Hello Reader,

Long time! How have you been doing? And what have you been doing? ;)

So many things have happened since last edition of the Warmth of Ambition (this newsletter):

German Daylight Saving, Love is Blind season 7 (what a mess), Halloween, the start of another Nanowrimo...
​

Damn, time flies! If I had waited any longer to send you another newsletter,

…you might’ve thought I’d joined the cast of Love is Blind myself 😆!

​

But here we are, back together, ready to dive into all things creative and ambitious. Let’s catch up and get inspired!

In this newsletter:

• Mindful Marketing Tips: Respectful Sharing: Navigating Sensitive Stories on Social Media
• Grand Life Horizons: Balancing perfectionism in entrepreneurship
• Sharing is caring - A book on boundaries and a podcast episode on triggering stories in marketing

Mindful Marketing

Respectful Sharing: Navigating Sensitive Stories on Social Media

Have you ever considered how your content is received?

We all know that as entrepreneurs, we are the business and the brand.

In this era of personal branding, sharing our thoughts, experiences, and opinions is often seen as part of the job – even essential.

And I get it: you’re a thoughtful, self-aware human being with valuable experiences that could truly benefit others.

But when you share a deeply personal story, often with a heavy or sad undertone, have you ever thought about how it lands with your audience?

Who is on the other end of that post when it appears in their feed?

What mindset might they be in when they stumble across it?

​

The honest truth is that social media thrives on engagement – it needs likes and comments to show content to more people.

Even if you don't have a malicious intention, you still participate in the social media game—that’s even why you’re on it.

And we know it: stories sell. They are easy to relate to and easy to make people feel something. And, yes, they tend to drive engagement.

This isn't to say that social media, storytelling, and sharing from a place of authenticity and vulnerability are evil.

​

But I do think it’s worth considering.

Because of how it is built, social media is much less of a consent-driven platform than emails.

Unlike emails, where a person makes an active choice to open, social media presents content directly in the feed, regardless of someone’s mood or mental state at that moment.

Your post might interrupt their lighthearted scroll with something unexpectedly heavy, taking them somewhere emotionally they didn’t choose to go. 😖

And at worst, it could trigger PTSD or other stress reactions (not ideal, right).

Of course, as consumers, we can scroll past, ignore, or unfollow content that doesn’t serve us.

However, as entrepreneurs, we also have a responsibility to provide a heads-up about the tone or topic of our posts.

How?

• Use Trigger Warnings (TW) for particularly sensitive subjects.
  Example: Trigger Warning: This episode discusses infertility and related challenges. If you're not in a place to engage with this topic right now, please take care of yourself, and feel free to return to this episode when the timing feels right for you.
  ​
• Or at least offer a TL;DR mood summary at the start. (TL;DR = too long, didn't read)​
  ​Example: TL;DR: This post is a bit heavier as I share a personal story about facing rejection. If you’re in the right headspace for something raw and reflective, read on. If not, feel free to come back to it when you’re ready.

I’ve been guilty of skipping these warnings myself in my newsletter, and going forward, I’ll be more mindful about giving readers a heads-up about content that may be heavier.

Ultimately, caring for your audience means thinking about how they may experience your story and sharing it in a way that respects their choice to engage.

​

As entrepreneurs, what we say and do matters. Let’s lead with intention and care to create a more mindful, meaningful world.

What’s your take on that Reader?

Grand Life Horizons

Balancing perfectionism in entrepreneurship

At its core, perfectionism is a coping mechanism to avoid rejection and criticism, and it is often tied to imposter syndrome or codependency.

It’s a way of saying, “I am not good enough, so I’m going to compensate with perfection so I can avoid x, y and z.”

While perfectionism can push us to achieve and perform, it frequently works against us, dampening our creativity and diminishing our experience. Let me explain.

As an entrepreneur, here’s how perfectionism shows up for me:

1. The pursuit of expertise: I want to feel confident and seen as professional, so I’ll do everything I can to reach a point where I feel comfortable with my knowledge, expertise, or skills.
   But instead of testing things out, trying, and failing, I often find myself lingering in the “planning” zone—spending far too long theorizing and analyzing rather than taking action.​
   ​
2. Prioritizing my image: I’m drawn to anything that enhances how I present myself in my business. While this sounds beneficial on the surface, it can easily pull me into a cycle of endless refining and preparing.

