When Being Number 7 Feels Like Winning 🎙️

You don't always have to come in first to come out in front.

You don’t have to be in a full-on crisis to feel stuck. Sometimes it’s more subtle: a quiet question that creeps in at the end of a long day—Is any of this actually going anywhere? Am I just shouting into the void?

If you're feeling that way right now, I want to share something that might remind you: progress doesn’t always look like a podium finish.

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

Trusting the Risk

A few months ago, I applied to something on a whim: a complimentary weekend immersive hosted by Sundance Collab for global audio storytellers. I almost didn’t submit. But I did. And I got in.

The experience was generous and rigorous—three days of workshops, breakout rooms, and insights from seasoned professionals in narrative audio.

I brought my developing narrative podcast concept, Seeing Through Silicon and pitched it twice in two different sessions. The feedback was thoughtful and supportive. People “got” what I was saying...but I could tell from their faces that something was missing. It wasn’t landing emotionally.

That night, I took a hard look at the one-pager I used to pitch my story. I asked a new question—not What is this story? but Why does it matter to me, and to the listener? I rewrote it from the inside out.

The next day, I pitched it again. New breakout group. Same story—but this time, from the heart. And this time, they really got it. It resonated. It stuck.

Showing Up Anyway

Then serendipity struck. JAR Audio, a company I'd been following because of their shared values, announced a pilot competition for emerging women podcasters. Fortunately, my three years of internet radio hosting experience didn't age me out of the 'emerging' category.

I repurposed my newly revised one-pager from the Sundance weekend, adjusted it for JAR’s guidelines, submitted it...and forgot about it.

A month later, I found out I’d been selected as one of seven finalists.

No, I didn’t win. But yes, it felt like winning.

Two respected, values-driven orgs had validated my idea—twice. Not with vague praise, but through rigorous selection processes. I even heard from the JAR team afterward: Keep us posted. We want to know where this goes.

What I Learned (And Maybe You Need to Hear Right Now)

• You don’t always need to "win" to feel seen. Sometimes the win is in being invited into the room, and being asked to come back.

• Refinement opens doors. The biggest shift wasn’t external. It was me asking: Am I telling this story from my head or from my heart?

• Progress isn't always public. A finalist slot, a quiet DM from someone who heard you, a nudge to “keep going” — these moments matter.

• Being number 7 isn’t a consolation prize— it’s a step. A sign. Proof that something’s working, and it’s worth nurturing.

🙌 If You're In the Fog...

Maybe you're not sure where your work stands. Maybe you’ve been sitting on something—an idea, an application, a risk. Or maybe you’ve been showing up, doing the work, and wondering if anyone’s even noticing.

Let this be your reminder: the ripple is often quieter than the splash. But it’s still real. It still counts.

I didn’t “win” the JAR competition. But I walked away with something better: belief. From others, yes—but also from myself.

And I’ll take that kind of win any day.

Want to follow along as I keep building Seeing Through Silicon and other experiments? Hit subscribe or drop a comment—I’d love to hear what you’re working on, too.