Propaganda I’m Not Falling For: Business Edition
✎ Filed under: lived experience, voice reclamation, and refusing the dopamine loop.
There’s a trend doing the rounds on Instagram and TikTok: Propaganda I’m Not Falling For. If you’ve opened either app in the last fortnight – you’ve probably seen it.
It started in the wellness world – a reaction to the endless performative lifestyle advice, the aesthetic obsession, the low-key classism of it all.
Now it’s everywhere. From matcha latte and cold plunges to launch advice and morning routines. Because the algorithm rewards opinion – and nothing boosts engagement like saying “I’m not like the others.”
Thing is, trends don’t spread because they’re true.
They spread because they’re clickable. Relatable. Fast.
They hit the dopamine loop: recognition → reaction → reward.
We follow them not because they work – but because they’re everywhere.
I’ve rolled my eyes at plenty of advice online.
But I’ve also tried to follow it, even when it didn’t fit.
And at some point, I had to ask: what if it’s not that I’m failing… but that I’m following the wrong instructions?
So here’s a short list of propaganda I’m no longer falling for – and what I’m choosing instead.
Propaganda I’m Not Falling For
“Get up at 5am if you want it badly enough”
Apparently, the secret to success is sleep deprivation and cold coffee. Especially if you’re a mum, because nothing says balance like a 4am journaling session before the baby wakes up.
“Your mindset is why your launch failed”
Not the offer. Not the messaging. Not the audience fit. Just your inner child ruining the conversion rate. Obviously.
“Authenticity means sharing everything”
If you’re not crying into your camera and telling strangers about your trauma, do you even want to build trust?
“If you’re not making money, it’s a worthiness wound”
Nothing says nuance like turning your entire financial reality into an affirmation problem.
“Show up every day or be forgotten”
The belief that one missed post will tank your business. But don’t worry – the algorithm is forgiving. You can earn redemption by dancing and pointing at boxes.
What I’m Choosing Instead
Energy-led planning and childcare-led days
My best ideas don’t arrive at dawn. They arrive when I’ve slept, moved, and put Jude in nursery. I don’t need a miracle morning. I need a clear Tuesday.
Strategy that honours the season I’m in
Sometimes a post flops because the timing’s off. Sometimes I miss the window. That’s not a mindset block – that’s just life. And I can adjust without spiralling.
Telling the truth without telling everything
I’ve learned that resonance doesn’t require rawness. My audience doesn’t need access to my wounds to believe in my work.
Sustainable pricing that reflects my reality
I price based on scope, skill, and what supports my family – not what a “six-figure coach” told me to charge. My income isn’t a vibe. It’s a structure.
Quiet consistency over constant performance
I work two days a week. I post when I can. I don’t chase algorithms –
I build trust. And surprisingly… it still works.
Not all propaganda is bad.
Some of it started as truth. Some of it still works — for other people, in other seasons.
(Yes, I know real propaganda isn’t rooted in truth. But this is the internet. Words are mostly vibes now.)
I’m not here to cancel advice – just to question the bits that never fit me, and build something quieter, smarter, and actually sustainable instead.
So I’m choosing what fits.
Not what’s trending. Not what’s aesthetic.
Just what’s actually working – for me.
Maybe for you too.
Like this? You might enjoy:
For grounded tools and deeper strategy, the Members Toolkit is waiting.
Explore the membership →
New here?
Hi, I’m Sam – business mentor, writer, mum and long-time believer that sustainable business should actually feel like yours.
This isn’t a regular article. It’s something in-between.
Unfiltered. Unpolished. A thought I couldn’t shake.
If it lands, you might like the rest – weekly posts, grounded strategy, and for paid subscribers, access to my full Members Toolkit.