re not behind. You’re just unfiltered.
The Unfiltered Truth
Here’s what they don’t tell you: marketing isn’t easy. Content doesn’t go viral just because you picked a trending sound or posted at 9:02am on a Tuesday. And growth? It’s rarely linear.
But online, it looks like it should be.
You see the carousels that promise "3 Reels That Got Me 30K Followers." You hear the gurus say, "Just show up consistently and the clients will come." And suddenly, you're wondering why you're working twice as hard for half the results.
Here’s the unfiltered truth: success online isn't copy-paste. It’s messy. It’s human. And it looks different for everyone.
And yet, we scroll ourselves into self-doubt. We convince ourselves that we’re the problem, not the process. That if we were better, louder, faster, more aesthetic, we’d be growing too.
But here’s what I’m learning: the more honest I get about the work, the more aligned I feel with my purpose in it.
Strategy Spotlight
Let’s get practical for a sec.
When clients or someone I know ask me to "make it go viral" (yep, it happens), I used to panic. I thought that if I couldn’t deliver explosive numbers, I wasn’t good enough. But now? I reframe the question.
I ask:
Who is this really for?
What do we want them to feel?
What do we want them to do?
Those three questions ground everything. Because good content isn’t about hype. It’s about intention.
And here’s the truth: everyone wants to go viral, but virality without value is short-lived. When people follow you just because of one viral moment, they’re not necessarily aligned with your brand. They’re just passing through.
Sustainable growth happens when you offer something real. Something helpful. Something human.
The goal isn’t to be popular for a post. It’s to build trust over time.
You don’t need to go viral. You need to be valuable, and that value is what turns followers into a community.
The Shift
What if we stopped trying to prove our worth in every post, and started sharing from a place of clarity?
What if we gave ourselves permission to be in-process? To show up unpolished? To stop overthinking every caption because it didn’t sound like the "experts?"
The shift I’m making (and inviting you to make too) is toward content that builds trust over time. Content that reflects who you are, not just what the algorithm wants.
Because when you stop performing and start sharing, something beautiful happens: people connect with you.
Let’s Talk
What’s the biggest myth you’ve had to unlearn about working in marketing? I’d love to hear your take, so drop it in the comments. Let’s trade notes.
P.S. Next time, we’re diving into what no one tells you about consistency and why showing up doesn’t always look the way you think it should.