Wanting to show up as professional doesn’t sound so bad, right? Who doesn’t want to appear professional?

But here’s the catch:

perfectionism can trap us in a state of perpetual preparation—an “infinite dimension” of planning and theorizing without ever taking real action.

In life, and especially in entrepreneurship, there’s a big difference between theory and reality.

Nothing works exactly like the theory promises.

The reality of business, sales, marketing, and strategy is fluid and full of trial and error.

The truth is, failing and learning from failure is the quickest way to grow.

Perfectionism, while it can offer confidence and direction, often becomes a barrier to growth.

Where does it end?
When is something truly perfect enough to call it finished? ​
Whether it's our websites, copywriting, or marketing strategies, there’s always a way to make things clearer, more impactful, or more targeted.

So, how do we balance perfectionism?

Finding balance is about knowing when perfectionism serves us and when it stalls us. Here are a few strategies that can help:

1. Apply the 80/20 rule:
   The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, suggests that 80% of results often come from just 20% of the effort. This means that the core of a task is usually completed much sooner than we think; the remaining 80% of time we can spend refining often brings only slight improvements.
   ​
   ​This also means that the 20% of results you could get to be 100% there, aka perfect, would also cost you 80% of effort and time. And that is often the truth. But is it worth it?​
   ​
2. Set clear, time-based goals:
   Give yourself set time limits for tasks, especially those that don’t necessarily require perfection to be impactful. Let’s say you’re creating an Instagram post—rather than agonizing over every word or every design element, set a timer for 30 minutes and commit to publishing when time’s up.
   ​
   ​Knowing there’s a set endpoint keeps you from falling into the perfectionism spiral.
   ​
3. Use ‘good enough’ as a checkpoint:
   Recognize when a project is “good enough” to serve its purpose, even if it’s not your ideal version. For example, if you’re writing a blog post, focus on ensuring it’s clear, provides value, and is error-free—but let go of the idea that every sentence needs to be perfectly crafted.
   ​
   ​Remember that a completed post with value is better than a flawless draft sitting unfinished on your desktop.​
   ​
4. Evaluate the ROI of additional effort:
   Ask yourself whether extra effort is actually worth it in terms of time, stress, or potential reward.
   ​
   ​Evaluate—will this extra work enhance the user experience enough to be worth the time, or would your energy be better spent elsewhere? And what are you sacrificing for this time? Me time, sleep, time with your loved ones? In the long term, is it sustainable? And worth it?
   ​
5. Adopt a “test and learn” mindset:
   Perfectionism often tempts us to wait until things are “just right” before putting them out into the world. But waiting for perfect conditions prevents us from learning through feedback.
   Let’s say you’re launching a new service—rather than waiting until every detail is perfected, launch with a strong foundation and adjust based on feedback.
   ​
   ​This mindset shift allows you to get real-world input, refine based on what truly matters to your audience, and grow faster by moving beyond theory.​
   ​

Do you struggle with perfectionism?

How does it manifest for you?

Do you have any tip you would like to share with us Reader?

Reply to this email and let us know!

Sharing is Caring

A book on boundaries and a podcast episode on triggering stories in marketing

​

I recently picked up Boundary Boss by Terri Cole, a book I bought two years ago, again. I’m a massive fan of her podcast, and out of nowhere, I had a sense that I should read it again. And I was NOT disappointed!

This book is terrific, whether you want to learn how to set healthy boundaries, understand the mechanics of it, or simply hear stories of other women and their journeys towards themselves. I can’t recommend it enough!

​

As mentioned earlier, I started feeling weird about my social media feed half a year ago. I was developing an aversion to too much vulnerability online. This podcast episode illustrates a lot of my thoughts on the topic, and I genuinely recommend you listen to it if you also feel that way.

That's all folks!

Thank you for taking the time to read it. I do not take it lightly!

​

Lots of love,

Bao

Bao MC Yang Copywriter & Website Strategist for coaches, consultants and service providers ​ ​Home | All-in-One Website Service | Words2Connect - Copywriting Service | WebWise Strategies Consultation​

​

​

​​​​​