Tired Tessa Is Done Being Tired: Why the Hustle Starts NOW

October 8, 2025

The Un-Inflated Reality: The Wish vs. The Work

Dear Journal,

I need to be honest with myself, and frankly, with you. This isn’t a launch failure; it’s a work-ethic shortage.

I keep staring at this beautiful, perfectly formed business I built—the logo, the products, the beautiful, organized behind-the-scenes chaos—and I keep wondering why the money isn't just floating in. I treat this like a wish, not a job. I sent my precious creations out, gave them a little nod, and figured the universe would handle the rest. I’ve been so exhausted from the preparation that the actual work of selling hasn't even begun.

Well, surprise, surprise, my balloon side hustle is going to suffer if I just sit here and pray!

The cold, hard truth is that my business, your balloon business, any business, is not going to take off unless we hustle.

I see successful artists posting constantly—it takes a relentless effort, sometimes 8 to 10 times a day across different platforms, to truly capture people's attention. That’s because the market is crowded, and our brains are distracted.

What Can We Truly Expect?

If I’m being brutally honest about my current level of posting (which is hovering around a generous 2 or 3), I can truly expect nothing.

The reality is that for a customer to acknowledge your product exists, let alone purchase it, they need to see it, and see it often. It takes a potential customer between 8 and 12 times of seeing your product before they even register it, let alone feel compelled to click. We are selling things people don't know they need yet! We have to put in the repetition.

So, listen, we have to hustle.

No excuses. "Hustle" is literally in the name of the game, honey. The time for congratulating ourselves on launching is over. It’s time to get up, grab the camera, and start posting until our fingers cramp. Let’s stop wishing and start working. Let's get to it.

— Tessa, The Newly Motivated Entrepreneur