Level Up! With Shay

It took me two full days to put it all together. TWO. DAYS. For two 60-second clips. Every hour, I kept asking myself:

“Is this worth it?”
“Am I being too much?”
“Is this whole page just going to get tossed in the digital trash?”

Spoiler alert: maybe. But also… maybe not?

Even in the middle of my “what-am-I-even-doing” spiral, I kept learning – new editing techniques, timing, pacing, even how to bring in music and text in a more engaging way. So I made a deal with myself: Finish it. Then let it go.

Weeks passed. No email. I kept refreshing my inbox, waiting for that one magical subject line:

“We LOVE your work! Pack your bags and come to Austin!”

Instead, on Day 15, I finally got a response:

“Thank you for applying. We’re moving forward with other candidates. Due to the volume of applicants, we’re unable to provide individual feedback.”

POOP.

Okay, fine. I didn’t get the gig. But you mean to tell me I spent hours on that webpage and no one can even mention the video clips? The editing? The creativity? No notes?? No love?? (No shade to the company – but like, come on.)

Still, I was over it by the end of the day. I took a breath, shook it off, and got back to my own stuff.

I had my full video ready, and it was time to cut it into clips for social media.

I opened up my editing software and… cue flashbacks. The painful hours. The fiddly timelines. The exact same clips I used in that application.

Zero motivation. Nada.

So I closed the laptop. Walked away. I wasn’t giving up – I was giving myself space to rethink my approach.

A few hours later, it hit me: wait… I’d worked with a killer video editor on UpWork a few months back. What if they could help?

I sent them the clips. Gave them the original edits as reference.

Soon after, they sent back the first draft. I asked:

“How long did it take you to make that?”

Their response?

“About 10–15 minutes.”

🤯🤯🤯

I nearly wept with joy and relief. Not only was it good – it was budget-friendly good.

And in that moment, two lessons smacked me in the face:

1. Sometimes, the work you do for one thing is actually meant for something else.

I thought those clips were for them. Turns out, I needed them for me—as a reference for my editor. A template to build off of. That landing page? Not a waste. Just repurposed.

2. Hire people who do things better and faster than you.

You’ll increase your output, reduce your stress, and stay in your genius zone. Plus, you’re not meant to do it all alone.

Here’s the bigger takeaway:

We don’t always know the purpose of the work we’re doing right now. I could’ve thrown a fit and declared the whole thing a giant waste of time. But I don’t believe in busy work—not when it comes from God, the Universe, or even your gut instincts.

I believe that application came into my life as a divine assignment.

To prove I could do the work.
To remind me I don’t have to do it all myself.
And to show me that nothing is wasted.

Even when it feels like no one sees it, the work still matters. The effort still teaches you. And the skills you gain may come back to help you when you least expect it.

So, next time you think, “Ugh, what was the point of all that?”—remember:

It’s not wasted. It’s planted.

And planted things take time to grow.

What’s something you thought was a waste of time… but ended up being useful later? Drop it in the comments. I read every single one

You got this!

Shay

---

---

Keywords: purpose-driven work, trusting the process, creative rejection, faith and timing, content creation journey, lessons from failure, motivation for creators, spiritual perspective on work, finding clarity through action, personal growth through setbacks